Amazin' ball player delights fans
Former New York Met slugging third baseman Howard Johnson visits Sayville
By JAMES MONTALTO
SAYVILLE — Area baseball fans
were treated to a visit from the wildly
popular former New York Met third
baseman Howard "HoJo" Johnson at
Classic Legends, a sports memorabilia store on Main Street in Sayville last
Saturday.
Johnson, the fourth former baseball
player to sign autographs at Classic
Legends, arrived at the store at
approximately 12:40 p.m. to a line of
about 30 eager baseball fans seeking
his signature.
"We've had Clete Boyer, Bobby
Richardson and Sparky Lyle sign
autographs here," said Rich Dailey,
owner of Classic Legends, who grew
up rooting for the Mets and the Yankees.
Originally drafted but unsigned by
the New York Yankees in the 23rd
round of the 1978 amateur draft,
Johnson was selected one year later
by the Detroit Tigers, a team in which
he worked his way through the
minors until he made it to the majors
to stay in 1984.
As a part-time player with the
Tigers, Johnson belted 12 home runs
and drove in 50 runs en route to
Detroit's 1984 World Series Championship. However, that wouldn't be the
last World Series title for Johnson.
After being traded to the Mets in
December of 1984 for Walt Terrell , he
was part of the 1986 "AmazhV Mets"
and their magical ride to a title after
grabbing victory from the clutches of
defeat with a miraculous World Series
game six comeback against the
Boston Red Sox.
After falling behind 5-3 in the bottom of the 10th inning, the Mets
staged one of the most dramatic and
memorable comebacks in baseball
history by securing a 5-5 victory in
game six on their way to their second
championship, which they won with a
game seven victory.
Johnson's best memory as a Met
came from that game "when we greeted Ray Knight at the plate after Mookie Wilson's groundball went through
Bill Buckner's legs," Johnson said,
who was on deck behind Wilson. "It
was pretty amazing, we couldn t
believe [game six] was over," he said.
Of the two championship teams
Johnson played on, he believes the
1986 Mets were better because of
their starting pitching. "We had some
Howard Johnson signs an autograph for two young fans, Tyler and Samantha McQown of Mastic Beach, at Classic Legends hi Sayville.
SCN/Montalto
pretty impressive starting pitching,"
Johnson said. "A lot of guys from our
bullpen went on to become pretty
good closers with other teams," he
said, referring to Rick Aguilera, Roger
McDowell, Randall K. Myers and
Jesse Orosco.
"I love HoJo," said Larry Nicholson,
a lifelong Met fan from Bohemia, who
waited on line for his autograph. "He
was the greatest player the Mets had
back then."
Although Johnson might argue that
he was not the greatest player the
Mets had in the late 1980s and early
1990s, he was certainly among the
best. He became the second player
ever to record three-30 home run and
George Rhodes; Secretary, Kurt
Krause; Trustees, Walter Nicholaus,
Michael Schramm and Fred Stein; Deacons for German Service, Herman
Holm, Mr. Burkhardt and Herman
Meierdierks; Deacons for English Service, William Broadhurst, Earl Sparks
and Kurt Krause.
/ ~*s* \Miss Dorothy Gillette of
YEARS AGO f rom page 4
L - *iI Bayport and Sgt. Robert
\
J V-/ Halloman of Patchogue
James
Alvarez
had
narrow***s~ \
/ / I ry escaped death when a had narrowly escaped injury when the
§ \J truck in which he was rid- car they were driving stopped on the
ing overturned on one of the railroad railroad crossing. They jumped to safebridges in Oakdale. The truck turned ty just moments before a train struck
over several times and came to a stop the car and demolished it
Sayville's team of Victory Band canagainst the guardraU. Both occupants
vassers,
all discharged veterans with
of the truck suffered only slight
combat records, had sold about
injuries.
The following had been elected offi- $140,000 worth of government bonds.
August Kappel had bought the former
cers of St John's Lutheran Church:
Chairman, Herman Holm; Vice Chair- Long Island Lighting Co. building on the
man, Herman Meierdierks; Treasurer, south side of Main Street. ¦
Budd Witte; Financial Secretary, Mrs.
30-stolen base seasons, accomplishing that feat in 1987, 1989 and 1991.
Currently there are only three players who have achieved 30-30 status
three times or more in their careers:
Bobby Bonds, Barry Bonds and Johnson. "That's very good company,"
Johnson said.
"It's more of a season-long accomplishment,'' Johnson said of being a
member of the elite 30-30 club. He
added that any player can have a
great game or a great series but "it
takes a lot to stay consistent all year."
Believing that the National League
used to be more of a pitcher's league,
Johnson thinks that ballparks are bigger and the pitching talent is slightly
Letters
watered down with 30 teams as
opposed to 26 when he played. "I
would shoot for 40-40if I was playing
today," Johnson said.
"Growing up, Mookie [Wilson] was
my favorite player," said Jeff McGown
of Mastic Beach who attended the
signing with his two children, Tyler
and Samantha. He said Johnson
became his favorite player after Wilson was traded away in 1989.
At present Johnson is the hitting
coach for the Mets Triple A affiliate ,
the Norfolk Tides, and feels as though
he is at home coaching without plans
or the desire to become a manager in
the foreseeable future. "Tm very happy as a coach " he said. ¦
——
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