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Don Johnson

1911 – 2000

American baseball second baseman

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About Don Johnson

Lived 1911 – 2000 (aged 88). Don Johnson was an American baseball player.

Donald Spore Johnson (December 7, 1911 – April 6, 2000), nicknamed "Pep", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman for the Chicago Cubs from 1943 to 1948. A native of Chicago, he attended Oregon State University before beginning his professional baseball career.

Johnson's best seasons were during World War II. In 1944, a season in which he had a career-high 71 runs batted in, he was selected for the All-Star Game. In 1945, he was an important part of the last Cubs team until 2016 to win a pennant, hitting a career-high .302 and scoring 94 runs, tenth in the league. He was also selected for the unofficial "All-Star Game" that was organized by the Associated Press after the official game was canceled.

Until Dexter Fowler led off in the 2016 World Series, Johnson was the last Cub to come to bat in a World Series game. He grounded into a force out to end the 1945 World Series defeat to the Detroit Tigers.

Career totals for 511 games include 528 hits, 8 home runs, 175 runs batted in, 219 runs scored, a .273 batting average, and an on-base percentage of .315.

His father was former major league shortstop Ernie Johnson.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Oregon State University
Also known as
Donald Spore Johnson

People in Don Johnson's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Don Johnson's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Don Johnson?

American baseball second baseman (1911-2000)

When was Don Johnson born?

Don Johnson was born on 7 December 1911 in Chicago.

When did Don Johnson die?

Don Johnson died on 6 April 2000 in Laguna Beach.

What was Don Johnson's occupation?

Don Johnson was a baseball player.

What nationality was Don Johnson?

Don Johnson was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Don Johnson

· Wikidata: Q5292845

· DBpedia: Don Johnson (second baseman)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Don Johnson. https://biography.guide/don-johnson/

MLA: "Don Johnson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/don-johnson/.

Chicago: "Don Johnson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/don-johnson/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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