Judy Johnson
Baseball · Hometown: Wilmington, DE
- High school
- Howard High School of Technology
- Pro team(s)
- Hilldale Club, Pittsburgh Crawfords, Homestead Grays
- Hall of Fame
- ⭐ National Baseball Hall of Fame
William Julius "Judy" Johnson was born in Snow Hill, Maryland, but grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, where he attended Howard High School. He became one of the finest third basemen in the history of the Negro Leagues and one of the most important players of the segregated era of American baseball. Johnson played primarily for the Hilldale Club (1921-1929) and the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932-1936), the latter of which was one of the most celebrated teams in Negro Leagues history — a powerhouse that also included Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, and Oscar Charleston. Johnson was a superb fielder and a consistent hitter who batted over .390 in multiple seasons. Denied the opportunity to play in the major leagues solely because of the color barrier, Johnson was nonetheless recognized as one of the game's greats; Connie Mack said he would have been a $100,000 player in the major leagues. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975 by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues.