Lou Johnson

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Louis Brown (Lou) Johnson (born September 22, 1934 in Lexington, Kentucky), nicknamed "Sweet Lou" and "Slick", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1960 through 1969, Johnson played for the Chicago Cubs (1960, 1968), Los Angeles Angels (1961), Milwaukee Braves (1962), Los Angeles Dodgers (1965-67), Cleveland Indians (1968) and California Angels (1969). He batted and threw right handed.

A star in basketball as well as baseball in high school, Johnson dreamt of playing at the University of Kentucky under legendary coach Adolph Rupp. However, at the time, members of the Southeastern Conference (of which Kentucky is an affiliate) weren't recruiting black athletes; some schools didn't even allow black students to enroll. [1]

Johnson was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1953. After kicking around in the minor leagues for a decade, Johnson finally made it into the major leagues for good in 1965 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, after a broken ankle in early May sidelined regular left fielder Tommy Davis for the remainder of the season. In that season he scored the only run in Sandy Koufax's perfect game when he walked, went to second base on a sacrifice bunt, stole third and scored on a throwing error by Chicago Cubs catcher Chris Krug. In the 1965 World Series, Johnson hit two home runs, including the game winner in the clinching Game Seven.

In an eight-season career, Johnson posted a .258 average with 48 home runs and 232 RBI in 677 games.

Today, Sweet Lou is an integral part of the Dodgers’ Community Relations efforts and a member of the Dodgers Speakers’ Bureau, while remaining active with various charities in Southern California and nationally, as well.

[edit] External links

• Baseball Library - profile
• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference

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