| Ronny Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher / First baseman | |
| Born: (1962-11-08) November 8, 1962 (age 61) San Jose, California, United States | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Ronny George Johnson (born November 8, 1962)[1] is an American-Australian former professional baseball player and Olympic competitor. Listed at 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) and 190 pounds (86 kg) during his professional career, he threw and batted right-handed. He is an inductee of the Baseball Australia Hall of Fame.
Johnson played high school baseball in Canyon Country, California, as a pitcher and right fielder.[2] In 1981, Johnson played college baseball for Pierce Junior CollegeinWoodland Hills, Los Angeles, where he pitched in 11 games (six starts), recording a 2–5 win–loss record with a 4.05 earned run average (ERA) and one save.[3][4] He also appeared in 24 games as a designated hitter, accruing a .265 batting average with five home runs and 20 runs batted in (RBIs).[4] He was selected in the second round of the January 1982 winter MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays.[5][1] He signed with the Blue Jays organization in May 1982.[3]
Johnson played in Minor League Baseball from 1982 to 1985, for farm teams of the Blue Jays and Texas Rangers.[1] He pitched in 65 games (27 starts) compiling a 13–15 record with 4.52 ERA while striking out 159 batters in 229 innings pitched.[1] He did not play above the Single-A level.[1]
Johnson subsequently played professional baseball in Australia from 1989 to 1999.[6] He competed for the Australia national baseball team in the 1998 Baseball World Cup, held in Italy.[7] At age 37, Johnson competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics for Australia, appearing in six games as a first baseman, designated hitter, and pinch hitter.[8] During the Olympic baseball tournament, the Australian team compiled a 2–5 record, finishing seventh in the field of eight teams. Johnson was inducted to the Baseball Australia Hall of Fame in 2005.[6]
