Former Tampa Bay Rays playoff hero turned knuckleball pitcher Dan Johnson is getting another shot with a major league organization, as the 37-year-old recently had his contract purchased by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Johnson, who has been a two-way player with the independent St. Paul Saints, will pitch at Double-A Tulsa. He had a 4-3 record with a 4.50 ERA with the Saints this season and also hit .277 with six homers and 15 RBI in just 18 games as a hitter.
Johnson has been fine-tuning his knuckleball — which he says he has thrown for most of his life — over the past few years and signed with the Rays as a pitcher during spring training. While he is just a .234 career hitter, Tampa fans have very fond memories of Johnson. In 2011, he hit a pinch-hit solo home run in the final game of the season against the New York Yankees to keep the Rays’ playoff hopes alive. The homer tied the game in the bottom of the ninth.
The Rays went on to win and clinch a Wild Card spot.
