When he got there, he came in and was so comfortable. LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Former Dodger outfielder “Sweet Lou” Johnson, who helped the team win the 1965 World Series against the Minnesota Twins with a key home run, has died. “I was a throw-in player, the kind of guy that when they had a trade made and wanted to put the glue on it, they threw me in. Johnson broke up the potential double no-hitter in the seventh with a bloop double to right field. He played parts of two more major league seasons with the Cubs, Indians, and Angels. From his professional debut in 1953 until he joined the Dodgers, his contract was assigned 17 times. He had played in 96 previous Major League games with the Cubs, Angels and Braves between 1960 and 1962. I clapped for myself.”. Davis’ split-second indecision whether to slide sidelined him for most of the season and jeopardized his career. Dodgers reliever Kenley Jansen looked the best he has in at least a month in his scoreless inning to close out Game 5 of the NLCS, including three strikeouts. Starting lineups for the Dodgers and Braves in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series. Sweet Lou Johnson, Dodgers World Series hero, dies at 86, Dodgers win battle of Wills to stay alive. Johnson was an unsung hero for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1965. Johnson drove in a run in each of the four Dodgers wins, including two doubles in Game 3 and a home run in Game 4. When I got to the big leagues people would say, ‘Hey Sweet Lou, you’re a star, you’re the greatest.’ And to convince myself that was true I had to get high. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. (Photo by Jerod Harris/FilmMagic). Former Dodger ‘Sweet Lou’ Johnson Dies At 86. The Dodgers called upon 32-year-old Lou Johnson from Triple-A Spokane, who batted .259 in 131 games with 12 home runs and 58 RBI. The Dodgers won 2-0, behind Johnson and the pitching of Koufax, winning the club’s third championship in eight seasons in Los Angeles. “I felt so fortunate,” Johnson told the Spokane Chronicle in 1986 (1). Every Sports Reference Social Media Account. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories, Kentucky Postal Staffer Could Face Federal Charges After Dumping 112 Absentee Ballots, Where to find good, cheap pasta in every state. Keep in mind that Johnson was 30 years old at the time, and hadn’t played in the majors in three years. Kenley Jansen had an electrifying ninth inning. Johnson was also in the middle of a two-decade battle with drug abuse and alcoholism, as he recalled in 1984 (3): “I had been drinking since I was 13,” Johnson said. “Sweet Lou” didn’t go on the disabled list. I couldn’t admit that. “I didn’t need no 50,000 people to tell me what I’d done. Johnson often seemed the odd man out wherever he played. The first is when he collected the only hit in the 1-0 perfect game thrown by Dodger ace Sandy Koufax against Chicago on September 9, 1965. “At last, Lou Johnson discovers life is sweet,” by Stan Hochman. Johnson couldn’t crack the Dodgers’ 1964 outfield of Tommy Davis, Willie Davis, Frank Howard, Wes Parker, Wally Moon, Lee Walls and Willie Crawford. I’d stay for six or seven. “Dodger fans will always remember his important home run in Game 7 of the 1965 World Series, when he was clapping his hands running around the bases.”. Johnson thought he was being traded. I had the pleasure of speaking with Johnson a few times over the last 10 years, mostly in passing. The Dodgers say Johnson, who most recently worked as a front office employee with the team’s community relations department, died Thursday night. I had to be competitive.”. Johnson helped the Dodgers reach the postseason twice, in 1965 and 1966. Prior to the 1964 season, the Detroit Tigers dealt Johnson and $10,000 to Los Angeles in exchange for pitcher Larry Sherry, the 1959 World Series MVP. We should all be so lucky. “It was almost as if it was his destiny to be there anyway. He began 1965 in Spokane as well, but when Tommy Davis broke his ankle on a slide at second base on May 1, the Dodgers called up Johnson. No cause of death was given. Five days after he arrived, Johnson hit a 10th-inning home run to beat Houston. I was tired of people not clapping for me. It’s impossible to tell the story of the 1965 Dodgers without Johnson. “They didn’t have anybody else at the time, and I began to do the job. Los Angeles acquired the outfielder and cash from the Tigers in April 1964 for former World Series MVP Larry Sherry, the eighth time Johnson was traded, then stashed him in Triple-A Spokane. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. “Lou Johnson was such a positive inspiration at Dodger Stadium with our employees and our fans as well as throughout the community in the appearances he made on behalf of the organization,” Stan Kasten, president and CEO of the Dodgers, said in a statement. “Sweet Lou” Johnson’s dream season ended in Game 7 of the World Series when his home run off Jim Kaat at Minnesota gave Koufax the only advantage he needed in a 2–0 victory. He walked in the fifth inning and later scored the only run of the game on a sacrifice bunt, stolen base and throwing error. I was going to do it myself.”, Dodgers to host drive-in viewing parties for NLCS, Dodgers look to be the first posteason team to solve Atlanta’s pitching, Corey Seager named finalist for 2020 Hank Aaron Award, A different Julio Urías has been the most dominant of his career, Dodger offense erupts early to run away with record-setting Game 3, The Dodgers swallow the Braves with a historic first-inning avalanche, NLCS Preview: Dodgers get ready for the Braves, and fans, at Globe Life Field, On the play: Bellinger robs Tatis with game-saving catch. He was in his seventh organization in his 13th professional season, and the Dodgers yearbook the following year described Johnson as “having seen his contract bounced around seventeen times from 1953 through 1965.”. A cause of death was not listed,… Those three words helped change the direction of the 1965 Dodgers, seemingly in trouble after two-time National League batting champion Tommy Davis dislocated his ankle on May 1 while running toward second base at Dodger Stadium. “I clapped because I knew how damn long it had taken me to get there,” Johnson recalled to the Philadelphia Daily News in 1981 (2). The hit was a relatively inconsequential bloop double late, but his walk in the fifth inning was followed by a bunt, then Johnson stole third base and scored when Chicago catcher Chris Krug’s throw sailed into left field. Johnson worked for the Dodgers for 40 seasons between his time as a player and a front office employee in the community relations department. He spent the bulk of the last 40 years working in the Dodgers community relations department, and delivered countless speeches about drug and alcohol abuse. During Spring Training, Johnson was upset when the Dodgers didn’t include him on the 40-man roster and figured his days with the organization were numbered. After about two weeks, Johnson was the everyday left fielder, and peppered the season with big moments: Johnson also had the only hit and scored the only run in Sandy Koufax’s perfect game on September 9. Connect with friends faster than ever with the new Facebook app. Johnson asked O’Malley if he couldn’t play for the Dodgers, how was he going to break up Cincinnati’s talented outfield trio of Frank Robinson, Vada Pinson and Gus Bell? When Spokane general manager Peter O’Malley called Johnson at his Spokane apartment in May 1965, he told him to report to Cincinnati. Johnson also assisted Koufax in his Sept. 9 perfect game against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. “In the span of five minutes, I had packed my bags and run to the airport,” Johnson said. But he’s most known for Game 7, when in the fourth inning against Kaat, Johnson homered off the left field foul pole for the first run of the game. I was always very insecure. I clapped my hands. The Dodgers say he played in 677 games and hit .258 with 48 homers and 232 RBI in his career. Longtime major leaguer and Los Angeles Dodgers executive "Sweet" Lou Johnson, who played a key role in two of the club's most memorable moments in the 1960s, died at age 86 Thursday night, the club announced Friday. Johnson, who earned the nickname “Sweet Lou” for his infectious smile and because he was always clapping his hands, joined the Dodgers early in 1965 after outfielder Tommy Davis suffered an injury. I didn’t have to give up on myself anymore in terms of hating. Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. “Just breathin’ is like a fantasy to ‘Sweet Lou’,” by Jerome Holtzman. My hands weren’t clapping to show up anybody after hitting a home run. Johnson was 86. Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. When he walked through the Dodger clubhouse in 1965, Lou Johnson heard the greeting he so longed to hear after a decade of hard knocks in professional baseball. “Sweet” Lou Johnson Outfielder 1965-67 “Sweet” Lou Johnson will forever be remembered for two important historic events in Dodger history. Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder “Sweet” Lou Johnson at Steve Garvey’s celebrity softball game for ALS Research at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 3, 2011 in Anaheim, California. They did not release a cause of death. He died days after his 86th birthday, on October 1 -- other reports list the date of his death as September 30 or September 23. In 1965, Johnson was called up and hit .259 with 24 doubles, 12 homers, 58 RBI and 15 stolen bases, and recorded the lone Dodgers’ hit and scored the only run in Sandy Koufax’s perfect game on Sept. 9, 1965 against the Chicago Cubs, according to the Dodgers. “I was at the airport five hours before the flight. Johnson played 17 seasons in professional baseball, including time with the Angels, the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Braves and the Cleveland Indians. Johnson, who earned the nickname “Sweet Lou” for his infectious smile and because he was always clapping his hands, joined the Dodgers early in … Johnson is survived by his wife, Sarah, and his children Lauren, Carlton, and Quinton. They have to be. Are you a Stathead, too? “I was 46 years old before I openly shed tears. Johnson started all seven games against the Twins, playing left field. We were going to miss Tommy, but we had already had talked among the players about winning the pennant. Chris Taylor injured his ankle on a throw from left field in Game 5 of the NLCS, and is day-to-day, as the Dodgers await pending test results. Johnson passed away Thursday at 86 years old. When Lou joined the Dodgers, we had no clue whatsoever as to who he was or whether he could play because we didn’t see him in Spring Training. “I didn’t have to worry about staying,” Johnson said. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. On June 12, Johnson fractured his thumb after being hit by a pitch thrown by the Mets Al Jackson.