Johnny Werhas

Who is Johnny Werhas?

John Charles Werhas is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who is now a pastor for The Rock Community Church in Anaheim Hills, California.

Werhas was an All-American third baseman for the University of Southern California Trojans baseball team and honorable mention All-American forward for the Trojans basketball team in 1959. He was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2007.

Werhas was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1960, however, chose to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers instead. He batted .248 with 26 home runs and 127 runs batted in through three seasons in the minors before having a breakthrough 1963 season with the Spokane Indians. He edged out Ken McMullen for the starting third base job out of Spring training 1964. After batting just .169 with eight RBIs through the first 33 games of the season, he was soon displaced by Jim Gilliam, who started the season playing second base. He enjoyed a career game shortly after losing his starting job on May 28, going three-for-four with a walk and run scored in a seventeen inning marathon with the Cincinnati Reds that ended in a 2-2 tie, but was soon returned to Spokane, regardless.