The Johnstown Johnnies were a minor league baseball team in

Johnstown, Pennsylvania Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,411 as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Located east of Pittsburgh, Johnstown is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropol ...

that existed in various leagues between 1883 and 2002.

History

The first Johnstown team played in 1883 in the Western Interstate League and 1884 in the Iron & Oil Association. A few years later, the Johnstown Pirates/Terrors played in the

Pennsylvania State League The Pennsylvania State League was an American minor league baseball sports league that operated from 1892 to 1895, then became the first Atlantic League (1896–1900), Atlantic League. The league member teams were exclusively based in Pennsylvania ...

. The Johnstown Mormans in 1898 played in the

New York State League The New York State League was an independent baseball league that played six seasons between 2007 and 2012 in New York State and the New York City metro area. Over 500 NYSL players have been signed by professional teams. Players from forty-eight ...

. The first version of the team named the Johnnies played in 1904 in the independent Pennsylvania League, which merged to become the

Tri-State League The Tri-State League was the name of six different circuits in American minor league baseball. History The first league of that name played for four years (1887–1890) and consisted of teams in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia. The second leagu ...

the following year. This team moved to

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester is ...

during the 1912 season. The Johnnies resurfaced in the

Middle Atlantic League The Middle Atlantic League (or Mid-Atlantic League) was a lower-level circuit in American minor league baseball that played during the second quarter of the 20th century. History The Middle Atlantic League played from 1925 through 1951, with t ...

in 1925 and played continuously through 1942, when they had to temporarily suspend playing due to World War II. After the war, the team started up again in 1946 before dissolving in 1950. The

Wilkes-Barre Barons The Wilkes-Barre Barons were a basketball team from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The Barons played between 1933 and 1980 in different American leagues. The team won 11 titles during this time, including while playing in the American Basketball ...

moved to Johnstown during the 1955 season and became the latest version of the Johnnies but only lasted two seasons. In 1961, the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

had an affiliate in Johnstown named the Johnstown Red Sox. Eddie Popowski managed the team. Multiple notable players spent time with the Johnstown Red Sox, including Guido Grilli,

Bob Heffner Robert Frederic Heffner (born September 13, 1938) nicknamed "Butch", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher with the Boston Red Sox (–), Cleveland Indians (), and California Angels (). He stood tall and weighed , in his playing days. ...

Jerry Mallett Gerald Gordon Mallett (born September 18, 1935 in Bonne Terre, Missouri) is an American former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played briefly for the Boston Red Sox during the 1959 season. Listed at , , he batted and threw right-hande ...

, Al Moran,

Dave Morehead David Michael Morehead (born September 5, 1942) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. A right-hander, Morehead pitched for the Boston Red Sox (1963–68) and Kansas City Royals (1969–70). As a rookie in Morehead broke into the Red Sox st ...

Ted Schreiber Theodore Henry Schreiber (July 11, 1938 – September 8, 2022) was an American professional baseball player. He played part of one season () in Major League Baseball — largely as a third baseman — with the New York Mets, batting .160 with no ...

, Pete Smith,

Bill Spanswick William Henry Spanswick (July 8, 1938 – December 2, 2020) was an American professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, Spanswick appeared in 29 games, seven as a starter, in the Major Leagues for the 1964 Boston Red Sox. Spanswick w ...

and

Wilbur Wood Wilbur Forrester Wood Jr. (born October 22, 1941) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. In a 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he pitched for the Boston Red Sox (1961–64), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1964–65), and the Chi ...

. A new version of the team, known first as the Steal and then the Johnnies played in the

Frontier League The Frontier League is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada. Formed in 1993, it is the oldest currently running independent league in the United States. The le ...

from 1995–2002 before moving to

Florence, Kentucky Florence is a home rule-class city in Boone County, Kentucky, United States. Florence is the second largest city located in Northern Kentucky, after Covington, and part of the Greater Cincinnati Metropolitan Area. The population was 31,946 at ...

and becoming the

Florence Freedom The Florence Y'alls are a professional baseball team based within the Greater Cincinnati region in the city of Florence, Kentucky. The Y'alls are a member of the West Division of the Frontier League, an independent baseball league. Since 2004, t ...

The ballpark

Johnstown teams played at

Point Stadium Point Stadium is a baseball park in the eastern United States, located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The "Point" refers to its location at the confluence of the Little Conemaugh, Stonycreek, and Conemaugh rivers. It is home to the annual ...

beginning in 1926. "The Point" is still in use today after undergoing major renovations in 1995 and 2005. The stadium serves as home to the All-American Amateur Baseball Association Hall of Fame and has served as host to the AAABA Tournament since 1946. The address of Point Stadium is 100 Johns Street, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, 15901.

Notable alumni

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
alumni

Chief Bender Charles Albert "Chief" Bender (May 5, 1884There is uncertainty about Bender's birth-date. He was voted the SABR "Centennial Celebrity" of 1983, as the best baseball player or figure born in 1883. However, the SABR ''Baseball Research Journal'' fo ...

(1926) Inducted, 1953 *

Joe Cronin Joseph Edward Cronin (October 12, 1906 – September 7, 1984) was an American professional baseball player, manager and executive. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop, most notably as a member of the Boston Red Sox. Cronin spe ...

(1925) Inducted, 1956

Others

Babe Adams Charles Benjamin "Babe" Adams (May 18, 1882 – July 27, 1968) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1906 to 1926 who spent nearly his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Noted for his outstanding control, ...

(1927–1928) *

Joey Amalfitano John Joseph Amalfitano (born January 23, 1934) is a former utility infielder, manager and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played a combined ten seasons with the New York and San Francisco Giants (1954–55; 1960–61; 1963), Ho ...

(1956) *

Johnny Berardino John Beradino (born Giovanni Berardino, May 1, 1917 – May 19, 1996) was an American infielder in Major League Baseball and an actor. Known as Johnny Berardino during his baseball career, he was also credited during his acting career as John Bera ...

(1937) *

Ernie Broglio Ernest Gilbert Broglio (; August 27, 1935 – July 16, 2019) was a professional baseball pitcher. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball from 1959 to 1966. After attending high school and junior college in ...

(1956) 1960 NL Wins Leader * Ripper Collins (1925–1926) 3x MLB All-Star *

Jack Fournier John Frank Fournier (September 28, 1889 – September 5, 1973) was an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Brookly ...

(1938, MGR) *

Wilbur Good Wilbur David "Lefty" Good (September 28, 1885 – December 30, 1963) born in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, was an outfielder for the New York Highlanders (1905), Cleveland Naps (1908–09), Boston Doves/Rustlers (1910–11), Chicago Cubs (1911� ...

(1905–1906), (1930–1931, MGR) *

Hans Lobert John Bernard "Hans" Lobert (October 18, 1881 – September 14, 1968) was an American third baseman, shortstop, coach, manager and scout in Major League Baseball. Lobert was immortalized in the 1966 Lawrence Ritter book ''The Glory of Their Times'' ...

(1904–1905) * Mike McCormick (1955, Player/MGR) *

Eddie Mayo Edward Joseph Mayo (born Edward Joseph Mayoski; April 15, 1910 – November 27, 2006), nicknamed "Hotshot" and "Steady Eddie", was an American professional baseball player. He played as an infielder in the Major League Baseball from to , most no ...

(1934) 2 x MLB All-Star * Jack Quinn (1935, Player/MGR) *

Vern Stephens Vernon Decatur Stephens (October 23, 1920 – November 3, 1968) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from through . An eight-time All-Star, Stephens was notable for being the American L ...

(1938) 8x MLB All-Star *

Valmy Thomas Valmy Thomas (October 21, 1925 – October 16, 2010) was a Major League Baseball catcher. Thomas was the first Virgin Islander to play in the major leagues; his mother gave birth to Thomas in Santurce, Puerto Rico, because of better medical care ...