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PrintJosh Johnson is right on pitch in the major leagues
Rebounding from a potentially career-ending injury, the former Jenks High School standout has become one of major league baseball’s premier pitchers.
Just about every young boy, when playing catch with his dad in the back yard, dreams of someday playing in the big leagues.
In Josh Johnson’s case, those dreams came true in a big way.
Johnson, a Tulsan and 2002 Jenks High School grad, has rocketed to the top of his profession about as rapidly as his 98-mile-per-hour fastball.
Less than five years after making his major league debut in 2005, Johnson is now being recognized as one of baseball’s premier pitchers.
Johnson’s team, the Florida Marlins, recently rewarded the tall right-hander with a four-year, $39 million contract, the highest-paid contract ever given to a pitcher in that organization and one of the most lucrative contracts among all major league pitchers.
A ‘will to win’
Johnson, the youngest of five boys of Al and Bonnie Johnson, came about his competitive spirit quite naturally. Older brothers Ryan, Aaron, Micah and Tyler were all athletic and youngest sibling Josh often took advantage of the opportunity to learn from — and compete with — his older and more skillful brothers.
Josh, who didn’t pitch much as a high school sophomore, and brother Tyler, then a senior, formed two-thirds of the outfield on the Jenks High School Class 6A state championship team in 2000.
Tyler, who was also an outstanding baseball player in his own right and played baseball for three years at The University of Oklahoma, recognized the baseball ability in his younger brother at an early age.
“We all knew that Josh would excel,” Tyler says. “He could throw a football farther or throw a baseball harder than anyone his age. He just had a special talent.”
Josh has nothing but positive memories of those times.
“Baseball was a lot of fun at that time,” he says. “Looking back, it was the best time of your life.”
Ben Barber, one of Johnson’s teammates at Jenks, remembers when he first realized that Johnson had special abilities.
“Josh was playing right field as a sophomore and the other team had a runner on third base,” he says. “Josh caught a fly ball and the runner tried to tag up and score. Josh threw what seemed like a 100-mile-per-hour strike to our catcher and the runner was out by a mile. I had never seen anyone make a throw like that.”
Glenn Sullivan, Josh’s high school baseball coach at Jenks, recalls what impressed him most about the young player.
“It was his work ethic,” Sullivan says. “He was just a quiet kid who went about his business. He was hard-working and you could tell he was determined to be the best.
“When Josh was a senior, he pitched the Class 6A state championship (in 2002). Despite pitching on just two days’ rest, Josh held them to just one run and we won. He didn’t necessarily have his best stuff, but it was just his will to win.”
That work ethic would serve Johnson well throughout his young career.
The big leagues
The Marlins drafted Johnson in the fourth round of the 2002 amateur draft and he made his professional baseball debut soon after that with the rookie league Gulf Coast Marlins.
Johnson climbed progressively through the minor leagues, enduring the long bus rides while paying his dues like so many players had before him.
Johnson was a starting pitcher with Single-A club Greensboro during the 2003 season and then moved to the Single-A Jupiter affiliate in 2004, where he compiled a solid 3.38 earned-run average (ERA).
He was then promoted to Double-A Carolina in 2005, where he was named the Marlins’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year after posting a 12-4 win-loss record, a 3.87 ERA and was named a Southern League All-Star.
Soon Johnson was called up to “the show,” where he made his major league debut Sept. 10, 2005, for the Marlins. He pitched a scoreless inning in relief against the Philadelphia Phillies.
During the 2006 season, Johnson broke onto the major league scene by going 11-5 as a starting pitcher, while recording an impressive 3.03 ERA. Johnson emerged as a major contributor in the Marlins’ young, but surprisingly successful, starting pitching staff. He fell just five innings short of qualifying for the National League ERA title. Johnson also placed fourth in voting for the 2006 National League Rookie of the Year.
But as talented and as skillful as the 6-foot, 7-inch Johnson may be, his road to success was not without a few obstacles and setbacks.
Hitting a crossroads
In September 2006, Johnson’s career came to a crossroads when he injured his throwing arm. After several attempts to rest and rehab his arm, he ultimately decided to undergo “Tommy John surgery” on his right elbow in August 2007.
“Tommy John surgery” is an ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body. It is named after one of the first baseball players to undergo the procedure successfully.
Often a career-ender for many major league pitchers, Tommy John surgery normally requires a recuperative period of approximately 18 months for starting pitchers.
Johnson worked hard and followed strict rehabilitative guidelines. He discovered he possessed a passion for the sport he loved and was ready to do whatever it took to return to action.
Being driven to make a comeback, he was often the first on the field and the last one coming off the field.
After a strenuous and effective period of rehab, carefully following doctor’s orders and adhering to prescribed exercises and workouts, Johnson returned to action in July 2008 after just an almost-unheard-of 11 months.
“It would have been easy to give up and be satisfied in what I had already done,” he says. “But I wasn’t ready to quit. I wanted to pitch again in the major leagues.”
Since returning from the injury, he has been in the fast lane on his way to becoming the ace of the Marlins staff and one of the top pitchers in the game.
Johnson ended the 2009 season with a win-loss record of 15-5, a .750 winning percentage that tied him for the second-highest winning percentage in the National League.
Johnson was durable as well. His 209 innings pitched led the Marlins, as well as being a personal career high. The 209 innings were only 24 innings behind the league leader, and Johnson’s 33 games as a starter was the second highest in the league.
His 3.23 ERA and 191 strikeouts were also among the National League leaders.
He also proved he could help himself at the plate, hitting three home runs in 2009 — an oddity among major league pitchers. Johnson finished with three home runs and 10 runs batted in — both among the top marks for all National League pitchers during 2009.
Johnson recalls his personal highlight — making the National League All-Star team last season. The All-Star game was in St. Louis, so Johnson’s wife, Heidi; 2-year old son, Cash; parents; and three of his four brothers were able to attend.
“That was just a special time, and to be able to share it with my family made it even more special,” Johnson says.
Another Tulsa resident, George Frazier, has enjoyed the opportunity to observe Johnson from two unique perspectives.
First, Frazier was a major league relief pitcher for 10 years, so he knows first-hand the pressures and challenges of pitching in the big leagues.
Secondly, Frazier is the current television analyst on the Colorado Rockies broadcast team and has seen Johnson in action.
Frazier is deeply impressed with Johnson’s seemingly unlimited potential.
“Josh is at that elite status level,” Frazier says. “He can pitch at 90-94 mph and work both sides of the plate. If he gets in a jam, he has the unique capability to run it up to 97-98 mph. He is definitely a good one.”
Foundation for the future
Johnson’s new contract is the second largest ever for a pitcher heading into his second salary arbitration. The only bigger deal was signed by Johann Santana, who agreed to a four-year, $40 million contract with the Minnesota Twins in February 2005.
“I’m excited,” Johnson says. “It sets up my family and me for life. One of the best parts is knowing where I’m going to be the next four years. I won’t have to hear about any trade rumors or anything like that. I’m happy to be in South Florida.”
Johnson, who just turned 26, is being touted as the foundation of the Marlins franchise. He is already being penciled in as the starting pitcher when the Marlins open their new retractable-roof stadium in Miami in 2012.
Barring serious injury, Johnson’s potential appears limitless and his impact on the game enormous.
Living in Tulsa during the off-season with his wife and son, Johnson prefers staying in the background rather than in the bright lights.
When asked what advice he would offer to little leaguers who hope to follow in his footsteps, Johnson simply says, “Never give up and always follow your dreams. Do the right thing even when nobody is looking.”
Great words to live by.
Young guns
In addition to Josh Johnson, a new wave of younger players with Oklahoma connections promises to keep the Sooner State in the big league limelight.
Matt Holliday (Stillwater). Outfielder who is a three-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger recipient; National League MVP runner-up in 2007; won the 2007 NL Championship Series MVP when he helped lead the Rockies to their first-ever National League pennant and World Series appearance.
Josh Fields (born in Ada). Played football and baseball at Stillwater High School and at Oklahoma State University; third baseman for the White Sox in recent years; traded to the Kansas City Royals this off-season.
Brett Anderson (Stillwater). Young (age 22) left-handed pitcher for the Athletics who won 11 games in 2009, his first major league season.
Brad Penny (Broken Arrow). Established All-Star-caliber pitcher who has pitched for the Marlins, Dodgers, Red Sox and Giants.
Pete Kozma (Owasso). Up-and-coming shortstop in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
