Charles Johnson

Charles Edward Johnson Jr.

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 215 lb.
• School University of Miami
• High School Fort Pierce Westwood High School
• Debut May 6, 1994
• Final Game June 11, 2005
• Born July 20, 1971 in Fort Pierce, FL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Charles Johnson competed for the United States at the 1991 Pan American Games and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He is one of only a handful of black or African-American catchers to play in the majors over the past several decades, probably having the most successful career of any since Roy Campanella and Elston Howard.

He was an All-American at the University of Miami and was an All-Star in AA in 1994. He was a first round draft pick twice, first in 1989, when he was chosen 10th overall by the Montreal Expos coming out of high school, and again in 1992, when he was the Florida Marlins' first-ever draft pick, one year before they played their inaugural season.

Johnson's strongest year offensively was 2000, when (split between two teams) he slugged .582 with 31 home runs. He also hit quite well in the 1997 World Series against the Cleveland Indians, with a .357 batting average. In the Series, he hit seventh in the lineup when at home and eighth in the lineup when in Cleveland. Johnson's two-run homer off Jose Ibar was the big blow in the Baltimore Orioles' 3-2 win over Cuba in the first game of the 1999 Baltimore Orioles-Cuban National Team Exhibition Series.

He is a cousin of Fred McGriff and the nephew of Terry McGriff.

Notable Achievements

• 1995 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
• 2-time NL All-Star (1997 & 2001)
• 4-time NL Gold Glove Winner (1995-1998)
• 20-Home Run Seasons: 2 (2000 & 2003)
• 30-Home Run Seasons: 1 (2000)
• Won a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 1997