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Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

Edgy MD May 27 2014 07:43 AM

[list=1][*]Was born in Bessemer, Alabama --- the same town that gave the world Bo Jackson. [/*:m] [*]On June 19, 1977, Lamar sang the national anthem before the game, and then started for the Sox. Chicago managed only two hits against Mike Norris and Bob Lacey, but no matter, both hits were homers by Johnson and the Sox won, 2-1. [/*:m] [*]He previous was the batting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers, taking over a light-hitting team in 1995 and leading them to club-record historical production. They fell off after spiking early in his tenure and he was let go in August 1998. [list]Brewer Runs per Game, 1993-2000, Lamar Johnson Years in Red 1993: 4.52 RpG 1994: 4.76 1995: 5.14 1996: 5.52 1997: 4.23 1998: 4.36 1999: 5.06 2000: 4.54[/list:u] [/*:m] [*]The next year he moved over to the Royals, and again, his batters saw a remarkable initial run of success before tailing off. Royal Runs per Game, 1997-2004, Lamar Johnson Years in Red [list]1997: 4.64 1998: 4.43 1999: 5.32 2000: 5.43 2001: 4.50 2002: 4.55 2003: 5.16 2004: 4.44[/list:u] [/*:m] [*]Spent one year as the Mariners hitting coach. This was an outstanding team trending in the wrong direction. And in fact, they trended during the season, hitting strong early but flagging down the stretch, getting him fired. Mariner Runs per Game, 2001-2005, Lamar Johnson Year in Red [list]2001: 5.72 (!) 2002: 5.02 2003: 4.91 2004: 4.31 2005: 4.31[/list:u] Sometimes it's coaching. Sometimes it's personnel. Sometimes it's just gravity. And sometimes, it's the end of the liberal supplement era. [/*:m] [*]Played Major League baseball in gym shorts. [/*:m] [*]Rarely played a full season, DH-ing as often as not. [/*:m] [*]This won't please you to hear: he grounded into a LOT of double plays. [/*:m] [*]He's been in the Mets organization since 2005, which makes him a survivor of the Omar/Bernazard era. [/*:m] [*]Will someday be conflated with Don Baylor and Chris Chambliss in my mind --- 21st century African American Mets hitting coaches who took over mid-season as their teams were mired in batting slumps. Caucasian Howard Johnson was also hired mid-season in 2007.[/*:m][/list:o]

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 27 2014 08:25 AM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

I'm already confusing him with Gary Pettis who IIRC served under Art Howe.

Edgy MD May 27 2014 08:34 AM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

Lamar Johnson, Chambliss, Baylor, and HoJo also all wore/wear mustaches. Hudgens too! Denny Walling totally never got with the mustachioed batting coach program.

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 27 2014 08:49 AM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

I can't recall whether Razor Shines used his to shave his lip or not.

Edgy MD May 27 2014 09:05 AM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

Shave or no, Razor wasn't part of the hitting coach continuum.

TransMonk May 27 2014 09:08 AM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

He covered his lip. Edgy is right, tho...he didn't coach the bats.

seawolf17 May 27 2014 09:22 AM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

Edgy MD wrote: Denny Walling totally never got with the mustachioed batting coach program. Which was odd, because he was mustachioed in his playing days.

Edgy MD May 27 2014 09:26 AM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

Right?! I feel kind of ripped off in that regard.

seawolf17 May 27 2014 09:57 AM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

Does anyone else notice that we seem to be more African-American-heavy than the MLB average? Both Youngs, Granderson, coaches Goodwin and Johnson, plus Hawkins and Byrd last year. You read about the dearth of black players in MLB every spring, but we seem to be doing pretty well.

Centerfield May 27 2014 10:11 AM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

There have also been a steady stream of Asian Mets as well.

Edgy MD May 27 2014 10:19 AM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

seawolf17 wrote: Does anyone else notice that we seem to be more African-American-heavy than the MLB average? Both Youngs, Granderson, coaches Goodwin and Johnson, plus Hawkins and Byrd last year. You read about the dearth of black players in MLB every spring, but we seem to be doing pretty well. I actually think the ownership is very self-conscious about this sort of thing. Not so much with the roster, but they always make sure they have an African-American on the coaching staff --- since the fall of Jerry (and before the rise of Willie), this has often been the first base/outfield coach. I never looked at it particularly that way, but after cleaning Jerry's crew out of the house, they put together his staff, and (re-)added Mookie late in the day. It was almost as if it was "Oh, shit, what a bunch of whities we suddenly just threw together, after having the blackest shop in baseball. Get me... Mookie... on line one. Can always count on the Mookster." Then at the end of the season, Mookie gets flipped for Tom Goodwin, when they got a little more intentional about it. It doesn't hold together as well as a theory when you considered that Ricky Bones was the bullpen coach, but I figure he held the separate but related Afro-Caribbean chair vacated with the departure of the Sandys Alomar. Gary Pettis also held the Mookie chair for two years.

seawolf17 May 27 2014 10:20 AM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

Just finished reading Mookie's book. He's kinda pissed at the way the org treated him the last several years.

Edgy MD May 27 2014 05:23 PM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

Gary just said he saw a great picture of Lamar today in his shorts. Listen, Gary, either log in and say hi, or get lost.

Zvon May 27 2014 05:36 PM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

I do believe the guy in the pic wearing SOXshorts is Ralph Garr. Is the coach behind him Johnson?

Edgy MD May 27 2014 05:50 PM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

That would be embarrassing for me. Garr was a skinny guy, in my memory, but he did wear his stache all furry like that. Johnson's definitely not the coach. That guy is 60 if he's a day.

Zvon May 27 2014 06:01 PM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

That would be embarrassing for me. Garr was a skinny guy, in my memory, but he did wear his stache all furry like that. Johnson's definitely not the coach. That guy is 60 if he's a day. Don't be embarrassed. You get to be wrong sometimes. He was skinnier on the Braves but his legs were always thick. Hey, I know that coaches face. He always looked old. That's Minnie Minosa. I googled Garr. Story about the SOX unis and the Garr pic is included here: [url]http://www.freewebs.com/karamaxjoe/thewhitesoxshorts.htm Haven't read that yet but I will.

Edgy MD May 27 2014 06:04 PM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

Shit! Find me a photo of Johnson in shorts. Redeem me!

Zvon May 27 2014 06:10 PM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

For this to work, you have to stand up and look down, and have a vivid imagination.

Frayed Knot May 27 2014 06:13 PM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

I don't think the shorts were as bad a fashion statement as were those oversized faux collars.

seawolf17 May 27 2014 06:20 PM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

Yeah, that coach is definitely Minnie Minoso. I was disappointed that nobody signed him to get an AB in the 1990s.

Zvon May 27 2014 06:37 PM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

Breezed quickly through that article and if I read right they only wore the shorts 3 times! I'll re-read that after the game. OH! what a play by Tejeda!

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 27 2014 09:25 PM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

Edgy MD wrote: He's been in the Mets organization since 2005, which makes him a survivor of the Omar/Bernazard era. So what you're saying is, if I need to do a portrait of Tony's anger-erect nipples, and I don't have a reference photo, he just may be the guy to help me out, description-wise?

MFS62 May 27 2014 09:34 PM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 27 2014 09:37 PM

Zvon wrote: Don't be embarrassed. You get to be wrong sometimes. He was skinnier on the Braves but his legs were always thick. Hey, I know that coaches face. He always looked old. That's Minnie Minosa. Minnie was old when he was young. When talking about African-American coaches with the Mets, don't overlook Al Jackson who was with the organization, majors and minors, forever. (Yeah, I know, "Minor League Roving Instructor" isn't really a coach. Its just someone who performs coaching duties.) Later

Edgy MD May 27 2014 09:36 PM Re: Ten Facts About Lamar Johnson

Those spikes followed by dives in his previous tenures are notable, though, aren't they? They could mean nothing, and likely do. But they could point to the notion that new blood and shakeup can be helpful for it's own sake --- change the voice, change the narrative, re-contextualize the task --- even if the new guy projects no different in the long term than the old guy. Or it could mean, if you're a hitting coach, try and arrive at the same time an outfield of Beltran, Dye, and Damon is blossoming.