Johnson
batted over .290 in four of his first seven seasons in
minor league baseball, and had late-season trials with the Giants in both and . He got into 67
games played with the Giants, but batted only .190 in 174
at bats during "The Year of the Pitcher." His best pro season came in when he batted .353 in the
Pacific Coast League, then spent another 67 games with the MLB Giants, where he registered a career-high .273 batting average, 44
hits, three
home runs and 31
runs batted in as a backup
left fielder and
first baseman. His MLB career coincided with the final years of the
Willie Mays era, when the Giants also featured such young outfielders as
Jesús Alou,
Bobby Bonds,
Ollie Brown,
George Foster,
Jim Ray Hart, and
Ken Henderson. Johnson grew to be prized for his versatility. Over his Major League career he played every defensive position besides pitcher and catcher. Johnson collected 92 Major League hits in 196 games and 436 at bats. His playing career ended after the 1975 campaign. == Personal life and death ==