Walter “Judge” McCredie, longtime Portland Beavers player, manager and president said the longest home run he ever saw was hit by Otis L. “Ote” Johnson when Johnson played for him:
“The drive of Ote Johnson’s at Los Angeles (in 1909) was the longest clout I have ever witnessed. Out in center field they had a pavilion 150 feet long. Hits at Chutes Park in Los Angeles had never come within fifty feet of the pavilion…Johnson put the ball clean over the pavilion and the ball bounced into the bandstand for what I call the longest hit in the world.”
By the time he hit that ball in Portland he had already been called “Home run” Johnson for at least five years, a name earned in the Texas League when he hit 22 home runs in two seasons for the Dallas Giants—he finished third with 12 in 1903 and led the league with 10 in 1904.
Otis “Ote” Johnson
Johnson was born in Fowler, Indiana in 1882, and grew up in Muncie. The Dallas Morning News said fellow Indianan Claude Berry recommended Johnson to Dallas. Primarily a shortstop, Johnson also played first, third and outfield, and appeared in more than 30 games as a pitcher during his professional career.
Johnson was sold to the Little Rock Travelers near the end of the 1904 season; he remained with Little Rock through 1906 but hit just .210 against “A” class Southern Association pitching. He was sold to the Charleston Sea Gulls in the class “C” South Atlantic League before the 1907 season and hit .263, leading the team in doubles (27), triples (13) and home runs (10).
His performance in Charleston earned him another shot in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) when his contract was sold to Portland. After a slow start at the tail-end of the 1907 season, Johnson regained his form, hitting .280 with 10 home runs in 1908 and .293 with 13 home runs (including his “longest hit in the world”) in 1909.
McCredie said the day Johnson hit his home run against Los Angeles scouts from the New York Highlanders was in the stands:
“(A)fter the battle they asked me to put a price on Ote. I did, and a few days later the deal was consummated.”
The price was $4,000.
As Johnson prepared to join the Highlanders and manager George Stallings for spring training in Georgia, the New York press was excited about the team’s new prospect who was spending the winter in Muncie working and playing goalie Muncie’s professional roller polo team. The New York Globe said:
“There is a ‘terrible Swede’ coming to New York next season. He is a glass blower and makes from $6 to $7 a day in a factory at Muncie, Ind., and in the summertime he makes his living at swinging a large club and gathering bad and good bounders on the baseball field…The boy we’re harping about is Ote Johnson, who will be a member of the New York Americans. (In the PCL) he is known as ‘Home Run’ Johnson. They say he has driven many a pitcher to the bench.”
George Stallings
Phil Cooney, a New Yorker, who played with Johnson in Portland, told The Globe:
“They seem to think that this boy Johnson can’t hit a curve ball, but Stallings will find out that he can hit any kind.”
On March 23 Stallings told The New York American that Johnson, who was playing third base and shortstop, “couldn’t hit.” Two days later The American said:
“Ote Johnson this afternoon gave an apt illustration of a home run and for the first time since he reported to Stallings the Portland demon found his batting eye. But for the most daring burglaries on the part of (William) Birdie Cree, the big third sacker would have hit for 1.000 during the afternoon. As it was he had a single and a homer in three times at bat. His single might have been a homer had not (2nd baseman) Earle Gardner sprang into the air and retarded its progress by a blind stab. But the four-base smash was beyond reach.
“Johnson got to one of (Dick) Carroll’s choicest curves and knocked the ball further than any had ever before traveled in Georgia. Birdie Cree was playing deep for the big fellow. The ball went so far that Cree had not gotten to it by the time Johnson crossed the home plate, and he only jogged from second. The ball rolled to the fence, which is fully 300 yards from the plate.”
As late as April 1 it looked like Johnson might stick with New York. The Trenton Evening Times said:
“The latest ‘phenom’ to be discovered is Otis Johnson, the New York Americans’ third sacker. This recruit has been playing sensational games around the last station since he joined the club…Johnson is also quite a slugologist. In the last few games the youngster has been batting like a Tyrus Cobb. In a recent game at Athens, Ga., he made four hits in as many times at bat. Among them was a home run. Manager Stallings says he thinks Johnson will make a great name for himself this season.”
Despite the build up, and the reports of his prowess at the plate, Johnson did make Stallings’ club. His contract was sold to the Jersey City Skeeters in the Eastern League.
The (Portland) Oregonian said New York “farmed out” the former Beaver star despite the fact that:
“New York critics credit Ote, nevertheless, with having more promise than some of the players retained by Stallings.”
Johnson hit just .223 with 9 home runs (second in the league) with Jersey City, but would benefit from unrest in the New York clubhouse. Manager George Stallings accused his star first baseman, Hal Chase, of trying to throw a game in St. Louis (the first of what would become many accusations against Chase). Stallings said he would resign if Chase wasn’t let go; Highlander owner Frank Farrell sided with Chase and forced Stallings out in September; Chase was named manager.
Hal Chase
After the season ended the New York papers said Johnson would on Chase’s club the following season, either at third base in place of Jimmy Austin (who was rumored to be on the market, and eventually traded to the St. Louis Browns), or to play shortstop in place of John Knight who would be moved to second base to replace Frank LaPorte (also on the market, and also eventually traded to St. Louis with Austin).
More Otis Johnson on Monday.
Baseball History Daily 