Syl Johnson

Sylvester W Johnson
born Sylvester Johnson

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 180 lb.

• Debut April 24, 1922
• Final Game September 26, 1940
• Born December 31, 1900 in Portland, OR USA
• Died February 20, 1985 in Portland, OR USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Syl Johnson was a player/coach for the Philadelphia Phillies during his last major league season in 1940, and again with the Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League in 1944 and 1945. He managed the Vancouver Capilanos for part of the 1946 season; he resigned in June and was hired as a West Coast scout by the New York Yankees that August. He stayed with that team until 1954, when he moved to the Brooklyn Dodgers, continuing until 1961.

On May 29, 1925, pitching for the Detroit Tigers against the Chicago White Sox, he was hit in the face by a line drive hit by Bibb Falk. He suffered a broken jaw and did not pitch again that season.

He worked one National League game as a fill-in umpire in 1934.

Notable Achievements

• Won two World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals (1926 & 1931) (he did not play in the 1926 World Series)

Further Reading

• Matthew Clifford: "A Phil Named Syl", in Morris Levin, ed.: From Swampoodle to South Philly: Baseball in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, The National Pastime, SABR, 2013, pp. 194-198.

Related Sites

• Syl Johnson at the SABR Bio Project