Name: Lance Johnson
Rank: 29
Position: CF
Years With White Sox: 1988-1995
Lance Johnson, along with Ricky Horton, was acquired by the White Sox from the Cardinals for Jose DeLeon just before spring training in 1988. After earning Most Valuable Player honors in the American Association the year before, Johnson was given the starting center fielder job. Things did not go well, and after hitting only .185 in 33 games, he was sent back to the minor leagues.
Johnson returned to Triple A in 1988, before finally returning to the White Sox, and the major leagues, for good. In a 50 game stint, his largest to date, Jonson hit .300 with 16 stolen bases and a .360 OBP.
In 1990, Johnson patrolled centerfield for the final season at Comiskey Park. He hit .285 and managed 36 stolen bases, despite leading the league with 22 caught stealings, easily his career high. He also hit his first career home run.
1991 saw the White Sox move across the street to their new home, and Johnson continued his steady presence in the lineup. Hitting .274 while appearing in 159 games, he stole 26 bases and hit 13 triples, leading the American League for the first of four consecutive seasons, the first player in Major League history to accomplish this feat.
Johnson hit .279 in 1992, with another 12 triples and 41 stolen bases. He also managed to hit the ball out of the ballpark 3 times, setting a new career high.
1993 saw Johnson and the White Sox finally put everything together. Johnson raised his average to .311, hitting 14 triples and stealing 35 bases while the White Sox won their first divisional title in a decade. Unfortunately, Johnson struggled in the ALCS against the Blue Jays, hitting only .217 in the 6 game series, though knocking in 6 runs and hitting his only home run of the season.
The strike-shortened 1994 season cut down what could have been a tremendous season for Johnson. He again hit 14 triples, but in only 106 games. He tied his career high with 3 home runs and managed 26 stolen bases, while hitting .277.
When baseball resumed in 1995, Johnson turned in his finest season in a White Sox uniform. He hit .306 and set a career high with a .766 OPS. He led the league in at bats and hits, though he saw his streak of triples crowns end despite hitting a solid 12. He set a career high with 10 home runs, 3 more than his previous career total. On September 23, he became the first White Sox hitter to get 6 hits in a game since Floyd Robinson in 1962. Following the season, he became a free agent and his White Sox career came to an end.
Johnson’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
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The 2018 baseball season gets underway today, with an early start brought about due to the last collective bargaining agreement, which added additional off days for each team throughout the year. To celebrate, it is time once again to look at the all-time team records for games that I have identified as having attended dating back to 1984. The Cubs look to avenge last year’s NLCS loss and make it back to the World Series, while the rebuilding White Sox hope to finally start seeing their young talent blossom. The 2018 season should be an exciting one on both sides of town.
