BBTF's Newsblog Discussion :: Nick Johnson returns to the DL (for the 14th time in the last 12 years)

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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Nick Johnson returns to the DL (for the 14th time in the last 12 years)

Nick and Nora (Not On Roster Again).

Nick Johnson is on the disabled list.

Hard to believe, isn’t it?

Or is it just hard to believe that it took this long this year?

Johnson has quite a streak going, quite a sad streak. He has now missed significant time with injuries in each of his 10 big-league seasons, in addition to spending the entire year on the major-league DL before he had even made his official big-league debut. Oh, and he was on the DL twice last year, when he spent the entire season in the minor leagues.

That’s 14 trips to the DL in 12 years, including two that cost him entire seasons, plus a surgery that didn’t officially send him to the DL but ended his season.

Repoz Posted: June 28, 2012 at 04:53 PM | 13 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: orioles

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1. Bob Meta-Meusel Posted: June 28, 2012 at 05:09 PM (#4168975)

After his .345/.525/.548 season in AA as a 20 year old in 1999 he was the top prospect in baseball. Then he hurt his wrist in 2000 and somehow missed the whole season, despite the fact that they kept expecting him to come back at any time. Then it just became standard operating procedure that he'd get hurt constantly, take twice as long as anticipated to heal, and now it's a punch line. He was a heck of a talented hitter during the rare occasions when he was healthy, and it really is a shame how infrequently that was.

2. Never Give an Inge (Dave) Posted: June 28, 2012 at 07:43 PM (#4169051)

I was at the game in 2006 where he broke his leg in a collision with Austin Kearns, and it was the most painful looking injury I have ever seen in person. I don't think it had anything to do with Johnson being injury prone. I was pretty sure his career was over at that point and am impressed that he came back from it.

3. The Long Arm of Rudy Law Posted: June 28, 2012 at 08:08 PM (#4169067)

Baseball-reference's EloRater has him at #1269, one place behind Horace Clarke.

4. The Yankee Clapper Posted: June 28, 2012 at 09:03 PM (#4169090)

Rob Neyer projected Nick as the 1st baseman of "the aughts" in a rather speculative column he wrote around 1999/2000. Didn't happen, but he was pretty good the few times he was healthy for a full season.

5. Cooper Nielson Posted: June 29, 2012 at 02:51 AM (#4169223)

Nick Johnson has spent time on my fantasy team's roster virtually every year of his career. First it was sheer excitement, then it was hope, then it was blind faith, and finally it became an ironic punchline. (I also usually roster Eric Chavez for a few days every year, just for the heck of it.)

Johnson's could've-been career is worthy of lament, but despite everything that didn't go right for him, the guy has a .399 career OBP over 800+ games. And according to BB-Ref he's made almost $29 million.

6. Cooper Nielson Posted: June 29, 2012 at 02:58 AM (#4169224)

Fun fact if you don't pay attention to sample size:

Looking at Nick Johnson's minor league page on BB-Ref, he has three season lines at Double-A. His lowest OBP in any of those lines was .525. (Granted, two of those stints were blink-and-you'll-miss-it short.)

7. bobm Posted: June 29, 2012 at 05:07 AM (#4169232)

Nick Johnson, From B-R:

                                                              
Year   Age. Tm Lg   G   PA
2000   Did not play in major leagues (Injured)
2001    22 NYY AL  23   78
2002    23 NYY AL 129  441
2003    24 NYY AL  96  406
2004    25 MON NL  73  295
2005    26 WSN NL 131  547
2006    27 WSN NL 147  628

2008    29 WSN NL  38  147
2009    30 TOT NL 133  574
2010    31 NYY AL  24   98

2012    33 BAL AL  38  102
10 Yrs            832 3316

8. Joe Bivens, Minor Genius Posted: June 29, 2012 at 05:41 AM (#4169234)

29 million? Good for him. It's like he sued for all his injuries, and that's his award. Lots of negligence!

9. Rants Mulliniks (formerly Cold Prosimian) Posted: June 29, 2012 at 07:21 AM (#4169240)

I grew up with a kid who was extremely injury prone. He was a really good athlete, and not more of a hustler or one to give up the body anymore than anyone else, but always just seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He broke a wrist, an ankle and got more black eyes and goose eggs than the rest of the kids combined. He got hit in the nuts with field hockey balls, softballs, baseballs, tennis balls, soccer balls, basketballs, hockey balls and pucks. We didn't play golf, otherwise I'm sure one of them would have found its way there too.

10. UCCF Posted: June 29, 2012 at 11:49 AM (#4169416)

Kerry Wood went on the DL for the 16th time earlier this year (before retiring). Johnson's going to have to come back strong, but not too strong, if he hopes to make a run at the record.

11. Cowboy Popup Posted: June 29, 2012 at 12:22 PM (#4169465)

Let's hope he gets hot, pushes the OBP back over .400 and helps the O's fend off the Sox for the second wild card spot.

12. The Yankee Clapper Posted: June 29, 2012 at 04:50 PM (#4169739)

He got hit in the nuts with field hockey balls, softballs, baseballs, tennis balls, soccer balls, basketballs, hockey balls and pucks.

Any kids?

13. The Ghost of Sox Fans Past