Alex Johnson
A supremely talented and volatile outfielder who won the 1970 American League batting title in a season marred by clashes with teammates and management.
1942–2015 (age 73)·American baseball player·Birthday: December 7·The Silent Generation
Biography
Alex Johnson possessed one of the purest and most powerful right-handed swings of his generation, a talent that promised stardom but was perpetually shadowed by conflict. Breaking in with the Philadelphia Phillies, he was a physical specimen who could hit to all fields with authority. His career peaked in 1970 with the California Angels, where he edged out Carl Yastrzemski for the batting crown by a single point (.3289 to .3286). Yet that same season was a pressure cooker, defined by fines, suspensions, and a very public dispute with manager Lefty Phillips over his effort level, which teammates and press often misinterpreted. Labeled as moody and difficult, he was traded the next year, beginning a rapid decline through several teams. Johnson's story is a complex chapter in baseball history, examining the line between fierce competitiveness and the era's inability to handle strong-willed players.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Alex was born in 1942, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alex Was Born
The biggest hits of 1942
#1 Movie
Bambi
Best Picture
Mrs. Miniver
Alex's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1942Born
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1947Started school
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1955Became a teenager
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Could drive
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1960Could vote
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Turned 21
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1972Turned 30
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 40
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 50
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 60
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 70
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2015Died at 73
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Won the American League batting title in 1970 with a .329 average for the California Angels.
- Was named an American League All-Star in 1970.
- Won the National League Comeback Player of the Year award in 1968 with the Cincinnati Reds.
- Recorded 1,331 hits and a lifetime .288 average over a 13-year MLB career.
Did You Know?
His brother, Ron Johnson, was a running back for the New York Giants in the NFL.
Johnson was an accomplished bowler and reportedly considered pursuing it professionally after baseball.
He was the first designated hitter in Texas Rangers history in 1973.
“I could hit a fastball out of any park, but they never let me just play.”
