Jay Johnstone

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jay Johnstone

Outfielder

Born: November 20, 1945 (1945-11-20) (age 62)
Batted: Left	Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 30, 1966 for the California Angels
Final game
October 6, 1985 for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Career statistics
Batting average	.267
Home runs	102
Runs batted in	531
Teams
California Angels (1966-1970) Chicago White Sox (1971-1972) Oakland Athletics (1973) Philadelphia Phillies (1974-1978) New York Yankees (1978-1979) San Diego Padres (1979) Los Angeles Dodgers (1980-1982) Chicago Cubs (1982-1984) Los Angeles Dodgers (1985)
Career highlights and awards
1978 World Series and 1981 World Series Championships

John William Johnstone Jr. (born November 20, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player, active from 1966 to 1985 for the California Angels, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs. Johnstone was known as a versatile outfielder with a good sense of humor, known for keeping clubhouses loose with occasional pranks and gimmicks. He later served as a color commentator for Yankees radio broadcasts with John Sterling for a couple of seasons.

Career highlights include:

As an Angel, he preserved Clyde Wright's no-hitter against the Athletics in the seventh inning by catching a Reggie Jackson fly ball 400 feet from straightaway center field, just in front of the wall (July 3, 1970).

As a Phillie, he went 7-for-9 in the 1976 National League Championship Series against the Cincinnati Reds. However, the Reds swept the Series.

As a Dodger, he hit a pinch-two run home run in Game Four of the 1981 World Series against the New York Yankees, the home run rallying the Dodgers from a 6-3 deficit to win 8-7. The victory also enabled the Dodgers to tie the Series at two games each; they won the next two games to win it all.

Johnstone was born in Manchester, Connecticut on the same day and year as Rick Monday, a teammate on the Dodgers' 1981 World Series champions. Both were also former Marines prior to their pro playing careers. Both also played for the Cubs, Athletics and Dodgers. Johnstone struck out looking against Dave Spiwack at the top of the first inning in the movie Naked Gun.

After the Dodgers' 1981 World Series victory, Johnstone and Dodger teammates Monday, Jerry Reuss, and Steve Garvey appeared on Solid Gold and sang their own rendition of Queen's hit, We Are the Champions.