Biola Alumnus Pitches for Professional Baseball
Former Eagle Pitcher Jimmy Johnson Wraps Up Successful First Year of Pro Ball
Former Biola University standout pitcher Jimmy Johnson's first season in the minor leagues was successful. The left-hander from La Mirada posted a 5-0 record with a 1.25 ERA in 25 games for the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Class A Affiliate for the New York Mets.
Johnson, a 28th round draft pick, was one of a pair of left-handed setup men out of the Cyclones' bullpen and held opposing hitters to a .164 average while recording 41 strikeouts. He allowed just 11 walks and 20 hits over the course of 36 innings.
The Cyclones play in Keystone Park, built in 2001 and located in one of baseball's most storied locations. The park is just a short walk from the famous Astroland Amusement park and Nathan's Hot Dog stand, home of the annual Hot Dog Eating Contest. This prime real estate gives the team a huge crowd and definite home-field advantage.
"It was a lot of fun to play for the Cyclones," said Johnson. "It was a different experience pitching in front of seven or eight thousand fans a night. It puts more emphasis on every pitch and the fans will let you know when you are doing well and when you aren't."
Among Johnson's teammates were two other Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) 2007 alums: Azusa Pacific grad Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Fresno Pacific's Chris Schwinden.
"Overall, there were a lot of great guys on that team and it was a lot of fun to get to hang out with some of the guys from the GSAC," said Johnson.
Despite the best efforts of the team, the Cyclones missed the playoffs by one-half game.
How was spending three months in New York?
"New York was different, I will say that for sure," said Johnson. "It was fun for about the first two weeks, but it is just so busy out there. They say LA traffic is bad, those people should try to drive through New York!”
"I will give the fans out there a lot of credit," said Johnson. "They are very passionate about baseball. They are your biggest fans when you are doing well, but they will get on you when you aren't. It really makes you think about each pitch you throw and challenges you to be focused every night."
Johnson has returned to La Mirada for the fall and winter seasons where he will begin a workout program that runs from October 1 through the end of January. In February, he will fly out to Port St. Lucie, Florida to join the Mets at spring training.
Johnson was the 29th player from Biola to play professional ball and hopes to follow in the footsteps of Todd and Tim Worrell, who reached the major leagues and enjoyed successful careers.