Duane Johnson (minors03)

Duane LeVar Johnson

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 180 lb.
• High School Earl Wooster High School
• Born November 19, 1978 in Orange, CA USA
• Died February 15, 2002 in Phoenix, AZ USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Outfielder Duane Johnson played in the Philadelphia Phillies minor league system in 1997 and 1998, after being drafted by the club in the 18th round of the 1997 amateur draft (one round after Johnny Estrada).

In 1997, he hit .139/.190/.139 with 11 hits in 35 games for the Martinsville Phillies. He fielded .786 with almost as many errors (9) as hits. With Martinsville again in 1998, he hit .216/.322/.255 with 11 hits in 27 games while fielding .926. Overall, he hit .169/.245/.185 with 22 hits in 62 games. He scored 18 runs, drove in 5 and stole 8 bases in 11 tries. He struck out in 56 of 130 at-bats and fielded .841.

He died in a car accident on February 15, 2002 at 23 years old. The driver was his friend Mike Darr Jr., who was drunk, and neither Darr nor Johnson was wearing a seat belt; a passenger wearing a seatbelt (Ben Howard) survived.

Source: 2002 article on the Johnson and Darr families