Cubs Reed Johnson Old Time Ballplayer

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2009-04-13T16:49:00-04:00

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300 2628 Chicago Cubs outfielder Reed Johnson plays baseball the way it should be played, the old-fashioned way. Johnson plays the game with total abandon and shows his love of the game every single time he plays it.  On March 25, 2008, Johnson signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs after playing with the Toronto Blue Jays since 2003. Reed is basically a platoon player for all of the outfield positions for the Cubs. <o:p> </o:p> Johnson plays the game of baseball with the type of attitude towards the game that you wished every player did. He is an old-fashioned type ballplayer and gives the game 110% every time he steps onto the filed or into the batters box. <o:p> </o:p> One of Johnson's honors that are more improbable is his inclination for being hit by pitches. He is second on the Blue Jays all-time hit by pitch list. Since 2003, Johnson has been hit by a pitch 93 times and is currently third in the majors in that catagory. Last season, his first with the Cubs, he had a game winning RBI against the Atlanta Braves after a pitch hit him with the bases loaded. <o:p> </o:p> Johnson is a total team player and will do what ever it takes for his team to win the ballgame. He runs out every ball he hits at full speed, even if it is a dribbler back to the pitcher. <o:p> </o:p> During a crucial game last season versus the division rival Milwaukee Brewers, Johnson took a page out of the old-time game with a perfect hard slide into second base that prevented a double play, and gave the Cubs a one-run lead. This is not unusual for Reed Johnson. He always plays to win and with a passion for the game not always seen from today’s ballplayers.    <o:p> </o:p> Johnson is more the adequate outfielder. He has good speed, and excellent glove, and no fear what-so-ever. He has absolutely no disdain for the walls, his only objective is to catch the ball. Last season, in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state> against the Nationals, Johnson made one of the most spectacular catches of the year. Running full speed, he dove for the ball, caught it and then slid head first into the wall. He jumped up, the awning on his cap bent upward. It was an inning ending spectacular play by Johnson. <o:p> </o:p> Here is video of that catch. <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200804252587970&c_id=chc">Johnson's diving catch</a> <o:p> </o:p> Last night, Sunday, April 12, Johnson again made a spectacular game saving catch against the division rival Brewers in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Milwaukee</st1:place></st1:city>. With the bases loaded for the Brewers and the Cubs leading 6-2, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Milwaukee</st1:city></st1:place>’s biggest power hitter, Prince Fielder was at the plate. He hit a high towering drive towards left field that everyone in the house thought the game was tied when the ball left the bat. Johnson leapt high into the air, with Spiderman like tendencies, climbed the wall, reached over it, and snagged the ball to rob Fielder of a game tying grand slam. "He hit it in our bullpen, and caught it," starting pitcher Ryan Dempster said. "I've been playing 15 years of professional baseball now, and he's made the two best catches while I've been pitching. I'll have to buy him a burger on the way home." <o:p></o:p> <iframe height="0" frameborder="0" width="290" scrolling="no" style="display: none;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://www.chicagotribune.com/common/includes/google-adsense-content.html?client=ca-tribune_st_js&channel_content=chicagotribune_sectionfront&channel_section=chicagotribune_section&type=wide&page_url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-13-cubs-brewers-chicago-apr13,0,1104128,print.story"> </iframe>Dempster was also the pitcher in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state> last season when Johnson made his spectacular catch.    Johnson said it was the first time he had ever robbed anyone of a home run. "My first one," Johnson said. "I told Prince that at first the next inning. I said, 'Man, I know you don't want to hear that. I've always talked about that, and we were practicing that in the outfield and I've never gotten one in a game. That's a tough one because it's just so high and it's coming down on that spot, so you've got to time it perfectly. But it worked out well."   Here is a video of the grand slam robbing catch. <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=4120099">Johnson's grand slam robbery catch </a> Cubs Manager Lou Piniella is getting used to big defensive plays from Johnson. "This kid is a ballplayer," he said. "An old-fashioned, hard-nosed ballplayer". 0.0.0.0

2009-04-13T16:49:00-04:00

cubs-reed-johnson-old-time-ballplayer

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Cubs Reed Johnson Old Time Ballplayer

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