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Joshua Michael Johnson (born January 31, 1984), nicknamed "JJ", is a Canadian-American former
professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the 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 ...
. He played in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) for the Florida/Miami Marlins and
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
from 2005 through 2013.


Early career

Johnson graduated from
Jenks High School Jenks High School is a secondary school located within Tulsa County in Jenks, Oklahoma, United States. It serves students from the town of Jenks and students from the south side of the city of Tulsa. The high school has over 2,800 students in grad ...
in
Jenks, Oklahoma Jenks is a city in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States, and a suburb of Tulsa, in the northeastern part of the state. It is situated between the Arkansas River and U.S. Route 75. Jenks is one of the fastest-growing cities in Oklahoma. The city' ...
in 2002, when he was ''
Tulsa World The ''Tulsa World'' is the daily newspaper for the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. Tulsa World Media Company is part of Lee Enterprises. The new owners announced in January 20 ...
'' All-Metro Player of the Year. He helped lead the Trojans to two State Championships during his high school career. Johnson signed a letter of intent to play
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...
for the
Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma Sooners are the athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to a nickname given to the early participants in the Land Ru ...
, for whom his brother, Tyler, also played. Johnson was drafted by the Marlins in the fourth round of the amateur draft. The righty made his professional baseball debut soon after with the
Gulf Coast Marlins The Florida Complex League Marlins are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Miami Marlins, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to the 2021 season, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Marlins. The team plays ...
, earning a 0.60
earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA) over 15 innings. As a starter with Single-A
Greensboro Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...
during the season, Johnson continued to limit his opponents' offensive numbers, collecting a paltry .223
opponent batting average In baseball statistics, batting average against (denoted by BAA or AVG), also known as opponents' batting average (denoted by OBA), is a statistic that measures a pitcher's ability to prevent hits during official at bats. It can alternatively b ...
. In , he saw more success with Single-A
Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousandth t ...
. Despite a 5–12 record, Johnson's ERA remained a solid 3.46. His performance at the Single-A level earned Johnson a promotion to Double-A Carolina in . He was named the Marlins' Minor League Pitcher of the Year after a 12–4 record, a 3.87 ERA and a Southern League All-Star nod for Carolina.


Major League career


Florida/Miami Marlins (2005–2012)

Johnson made his major league debut September 10, 2005, for the Marlins with a scoreless inning of
relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
against the Philadelphia Phillies. During the season, Johnson broke onto the Major League scene by going 11–5 as a starter, while tallying a 3.03 ERA in that role. After spending all of April in the Florida bullpen, Johnson emerged as a major contributor in the Marlins' young, but surprisingly successful, starting staff. In 2006 Johnson and fellow Marlin pitchers
Scott Olsen Scott Matthew Olsen (born January 12, 1984) is an American former pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Florida Marlins and Washington Nationals between 2005 and 2010. Early life Olsen was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He attend ...
,
Aníbal Sánchez Aníbal Alejandro Sánchez Jr. (; born February 27, 1984) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2006 with the Florida Marlins and has also played for the Detroit Tig ...
and
Ricky Nolasco Carlos Enrique Nolasco (born December 13, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida/Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, and Los Angeles Angels. He is of ...
became the first quartet of rookie pitchers in major league history to each record 10 wins. He sat out the final three weeks of the season with forearm stiffness. His 3.10 overall ERA would have tied him for third in the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
, but he fell five innings short of qualifying for the title. Johnson also placed fourth in voting for the
National League Rookie of the Year In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to two outstanding rookie players, one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL), as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). The aw ...
, an award that went to his fellow Florida teammate,
shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
Hanley Ramírez Hanley Ramírez (born December 23, 1983) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Florida / Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cleveland Indians. Ram ...
. Johnson began the season on the disabled list with an irritated ulnar nerve. After returning in June, he was again sidelined by elbow stiffness in July and had Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery on August 3, 2007. He recovered surprisingly quickly and made his return to the Major Leagues on July 10, , only eleven months after having undergone surgery. He made 14 starts in 2008, posting a 3.61 ERA. Johnson hit his first career home run off of Milwaukee's Dave Bush on June 4, 2009. On July 5, 2009, Johnson was selected to the National League All-Star squad for the first time but did not play in the game. On August 14, Johnson took a no-hitter into the 7th inning against the Colorado Rockies, but it was broken up by a
Garrett Atkins Garrett Bernard Atkins (born December 12, 1979) is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. Between 2003 and 2010, he played for the Colorado Rockies and Baltimore Orioles. Amateur career High school career Atkins attended Univer ...
home run. He finished 2009 with a 15-5 record and a 3.23 ERA with 191 strike-outs in 209 innings. On January 15, 2010, Johnson agreed to a four-year contract with the Marlins worth $39 million. On May 29, 2010, Johnson lost to the Phillies 1–0, as
Roy Halladay Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III (May 14, 1977 – November 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies between 1998 and 2013. His nicknam ...
threw a perfect game. In July 2010, he was selected to his second consecutive
All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...
, which took place in Anaheim. Johnson pitched two perfect innings in the game, notably striking out Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki. was also a record-setting year for Johnson, who gave up three runs or less in twelve consecutive starts. On the 28th of July, Johnson had started 21 games, and in those starts, only allowed more than three
earned run In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an erro ...
s once, giving up only one earned run eight times and no earned runs six times. Johnson finished the 2010 season second in the Majors in
ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...
(2.30), leading the National League, trailing only
Félix Hernández Félix Abraham Hernández García (born April 8, 1986), nicknamed "King Félix", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners from 2005 through 2019. On August 15, 2 ...
of
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
. He finished 11–6 with 186 strikeouts in 28 starts, his year shortened by back pain. He made his final start of the season on September 4 against
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. At the beginning of the 2011 year Johnson kept a no-hitter at least to the fifth inning four out of the first five times he took the mound. The high point was the game against the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
in which Johnson went into the eighth without giving up a hit until Braves hitter
Freddie Freeman Frederick Charles Freeman (born September 12, 1989) is an American-Canadian professional baseball first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, Freeman played for the Atlanta Braves for 12 seasons. He mad ...
legged out a broken bat single. Johnson's 2011 season ended after nine starts due to right shoulder inflammation. He finished the season with a 3–1 record and a 1.64 ERA. In 2012, Johnson was named the Opening Day starter for the Marlins for the third straight year, although he was coming off from a shoulder inflammation injury. On April 4, 2012, Johnson pitched 6 innings against
Kyle Lohse Kyle Matthew Lohse (; born October 4, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, an ...
and the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
in the Marlin's first game in
Marlins Park LoanDepot Park is a retractable roof stadium located in Miami, Florida. It is the home of Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins. It is located on on the site of the former Miami Orange Bowl in Little Havana about west of Downtown Miam ...
. Johnson finished his last season with Miami with an 8–14 record and an ERA of 3.81.


Toronto Blue Jays (2013)

On November 19, 2012, Johnson was traded to the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
along with
Mark Buehrle Mark Alan Buehrle (; born March 23, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Chicago White Sox, playing twelve seasons for the team and winning the World S ...
, José Reyes, John Buck, and
Emilio Bonifacio Emilio may refer to: * Emilio Navaira, a Mexican-American singer often called "Emilio" * Emilio Piazza Memorial School, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State * Emilio (given name) * ''Emilio'' (film), a 2008 film by Kim Jorgensen See also * Emílio (dis ...
, in exchange for
Jeff Mathis Jeffrey Stephen Mathis (born March 31, 1983) is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Toronto Blue Jays, Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondba ...
,
Adeiny Hechavarria Adeiny Hechavarría Barrera (born April 15, 1989) is a Cuban professional baseball shortstop for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Miami Marlin ...
,
Henderson Álvarez Henderson Javier Álvarez (born April 18, 1990) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2011 through 2012, the Mi ...
,
Yunel Escobar Yunel Escobar Almenares (born November 2, 1982) is a Cuban-born American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Na ...
,
Jake Marisnick Jacob Shawn Marisnick (born March 30, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Chicago White Sox organization. He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins, Houston Astros, New York Mets, San Diego Padr ...
,
Anthony DeSclafani Anthony James DeSclafani (born April 18, 1990), nicknamed Disco and T-Bone, is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds. ...
, and
Justin Nicolino Justin Brian Nicolino (born November 22, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins, and in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) for the R ...
. On February 5, 2013, manager
John Gibbons John Michael Gibbons (born June 8, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player and former manager of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Gibbons briefly played in the Major Leagues as a catcher with the New York Me ...
named Johnson the number 4 starter for the upcoming season. Johnson made 4 starts for the Blue Jays before missing a start on April 26, due to a sore right triceps muscle. He was expected to make his next scheduled start but was instead placed on the disabled list due to inflammation. Ricky Romero was called up to take his place in the starting lineup. He had one rehab start for the Class-A
Dunedin Blue Jays The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpar ...
before being moved to the Triple-A
Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen ...
for his second rehab start on May 25. This was his debut at the Triple-A level, as he had skipped that level while in the Marlins' organization. On May 31, the Blue Jays announced that Johnson would be activated from the disabled list and start against the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
on June 4. Johnson pitched 7 innings in his return from the disabled list and took the loss, allowing 2 runs (only 1 earned run), with no walks and 6 strikeouts. Johnson earned his first win as a Blue Jay on June 23 against the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
, which extended the Jays' winning streak to 11 games, tying the franchise record. After earning his first win, Johnson lost 6 consecutive starts, the longest such streak of his career. During his losing streak, his ERA rose from 4.60 to a career-high 6.60. Johnson earned his second win of the season on August 6, against the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...
, in what would turn out to be his final major league game. Johnson was scratched from his scheduled next start on August 12 due to forearm tightness, and was placed on the 15-day disabled list on August 13. Johnson finished the 2013 season on the disabled list, and posted a dismal 2–8 record, a 6.20 earned run average, and 83 strikeouts over 81 innings. On October 1, 2013, Johnson underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow. The surgery was performed by
Dr. James Andrews James Andrews (born May 2, 1942) is an American orthopedic surgeon. He is a surgeon for knee, elbow, and shoulder injuries and is a specialist in repairing damaged ligaments. Practicing in Gulf Breeze, Florida, Andrews has become one of the bes ...
and required 5 weeks of recovery.


San Diego Padres

On November 19, 2013, Johnson agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract with the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
. If he made fewer than 7 starts with the team, they could have exercised a $4 million option for the 2015 season. The Padres organization reported on March 22, 2014, that Johnson would open the season on the disabled list due to a strained right forearm/elbow muscle, and was initially expected to miss at least 4–5 weeks. On April 15, it was announced that he would see
Dr. James Andrews James Andrews (born May 2, 1942) is an American orthopedic surgeon. He is a surgeon for knee, elbow, and shoulder injuries and is a specialist in repairing damaged ligaments. Practicing in Gulf Breeze, Florida, Andrews has become one of the bes ...
for a consultation on his injured elbow, and could opt for his second Tommy John surgery. The Padres reported on April 23 that Johnson would undergo Tommy John surgery, and miss the 2014 season. On October 30, the Padres declined Johnson's option, making him a free agent. On January 7, 2015, he re-signed with the Padres on a one-year contract with $1 million guaranteed. Johnson threw a simulated game on April 28, but experienced triceps tightness as well as a nerve issue in his neck. He would rest with these injuries until August 27, when he threw 16 pitches in another simulated game. On September 16, it was announced that Johnson would undergo a third Tommy John surgery, and miss the entire 2016 season.


Retirement

Attempting another comeback from Tommy John surgery, Johnson signed a minor league contract with the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
on November 1, 2016. However, he announced his retirement on January 19, 2017.


Personal life

His father is Canadian, and his mother is Native American. His father spent his years growing up in Calgary,
Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
before the family relocated to the U.S. Johnson himself was born in Minneapolis a short time later in 1984.


See also

* List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Josh 1984 births Living people American sportspeople of Canadian descent American expatriate baseball players in Canada Florida Marlins players Miami Marlins players Toronto Blue Jays players Baseball players from Minneapolis Major League Baseball pitchers National League All-Stars National League ERA champions People from Jenks, Oklahoma Gulf Coast Marlins players Greensboro Bats players Jupiter Hammerheads players Carolina Mudcats players Greensboro Grasshoppers players Dunedin Blue Jays players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Baseball players from Oklahoma Sportspeople from Tulsa, Oklahoma