Ultimate Mets Database - Memories of Jerry Johnson

THE ULTIMATE METS DATABASE IS NOT AFFILIATED IN ANY WAY WITH THE NEW YORK METS OR MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.

- All-Time Roster Every Met player... EVER!
- Mug Shots The pretty ones and the ugly ones -- we have them all!
- Player Awards Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Hall of Fame, and more.
- Transactions Over a thousand player transactions -- in chronological order!
- Managers & Coaches The men who have led the Mets, and the men who helped them.
- Mets Staff Executives, General Managers, Broadcasters, and more. (And Jane Jarvis too!)
- Birth Places Perfect for planning your Mets pilgrimages!
- Oldest Living Mets See which Mets players have spent the most time walking the Earth.
- Necrology Mets players and personnel who are no longer with us.

- Game Results
  All the wins, all the losses. Includes box scores and score cards!
- Opening Day
  The first day of each season! See the starting lineups, who started at each position year-by-year, and leaders by position.
- Walkoff Wins & Losses
  Interactively search for the happiest and saddest endings to Mets games.
- Postseason Games How the Mets have fared in the games that count the most!
- No-Hitters & One-Hitters See a list of every no-hitter and one-hitter pitched by the Mets, or against them. One of these categories was frustratingly empty for over fifty years, but not anymore!
- All-Star Games Mets who have appeared in baseball's Mid-Summer Classic
- Opponents & Ballparks See the Mets won-lost record against every team, and in every ballpark in which they've played!
- Daily Standings What was the Mets' pennant outlook on any given day in past seasons?
- Yearly Finishes The heights and the depths: the Mets won-lost record at the end of each season.
- Mayor's Trophy Games A look back at the long-ago annual series between the Mets and their Bronx rivals.

- Leaderboards Career, season, and individual game leaders at your fingertips!
- Team Leaders Players who led the Mets in various categories, from season to season.
- Decade Leaders Mets history broken down into ten-year chunks!
- Post-Season Leaders Mets leaders, by category, in post-season games

- Ultimate Mets Scrapbook The history of the Mets, as it was reported when it happened!
- Forum Visit the Crane Pool Forum to discuss the Mets and just about anything else!
- Fan Memories Insightful. Poignant. Thrilling. Somber. Nutty. Our visitors have submitted thousands of thoughts and memories of the Mets and the games they've played.
- Mets Uniforms It's more than just laundry! Trace the evolution of the Mets official uniform over the years.
- Uniform Numbers In association with Mets By the Numbers, we present a full history of who wore what number, and when!/li>
- Baseball Cards Our collection of home-made baseball cards, in the style of the classic Topps cards of the 1970's.
- This Date in Mets History Births, Deaths, Transactions, Newspaper Covers

- Contact Us
- FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

Mets
Statistics

Jerry Johnson
vs. the Mets

Game Log

Memories of
Jerry Johnson

Jerry Johnson
Jerry Michael Johnson
Born: December 3, 1943 at Miami, Fla.
Died: November 15, 2021 at Canyon Lake, Cal.
Throws: Right Bats: Right
Height: 6.03 Weight: 200

Share your memories of Jerry Johnson

HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY:

Ron Bailey
August 5, 2007
I was 15 and lived in Johnson City, home of the Binghamton Triplets. I loved the Mets from day one and went to see Auburn every time they were in town. Jerry Johnson used to sit in the stands (I don't know if he was injured or carried as an extra player), but my friend, Jim Andel, and I used to sit on either side of Jerry and drive him crazy with questions. He used to eat these greasy potato balls from the concession and I hated them, but if "Jer" ate them, so did I. This went on for the entire 1964 season. I saw him again at Jack Murphy stadium, when he was with the Phillies. I was in the Navy and stationed in San Diego. He definitely was my biggest childhood hero and I would love to contact him.

Alex
July 12, 2023
Reliever Jerry Johnson forged a 10-year major league career, appearing in 365 games for seven teams. In 1971, he won 12 games, saved 18 and had a 2.97 ERA to finished sixth in NL Cy Young Award voting.
The career that spawned such numbers began in the New York Mets system in 1963 at 19 years old. He was used sparingly his first few years, tossing just 32 innings his first, 13 innings his second, 35 his third and 37 his fourth. In 1967, his fifth—and final—campaign in the Mets chain, he earned the chance to put it all together—and he most assuredly did, winning 10 games and posting a 2.78 ERA in 26 starts for the Double-A Williamsport Mets. He tied Jim McAndrew for second on the club in victories with 10, but was among its WORST in ERA as the club mark was a tiny 2.36.
His performance induced the Phillies to take him in the 1967 minor league draft and by 1968, he was in the major leagues.
In 1969, he was involved in a deal that included multiple figures of Mets historical note. In addition to Johnson, it sent future third base coach Cookie Rojas (1997-2000) to the Cardinals and longtime broadcaster Tim McCarver to the Phillies. Future Mets first baseman Willie Montanez (1978-1979) was also sent to Philadelphia in that deal.
Unfortunately, Johnson died November 15, 2021 at 77 years old. Interestingly, he died just about one week before his manager at Williamsport in 1966, Bill Virdon, did. Virdon died November 23, 2021 at 90.

NYB Buff
July 14, 2023
Alex, you forgot the most important thing about the multi-player trade between the Cardinals and Phillies that included Jerry. It was the famous deal that featured Curt Flood, who refused to report to the Phils and decided to challenge baseball's reserve clause instead. The Cards then sent Montanez to Philadelphia in place of Flood.
Jerry's best season in the major leagues came in 1971. He had a 12-9 record with a 2.97 ERA for the Giants' division championship team. Johnson was also the first winning pitcher for an American League game in Canada. He recorded the win for the Blue Jays in their inaugural game at Toronto in 1977.