Cliff Johnson​

Cliff Johnson played 20 seasons of professional baseball to include 15 in the major leagues where he won two World Series Championships.​

At Phillis Wheatley High School he was an all-around athlete, playing football, basketball, baseball and track, and he helped the Lions’ track and field team win the PVIL state championship in 1965. Upon his graduation from Wheatley in 1966 he was drafted by the National League Houston Astros. He spent five seasons in the minor leagues before making his major league debut in 1972. Johnson played with the Astros from 1972 through half of the 1977 season before joining the New York Yankees for two straight championships. From 1979 through 1986 he played for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers.​

Johnson still holds the major league record for pinch-hit home runs with 20 including a Houston Astros team record of five during the 1973 season. While playing for the Yankees he hit three home runs in a game, including two in one inning. His career batting average was .258, hitting 196 home runs and producing 699 runs batted in. His World Series championships in 1977 and 1978 were especially gratifying as the Yankees defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers four games to two both times.​