Rex Johnston
Encyclopedia
Rex David Johnston is a retired American
professional athlete who played Major League Baseball
for the Pittsburgh Pirates
and in the National Football League
for the Pittsburgh Steelers
. He is the only athlete to have performed for each of Pittsburgh's
iconic baseball
and football
teams. He attended the University of Southern California
, where he played both sports, and stood 6 in 1 in (1.85 m) tall and weighed 202 pounds (91.6 kg) during his active career.
who threw and batted right-handed, Johnston signed with the Pirates in 1959 and spent five full seasons in Pittsburgh's minor league
system before making the Bucs' varsity out of spring training
in . MLB teams were then allowed to carry three extra players on their roster for the first 30 days of the season, and Johnston appeared in 14 games
as a leftfielder, centerfielder, pinch hitter
and pinch runner
between April 15 and May 11. He logged ten plate appearances and drew three bases on balls, but went hitless in seven at bats. In his only Major League start, as a centerfielder on May 2 against the St. Louis Cardinals
at Busch Stadium
, Johnston came to the plate five times against southpaws
Curt Simmons
and Bobby Shantz
; he walked once, reached on an error
, and grounded out three times. His baseball career continued at the Triple-A level through 1966, and he batted
.266 with 59 home runs in 938 minor league games.
in college for USC. In 1960, when he was struggling as a baseball player at the Class C level in the Pirates' system, he was invited to try out for the NFL Steelers. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
, Johnston called Branch Rickey, Jr., the Pirates' farm system director, seeking permission to play pro football as well as baseball. "I'll never forget what he said: 'Rex, I look at your stats every day. If you've got something else to do, you'd better do it,'" Johnston recalled in 2004. Ironically, Johnston immediately started hitting, was promoted twice to Class B and Class A, and ended the season batting a respectable .275 before reporting to the Steelers late in training camp. Johnston played the full, 12-game NFL schedule for the 1960 Steelers
, almost exclusively as a kickoff and punt returner
. He averaged 21.8 yards in 18 kickoff returns (longest 38 yards) and 3.8 yards in 12 punt returns (longest 14 yards) and scored no touchdowns. As a halfback, he carried four times for 12 yards. It was his only season in pro football.
As of 2004, Johnston was heading his family's industrial painting business in Paramount, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional athlete who played Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
and in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. He is the only athlete to have performed for each of Pittsburgh's
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
iconic baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
teams. He attended the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, where he played both sports, and stood 6 in 1 in (1.85 m) tall and weighed 202 pounds (91.6 kg) during his active career.
Ten games with 1964 Pirates
An outfielderOutfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
who threw and batted right-handed, Johnston signed with the Pirates in 1959 and spent five full seasons in Pittsburgh's minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
system before making the Bucs' varsity out of spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
in . MLB teams were then allowed to carry three extra players on their roster for the first 30 days of the season, and Johnston appeared in 14 games
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
as a leftfielder, centerfielder, pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
and pinch runner
Pinch runner
A pinch runner is a baseball player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing a player on base. In the typical case, the pinch runner is faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been substituted...
between April 15 and May 11. He logged ten plate appearances and drew three bases on balls, but went hitless in seven at bats. In his only Major League start, as a centerfielder on May 2 against the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
at Busch Stadium
Sportsman's Park
Sportsman's Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball ballpark structures in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, all but one of which were located on the same piece of land, the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street on the north side of the city.- History :From...
, Johnston came to the plate five times against southpaws
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
Curt Simmons
Curt Simmons
Curtis Thomas "Curt" Simmons is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1947–50 and 1952-67. With right-hander Robin Roberts, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Simmons was one of the twin anchors of the starting rotation of the "Whiz Kids", the Philadelphia Phillies' ...
and Bobby Shantz
Bobby Shantz
Robert Clayton Shantz was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics , Kansas City Athletics , New York Yankees , Pittsburgh Pirates , Houston Colt .45's , St...
; he walked once, reached on an error
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
, and grounded out three times. His baseball career continued at the Triple-A level through 1966, and he batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.266 with 59 home runs in 938 minor league games.
A dozen games with 1960 Steelers
Johnston played halfbackRunning back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
in college for USC. In 1960, when he was struggling as a baseball player at the Class C level in the Pirates' system, he was invited to try out for the NFL Steelers. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
, Johnston called Branch Rickey, Jr., the Pirates' farm system director, seeking permission to play pro football as well as baseball. "I'll never forget what he said: 'Rex, I look at your stats every day. If you've got something else to do, you'd better do it,'" Johnston recalled in 2004. Ironically, Johnston immediately started hitting, was promoted twice to Class B and Class A, and ended the season batting a respectable .275 before reporting to the Steelers late in training camp. Johnston played the full, 12-game NFL schedule for the 1960 Steelers
1960 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 1960 Pittsburgh Steelers season involved the team's fifth place finish in the Eastern Conference. They compiled a 5–6–1 record under head coach Buddy Parker, while playing their home games at Forbes Field.-Preseason:...
, almost exclusively as a kickoff and punt returner
Punt returner
Punt returner is a position on special teams in American football.-Description:The role of a punt returner is to catch the ball after it is punted and to give his team good field position by returning it. Before catching the punted ball, the returner must assess the situation on the field while...
. He averaged 21.8 yards in 18 kickoff returns (longest 38 yards) and 3.8 yards in 12 punt returns (longest 14 yards) and scored no touchdowns. As a halfback, he carried four times for 12 yards. It was his only season in pro football.
As of 2004, Johnston was heading his family's industrial painting business in Paramount, California
Paramount, California
Paramount is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. According to the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 54,098 down from 55,266 at the 2000 census...
.
External links
- NFL statistics from Pro-Football-Reference.com