Scrappy Johnny Logan never backed down from a fight and never lost one. His quick
hands compensated for an average arm at shortstop and were an asset when, outraged
by beanballs, he took on opponents as big as Don Drysdale. In Milwaukee, he was a
minor league star for four years and a major league standout when he moved there
with the Braves in 1953. He was the shortstop for the 1957 and 1958 NL pennant winners;
in '57, he led the league with 37 doubles and reached career highs with 83 RBI and
a .297 batting average. Traded to Pittsburgh for Gino Cimoli in 1961, he served the
Pirates as a backup infielder and pinch hitter through 1963.
(JK)
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»April 16, 1955:
En route to losing their first 5 games, the Redlegs
hit 5 HRs and lose to the Braves 9-5. The Braves
Johnny Logan goes 5-for-5.
»April 21, 1957:
Reds' baserunner Don Hoak breaks up a DP by fielding
a Wally Post ground ball and flipping it to Braves
SS Johnny Logan. The umpire calls Hoak out for interference
but Post is given a single on the play. The Braves
win 3-1. In yesterday's 54 loss to the
Braves, baserunner Johnny Temple let Gus Bell's ground
ball hit him with the same result; Temple out for
interfering and Bell awarded a single.
»April 26, 1959: Was it something I said? Reds pitcher Willard Schmidt is twice hit by pitches in the 3rd inning in an 11–10 win over the Braves. Braves pitchers Bob Rush and Lew Burdette do the plunking. It is a first in the major leagues, but the ML mark will be tied in three years by Frank Thomas. While on the mound in the 4th inning, Schmidt is hit again when a Johnny Logan line drive strikes him on the right hand and he has to leave the game. The two teams use 14 pitchers between them to tie a National League record, with the eight pitchers by the Reds tying another NL record. Warren Spahn is tagged for the loss, his 2nd in two days to the Reds.
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