Kelly Johnson

Kelly Andrew Johnson (born February 22, 1982) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets. While primarily a second baseman, Johnson has appeared at every position except for pitcher, catcher, and center field during his career. Johnson was the first player to appear in a game for all five American League East teams; Steve Pearce became the second in 2018. He was on the New York Mets' postseason roster in 2015, where he appeared in his first World Series. Professional career Atlanta Braves Johnson was drafted in the first round (38th overall) of the 2000 Major League Baseball draft by the Atlanta Braves. Johnson decided to forego a scholarship offer to play college baseball at Texas A&M in favor of signing with the Braves. Johnson made his Major League debut with the Braves on May 29, 2005, and became a regular outfielder, due to the many injuries that plagued the Braves early in the 2005 season. Johnson was named the National League Player of the Week for the week of June 13 after batting .417 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in 24 at-bats. An elbow injury sidelined Johnson for the entire 2006 season. He was placed on the disabled list during spring training after experiencing pain while making throws from the outfield, and had Tommy John surgery performed by Dr. James Andrews on June 1. During the offseason, Johnson spent many hours with Braves first base coach Glenn Hubbard at Turner Field to learn how to play second base effectively. Johnson earned the starting position at second base and as the leadoff hitter for the Braves for the 2007 season. On April 8, 2007, Johnson hit the first leadoff homer of his career in a 3–2 win against the New York Mets. In late June, Johnson lost his position as the leadoff hitter in the Braves lineup. In the 48 games Johnson played in May and June, his on-base percentage was .325, well below the acceptable rate for a good leadoff hitter. Willie Harris, who took over the role as primary leadoff hitter, had an on-base percentage of .440 prior to June 22 (Johnson's last game as the leadoff hitter), prompting Braves manager Bobby Cox to make the change.