John H. Johnson

John H. Johnson

• Born September 26, 1921 in Staten Island, NY, USA
• Died January 12, 1988 in St. Petersburg, FL, USA

Biographical Information

John Johnson joined the New York Yankees organization in 1947, serving as a secretary to George Weiss. He rose through a series of posts, becoming the team's farm director and ultimately Vice President of Minor League Operations, during the 1960s. When Bowie Kuhn was elected Commissioner in 1969, Johnson joined his staff, and after serving there for nine years, he became President of the National Association in 1978. He was credited with stabilizing the minor leagues and steering them through a period of growth.

The President's Trophy, which is "presented annually to honor the complete baseball franchise -- based on franchise stability, contributions to league stability, contributions to baseball in the community, and promotion of the baseball industry", has been presented since 1974, but was renamed The John H. Johnson President's Trophy after Johnson's death in 1988.

John died of chest cancer. He was 66.