BOSTON (AP) — Former Blue Jays and current Red Sox catcher Danny Johnson did not play in the same game for both teams — the first time in Major League Baseball history.
He batted for both teams in the same innings.
In a statistical quirk made possible by two of the strangest entities on earth — baseball’s rule book and the New England weather — Johnson became the only player to appear on either side of baseball’s box score when he took the field for Boston on Monday. He started for Toronto in June before being traded to the Red Sox in a rain-delayed restart of the game.
After going 1 for 4 for Boston, part of another at-bat for Toronto — I was surprised to learn that I was the first to do that. The Blue Jays won 4-1. “It’s great, Leave such a mark on the game. It’s interesting, strange. I am grateful to have had that opportunity.
Playing for Toronto on June 26, Johnson fouled off the only pitch he saw from Boston starter Gutter Crawford in the second inning before the Tharps were called. On July 27, Johnson was traded from Toronto to Boston For three minor leaguers.
After the possibility of Johnson becoming a baseball first became popular in the game, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said last week that he would play Johnson when the suspended game resumed, saying, “Let’s make history.”
“It’s a really cool moment to be a part of,” Cora said Monday. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen again. It’s got to be like the perfect storm to happen — starting with the storm. I’m glad everyone enjoyed it.
Before play resumed at 2:06 p.m. Monday — 65 days, 18 hours and 35 minutes late — Red Sox media relations coordinator Daveson Perez announced the changes in the Fenway Park press box: “Pinch-hitting for Danny Johnson: Daulton Varsho . Defensive changes: Danny Johnson is now at catcher.
Behind Johnson, Nick Pivetta finished the game Johnson started by striking out Varsho. Then Johnson came on for the Red Sox with two outs in the bottom half of the frame, got a nice cheer from the small make-up-game crowd, and hit a lazy liner to first base to end the inning.
“Building up to that, it can be a little strange,” Johnson said. “When you get into the box, it’s ‘game on,’ and I tried to stay present, stay locked in.”
Johnson’s wife and children and a few friends were there to see him take his place in baseball’s record books — or the footnotes, for that matter. When they arrived, they saw a picture of him on the scoreboard wearing a Blue Jays cap.
“When I went out today, yeah, I saw myself there, for sure,” Johnson said. “It was kind of like, ‘Okay, there we are.'”
Before the first pitch, the home umpires had a long conversation with the coaches who brought out some of the weirdest lineup cards in baseball history. Blue Jays manager John Schneider said he was glad to see his former player, a lifetime backup and career .222 hitter, getting some attention.
“I think it’s cool for him to go down in the record books as the first player to do that,” Schneider said. “I’ve always known Jano, and he’s always been able to be himself, and he’s good at different things. He’s very nice.”
Johnson had a single in the fifth inning — Boston’s first hit. He had a flyout in the seventh, then two outs in the ninth and a runner on second, but he struck out on a checked swing to end the game.
The 29-year-old right-hander said he wore two jerseys in the game (three, if you count the Toronto one he wore in June). He’ll keep one for himself and send it to the Baseball Hall of Fame; An endorser was on hand to mark all of Johnson’s equipment.
Cooperstown Church said it requested a scorecard from official scorer Bob Ellis when the game began in June.
“This scorecard will be a great tool to document and illustrate this history, featuring Danny Johnson’s name on both teams,” Hall spokesman John Shestakofsky said.
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