Roy Johnson (1980s outfielder)

{{short description|American baseball player}}

{{About|||Roy Johnson (disambiguation){{!}}Roy Johnson}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Roy Johnson

|position=Outfielder

|image=1984 Indianapolis Indians - Roy Johnson (cropped).webp

|caption=Johnson with the Indianapolis Indians {{circa}} 1984

|bats=Left

|throws=Left

|birth_date={{Birth date|1959|6|27}}

|birth_place=Parkin, Arkansas

|death_date={{death date and age|2009|1|26|1959|6|27}}

|death_place=Campeche, Mexico

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=July 3

|debutyear=1982

|debutteam=Montreal Expos

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=April 14

|finalyear=1985

|finalteam=Montreal Expos

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.171

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=1

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=4

|teams=

• Montreal Expos ({{mlby|1982}}, {{mlby|1984}}–{{mlby|1985}})

}}

Roy Edward Johnson (June 27, 1959 – January 26, 2009) was an American professional baseball outfielder who appeared in 36 games in Major League Baseball (MLB), mainly as a center fielder, in parts of three seasons for the Montreal Expos ({{mlby|1982}}, {{mlby|1984}}–{{mlby|1985}}). Listed at {{convert|6|ft|4|in}} tall and {{convert|205|lb}}, the native of Parkin, Arkansas, batted and threw left-handed. He was selected by the Expos in the fifth round of the 1980 Major League Baseball Draft out of Tennessee State University.

Johnson was a distinguished hitter in the minors, but he was not able to translate it to major league success. He posted a .171 batting average (12-for-70) with four doubles, one home run (a two-run shot off Rich Bordi of the Chicago Cubs on September 12, 1984)Retrosheet [https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1984/B09120CHN1984.htm box score (12 September 1984): "Chicago Cubs 11, Montreal Expos 5"] and four runs batted in through 79 MLB plate appearances.

In his eight-season minor league career, Johnson hit .291 with 85 homers and 428 RBI in 773 games, including an .829 on-base plus slugging percentage. He hit .361 with 90 RBI and a .561 slugging percentage at Triple-A for the 1982 Wichita Aeros, where he also played in 1983. Dealt to the Oakland Athletics, he was a member of the Triple-A Tacoma Tigers during three seasons (1986–1988), hitting .343 in 1986. He also played for the Piratas de Campeche of the Mexican League and later became their hitting coach.

Johnson died at his San Francisco de Campeche home of a heart attack at the age of 49. He was buried at Jardines del Angel Cemetery, in Campeche. After his death, the Piratas retired Johnson's 39 number.{{cite web|title=A ocho años de la partida de Roy Johnson, la afición sigue recordándolo|url=https://www.primeraplana.org.mx/2017/01/27/a-ocho-anos-de-la-partida-de-roy-johnson-la-aficion-sigue-recordandolo/|website=Primera Plana|date=27 January 2017|access-date=28 July 2021|language=es}}