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Kelly Johnson (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Kelly Andrew Johnson is a Major League Baseball
second baseman
.
, due to the many injuries that plagued the Braves early in the 2005
season. Johnson was named the National League
Player of the Week for the week of June 13 after batting .417 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in 24 at-bats.
An elbow injury sidelined Johnson for the entire 2006
season. He was placed on the disabled list during spring training after experiencing pain while making throws from the outfield, and had Tommy John surgery
performed by Dr. James Andrews
on June 1. During the offseason, Johnson spent many hours with Braves first base coach Glenn Hubbard
at Turner Field
to learn how to play second base effectively. Johnson earned the starting position at second base and as the leadoff hitter
for the Braves for the 2007 season. He has exceeded all expectations as a second baseman defensively, and has proved to be one of the majors' most productive hitters at his position.
On April 8, 2007 Johnson hit the first leadoff homer of his career in a 3-2 win against the New York Mets
. In late June, Johnson lost his position as the leadoff hitter in the Braves lineup. In the 48 games Johnson played in May and June, his on-base percentage
was .325, well below the acceptable rate for a good leadoff hitter. Willie Harris
, who took over the role as primary leadoff hitter, had an on-base percentage of .440 prior to June 22 (Johnson's last game as the leadoff hitter), prompting Braves manager Bobby Cox
to make the change. (As of August 10, Johnson had an on-base percentage of .419 since June 22.) In addition to being demoted from the top of the order, Johnson's offensive struggles motivated Cox to move Johnson into a platoon at second base with Yunel Escobar
. He capped off his year with 16 homers and a .276 batting average.
With Escobar taking over full-time at shortstop
, Johnson began the year as the Braves second baseman for the season.
Johnson had the longest hitting streak in the National League
of the season, hitting in 22-straight games. He hit .398 with 19 RBIs in 25 games in September. Johnson ended the season with a .287 batting average, 12 homers, 69 RBIs, 86 runs, and 11 stolen bases.
In 2009, Johnson lost his full-time starting position with the Braves. He increased his contact rate on pitches inside the strike zone, as well as swinging at more pitches outside the strike zone. This pattern is associated with a less-aggressive swing and was associated with his poor results in 2009.
On December 12, 2009, Johnson, was non-tendered by the Atlanta Braves
making him a free agent
.
. Arizona had previously shown interest in acquiring Johnson from the Braves. Johnson said this about his new team,
He received the Player of the Month award for the month of April, his first month as a player for the Diamondbacks. He earned the award by hitting nine home runs and a .750 slugging percentage. In his first 22 games, Johnson batted .313 (25-80) with 18 RBI, 17 runs scored and a .404 OBP.
On July 23, 2010 Johnson successfully hit for the cycle
against the San Francisco Giants
. Johnson hit a solo home run in the first, a ground-rule double in the fifth, a two-run triple in the sixth and completed it with a single in the eighth. Johnson tied the game at 1 with his home run, almost tied the game with a double but it was a ground rule so Young was held at third base, tied the game at 3 with a 2-run triple, and represented the tying run with his single.
On May 21, 2011, Johnson launched a pitch from Minnesota Twins
closer Matt Capps deep into the right-field bleachers at Chase Field for a grand slam that capped the Diamondbacks rally from down 6-3 and made the score 9-6, which would be the final score.
On July 8, 2011, Johnson hit his second grand slam in the season off St. Louis Cardinals
pitcher Kyle Lohse. Johnson gave the D-backs the lead in the seventh to break a tie 7-3. He hit a 2-2 pitch into the Cardinals bullpen while thinking that he only hit a sacrifice fly. The ball carried long enough to be a grand slam.
In a game versus the Dodgers
on August 7, 2011, Johnson hit a 2-run home run
off of Clayton Kershaw
while using pitcher
Juan Gutiérrez's
baseball bat
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
.
Atlanta Braves
Johnson was drafted in the first round (38th overall) of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves. Johnson made his Major League debut with the Braves on May 29, 2005 and became a regular outfielderOutfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
, due to the many injuries that plagued the Braves early in the 2005
2005 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the 2005 World Series.*2005 also marked the inaugural season of the Washington Nationals, who relocated from Montreal and were formerly known as the Expos....
season. Johnson was named the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Player of the Week for the week of June 13 after batting .417 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in 24 at-bats.
An elbow injury sidelined Johnson for the entire 2006
2006 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:*The 2006 World Baseball Classic final 4 teams are Japan, Cuba, Korea and the Dominican Republic, with the United States at 3–3 failing to qualify for the semi-finals. Under the leadership of manager Sadaharu Oh and veterans Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan ...
season. He was placed on the disabled list during spring training after experiencing pain while making throws from the outfield, and had Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
performed by Dr. James Andrews
James Andrews (physician)
James Rheuben Andrews, M.D., born 1942 in Homer, Louisiana, is an orthopedic surgeon who practices at the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze, Florida. He also practices in Birmingham, Alabama at the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center located at St....
on June 1. During the offseason, Johnson spent many hours with Braves first base coach Glenn Hubbard
Glenn Hubbard (baseball)
Glenn Dee Hubbard is a former first base coach for the Atlanta Braves and second baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1978 to 1989...
at Turner Field
Turner Field
Turner Field is a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home to Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves since 1997. Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium, it was completed in 1996 to serve as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics...
to learn how to play second base effectively. Johnson earned the starting position at second base and as the leadoff hitter
Leadoff hitter
In baseball, a leadoff hitter is a batter who bats first in the lineup. It can also refer to any batter who bats first in an inning.- Strategy :...
for the Braves for the 2007 season. He has exceeded all expectations as a second baseman defensively, and has proved to be one of the majors' most productive hitters at his position.
On April 8, 2007 Johnson hit the first leadoff homer of his career in a 3-2 win against the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. In late June, Johnson lost his position as the leadoff hitter in the Braves lineup. In the 48 games Johnson played in May and June, his on-base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
was .325, well below the acceptable rate for a good leadoff hitter. Willie Harris
Willie Harris
William Charles Harris is a Major League Baseball outfielder and infielder. Harris is known for his quick feet and base-stealing abilities, with currently 94 career stolen bases. Harris was formerly a member of the Baltimore Orioles , Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox , Atlanta Braves , and...
, who took over the role as primary leadoff hitter, had an on-base percentage of .440 prior to June 22 (Johnson's last game as the leadoff hitter), prompting Braves manager Bobby Cox
Bobby Cox
Robert Joseph "Bobby" Cox is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. He first led the Atlanta Braves from 1978 to 1981, and then managed the Toronto Blue Jays from 1982 to 1985. He later rejoined the Braves in 1985 as a general manager...
to make the change. (As of August 10, Johnson had an on-base percentage of .419 since June 22.) In addition to being demoted from the top of the order, Johnson's offensive struggles motivated Cox to move Johnson into a platoon at second base with Yunel Escobar
Yunel Escobar
Yunel Almenares Escobar is a professional baseball shortstop with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.-Early life:Escobar was born in Havana, Cuba...
. He capped off his year with 16 homers and a .276 batting average.
With Escobar taking over full-time at shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, Johnson began the year as the Braves second baseman for the season.
Johnson had the longest hitting streak in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
of the season, hitting in 22-straight games. He hit .398 with 19 RBIs in 25 games in September. Johnson ended the season with a .287 batting average, 12 homers, 69 RBIs, 86 runs, and 11 stolen bases.
In 2009, Johnson lost his full-time starting position with the Braves. He increased his contact rate on pitches inside the strike zone, as well as swinging at more pitches outside the strike zone. This pattern is associated with a less-aggressive swing and was associated with his poor results in 2009.
On December 12, 2009, Johnson, was non-tendered by the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
making him a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
.
Arizona Diamondbacks
On December 30, 2009, Johnson signed a one year $2.35 million contract with the Arizona DiamondbacksArizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
. Arizona had previously shown interest in acquiring Johnson from the Braves. Johnson said this about his new team,
He received the Player of the Month award for the month of April, his first month as a player for the Diamondbacks. He earned the award by hitting nine home runs and a .750 slugging percentage. In his first 22 games, Johnson batted .313 (25-80) with 18 RBI, 17 runs scored and a .404 OBP.
On July 23, 2010 Johnson successfully hit for the cycle
Hitting for the cycle
In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
against the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. Johnson hit a solo home run in the first, a ground-rule double in the fifth, a two-run triple in the sixth and completed it with a single in the eighth. Johnson tied the game at 1 with his home run, almost tied the game with a double but it was a ground rule so Young was held at third base, tied the game at 3 with a 2-run triple, and represented the tying run with his single.
On May 21, 2011, Johnson launched a pitch from Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
closer Matt Capps deep into the right-field bleachers at Chase Field for a grand slam that capped the Diamondbacks rally from down 6-3 and made the score 9-6, which would be the final score.
On July 8, 2011, Johnson hit his second grand slam in the season off St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
pitcher Kyle Lohse. Johnson gave the D-backs the lead in the seventh to break a tie 7-3. He hit a 2-2 pitch into the Cardinals bullpen while thinking that he only hit a sacrifice fly. The ball carried long enough to be a grand slam.
In a game versus the Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
on August 7, 2011, Johnson hit a 2-run home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
off of Clayton Kershaw
Clayton Kershaw
Clayton Edward Kershaw is a left-handed pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball.In 2011, Kershaw won the Pitching Triple Crown and the National League Cy Young Award, becoming the youngest pitcher to accomplish either of these feats since Dwight Gooden in 1985...
while using pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Juan Gutiérrez's
Juan Gutiérrez (baseball)
Juan Carlos Gutiérrez nicknamed the goot is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-Baseball career:...
baseball bat
Baseball bat
A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the game of baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. It is no more than 2.75 inches in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches in length. It typically weighs no more than 33 ounces , but it...
.