'An amazing guy': Remembering Negro league baseball legend Judy Johnson

In 1971, a trip from Wilmington to Cooperstown, New York, forever changed the life of James Knott.

He had been asked by his neighbor, William Julius “Judy” Johnson, to drive the two to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Johnson, who lived less than half a mile down the road from Knott, was known as the kind, older gentleman who had played baseball back in the day — nothing too uncommon in the upper Delaware area.

“We all played ball,” Knott said. “It’s something everyone does growing up.”

But when the two arrived, Knott discovered the true identity of his friend and neighbor.

“They were hollering to him, and I thought, ‘Who is this man?’" Knott said. “That’s when I realized this man was a great baseball player. The magnitude of his abilities, I had no idea. He was a legend.”

Johnson, who was born in Snow Hill, was regarded as one of the best baseball players to suit up in the Negro leagues. A talented third baseman, Johnson played in the first Negro World Series and helped the Hilldale Daisies win three consecutive pennants.

Throughout his career, Johnson tallied 876 hits, 286 RBIs, 466 runs and finished with a .293 batting average.

Although he never played in Major League Baseball, the Eastern Shore native was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975, becoming at the time just the fourth Negro league athlete to be named to the elite fraternity.

“He showed that as a Negro League African-American, you can achieve (anything) by playing and living day by day with strong character on and off the field,” said Ray Banks, Negro League Goodwill Ambassador. “Because of his greatness and his skills as a third baseman, he has left behind a legacy that we all can appreciate and be proud of.”

In April, the Worcester County Historical Society plans to unveil a memorial in Johnson's honor, giving the Snow Hill native a permanent spot in his hometown. 

Mr. Sunshine 

Born to William and Anne Johnson in 1899, Johnson’s exact birth date has still been debated. However, it’s believed he was born somewhere between October and December, according to the Society for American Baseball Research.

When he was 5 or 6, the family packed its bags and moved up the road to Wilmington where Johnson would be raised and eventually return for the later part of his life.

His father was sailor and boxing coach and pushed Johnson to follow in his footsteps and pursue a career in boxing.

Though Johnson showed promise as a small, quick-to-strike boxer, it was baseball that the Snow Hill native fell in love, eventually playing semi-pro at 18 for $5 a game.

“He had all the skills to be a good defensive fighter,” said Newt Weaver, president of the Worcester County Historical Society. “But he was just an outstanding baseball player. He was an inspiration to anyone who was told they can’t do something. He was smart, and he knew the game. We all strive to be good in life, but he strove for excellence.”  

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Because many baseball players fought in World War I, Johnson helped fill some of the open spots, playing with the Madison Stars of Philadelphia, a minor-league squad which would often send talent to the Hilldale Daisies of the Negro Major Leagues.

He tried out for the Daisies prior to joining the minor-leagues but was sent away due to his lack of size. Many records show Johnson never weighed more than 150 pounds.

But he was resilient and came back two years later to earn a spot in the Daisies' lineup. The coaching staff first tried Johnson at second base and then shortstop before finally stationing him at third for the remainder of his career.

“It was a perfect fit,” Weaver said. “They signed him that afternoon, and in a month, he was made the captain and became the youngest captain in the Negro leagues.”

For the next decade and more, Johnson established a reputation as one of the top players in the Negro leagues, winning the Most Valuable Player award in 1929.

He became a player-manager at the start of the 1930s with the Homestead Grays, and in 1932, he and most of the club joined the Pittsburgh Crawfords where Johnson would ultimately finish his playing career.

During his time in Pittsburgh, he took the diamond with future Hall of Famers such as Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston and Satchel Paige, according to his bio listed on the National Baseball Hall of Fame website.

Earning the nickname “Mr. Sunshine” because of his warm attitude and positive outlook, Johnson and his teammates underwent much scrutiny due to the color of their skin.

After long bus rides to games, they would be denied service at restaurants, not be allowed to use public bathrooms and at times were forced to sleep in the backyards of people they knew in the area.

“Survival was a daily way of life for him,” Banks said. “You have to stay true to your cause, true to yourself, true to your spirit. That's what the Negro League players did.”

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But Johnson never became bitter. He would take the field and sport a smile throughout every inning.

He would often tell Knott years later when the two discussed the hardships he endured that “It was just the times,” never holding animosity toward anyone.

However, as he aged, the one thing that at times frustrated the legendary Negro league player was the continued increase in player salaries.

Often making $150 a month during his playing days, Johnson would watch as guys half his age signed million dollar deals and took the field only to fill their wallets.   

“He’d say, ‘These guys get millions of dollars and can’t even catch a ball,” Knott said with a laugh. “(Judy and his teammates) played for the love of the game. I learned so much just from being around him.”

'The audience just loved him' 

After his playing days, Johnson became a scout for the MLB, finding talent for the Braves, Phillies and Dodgers.

In 1954, he became a spring training coach for the Philadelphia Athletics and was tasked with working closely with African-American players. He later joined the Hall of Fame Committee for the Negro leagues.

He was selected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame one year after stepping down from the committee. 

“It’s a motivational type of lifestyle he possessed,” Weaver said. “The audience just loved him, and I don’t think the average person could conceive what he went through.”

Johnson died in 1989 in Wilmington a year after suffering from a stroke. Once his wife, Anita Irons who Johnson married in Snow Hill, died in 1985, he became very depressed and relied heavily on Knott’s friendship.

Knott and his wife would often cook for Johnson, take him wherever he wanted to travel and cared for the former Negro league player until he died. Although they were about 30 years apart in age, the two developed a lasting friendship that Knott said he’ll cherish forever.

“I miss him, I really do,” Knott said. “He had such a great impact on my life, and he was an amazing guy.”

Knott said he’s been disappointed with the city’s lack of effort to commemorate Johnson’s legacy.

While there have been dedications, such as William “Judy” Johnson Memorial Park and Judy Johnson Field at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium – home of the Wilmington Blue Rocks minor-league baseball team – Knott said Johnson’s impact has never truly been appreciated.

But over the next few months, the town where Johnson was born has plans to memorialize the hall of fame baseball player.

Honoring a legend 

In April, the Worcester County Historical Society will permanently commemorate Johnson with a memorial in front of the Snow Hill library.

The memorial will serve as piece of history that recognizes the legacy of one of Snow Hill’s most successful athletes.

Weaver, who has headed the project with support from the Worcester County Commissioners, Worcester County Public Library and several donors, said the idea came to him after reading an essay from a former student at Stephen Decatur.

In a scholarship essay contest hosted by the Ocean City Lifesaving Station Museum, Cole Mumford chose to write about Johnson and the impact he had on baseball. The premise of the assignment was to write about a historical figure or event from Worcester County.

After presenting the essay and idea of a memorial to the Snow Hill City Council, Weaver and his team went to work planning a way to honor the Eastern Shore legend.

The project’s main fundraiser will come March 1 at the “Baseball Memorial Auction & Sale” held at the Atlantic Hotel in Berlin. The event will have autographed memorabilia from players like Cal Ripken Jr., Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Nolan Ryan, Mike Schmidt, Bob Feller and many more. Autographs from Johnson and other Negro League athletes will also be available.

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Barry Neeb, a Berlin resident with a large baseball autograph collection, already made his contribution to the project, saying it’s important to remember everything Johnson did both on and off the field.

“I think by remembering somebody whose accomplishments were so great, especially at a time it was so difficult to achieve those accomplishments, I think you send a message that you appreciate somebody that just quietly went about doing his job,” Neeb said.

“He practiced, he carried himself well, he just was a gentleman, but he was a competitor. He ended up being so good at what he did.”

The memorial will also serve as inspiration to young baseball players who hope to one day play at the professional level.

Banks said Johnson also serves as motivation to African-American athletes and non-athletes. By walking past his memorial or reading about his impact, ballplayers can study the Snow Hill native and hope to mirror his achievements.

“Judy’s legacy that he leaves behind for young African-American baseball players should set a goal for all to follow and emulate his ability to strive for greatness on the playing field,” he said. “As a young African-American baseball player, I know that I can achieve (my goals) because Judy Johnson did under those conditions.”

Forever a part of baseball 

It’s been nearly 30 years since Johnson’s death, but his impact still holds strong throughout the Eastern Shore and in baseball as a whole.

An African-American athlete who overcame countless hardships but never lost his composure continues to serve as inspiration to athletes of all ages.

“What I think he would say is if you work hard, believe in yourself and carry yourself with dignity, you can accomplish anything,” Neeb said.

Johnson may be physically gone, but soon, he will forever sit in Snow Hill, serving as a reminder that despite the circumstances, anything is possible with hard work, dedication and love for the game.

“Judy was one of the finest gentleman I ever met,” Knott said. “When he went into the hall, we all went in there with him. That was the greatest moment of the entire thing. Those guys loved that game, lived that game, and Judy will always be a big part of baseball.”

Become part of the Judy Johnson memorial 

The Baseball Memorial Auction & Sale will be held March 1 from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Atlantic Hotel in Berlin. The address is 2 S. Main St., Berlin, Md. 21811. Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the door. All proceeds will go for the installation of a memorial monument to Worcester County’s own Judy Johnson. For questions or additional information contact Newt Weaver, President of the Historical Society at 443-614-2386 or vette-99@verizon.net.

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