Russ Johnson

Who is Russ Johnson?

William Russell Johnson is a former Major League Baseball infielder. He went to Louisiana State University and was drafted in the first round of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft by the Houston Astros. In 1997, he was called up to the majors by the Astros, where he remained until 2000. His best season in Houston was 1999, when he hit .282 with four home runs and 33 RBI.

In the middle of the 2000 season, Johnson was traded to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for reliever Marc Valdes. He moved around several times during the next few years. With minor leaguer Josh Pressley, he was supplied by the Devil Rays in 2002 to the New York Mets as a PTBNL in a deal for Rey Ordóñez. He spent 2003 and 2004 in the minor leagues with the Mets' and Cubs' Triple-A teams respectively.

He reached the majors again in 2005, when he signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees. He spent the year coming in off the bench as a first baseman, third baseman, pinch hitter, designated hitter, or outfielder. This made him the second "William Russell Johnson" to play for the Yankees.