Elijah Johnson

Elijah Johnson, Jr.
(Tom)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 185 lb.

• Born December 6, 1942 in San Antonio, TX USA
• Died December 28, 2021 in Missouri City, TX USA

BR Register page

Biographical Information

IF/OF Elijah Johnson was traded with Mike Cuellar and Enzo Hernandez for Curt Blefary and John Mason on December 4, 1968.

He played in the minor leagues from 1961 to 1972, after being signed as an amateur free agent by the Houston Colt .45s. He started off with the Moultrie Colt .22s of the Georgia-Florida League in 1962 and played in the Colt .45s/Houston Astros system until the trade. He reached AAA in 1967, playing 26 games for the Oklahoma City 89ers after starting the season with the Amarillo Sonics of the Texas League. In 1968, he spent the entire season with Oklahoma City, then a member of the Pacific Coast League and hit .277 in 129 games with 32 doubles and 19 homers.

When he joined the Baltimore Orioles after the trade, he was unable to break into the talented team's line-up, as they were about to win three consecutive American League pennants from 1969 to 1971. He thus spent all of 1969 and 1970 in the International League with the Rochester Red Wings, batting .301 and .271, with 14 and 20 homers. In 1971, seeing his progress blocked in the U.S., he played one season in Nippon Pro Baseball with the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes. However, he had trouble adapting to the move, batting just .185 with 7 homers in 52 games. He returned to the U.S. in 1972 and played one final season back with Oklahoma City, which was now in the American Association, but again failed to hit, batting .211 with 4 homers and 18 RBIs in 54 games. He retired after that season.

Johnson is the cousin of Cliff Johnson. After retirement, he became a police officer in Houston, TX.