Charles Johnson

Charles Edward Johnson Jr. (born July 20, 1971) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball with the Florida Marlins (1994–1998, 2001–2002), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1998), the Baltimore Orioles (1999–2000), the Chicago White Sox (2000), the Colorado Rockies (2003–2004), and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2005). The two-time National League All-Star player was considered one of the best defensive catchers of his era, winning four consecutive Gold Glove Awards between and . He was a member of the world champion Florida Marlins team and, is one of only three catchers in Major League history to catch at least 100 games in a single season without committing an error. Early life and major League career Johnson was born in Fort Pierce, Florida, where he graduated from Fort Pierce Westwood High School in Fort Pierce, Florida. He was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the first round of the 1989 Major League Baseball Draft. He did not sign, and decided to enroll at the University of Miami, where he played for the Miami Hurricanes baseball team. He was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the first round of the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft. He played with the A-level Kane County Cougars in 1993 and the AA Portland Sea Dogs. In 1995, Johnson's reputation as a skilled defensive player was solidified when he became the fourth catcher in Major League history to win a Gold Glove Award in his rookie season, joining Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk and Sandy Alomar Jr. Although his offensive statistics weren't impressive, he made up for those shortcomings by helping his team with his superior defensive skills. In 1996, Johnson caught Al Leiter's no-hitter against the Colorado Rockies. Johnson set a Major League record in 1997 by playing in 123 games without committing a single error, earning him his first All-Star selection, and helping the Marlins win the 1997 World Series against the Cleveland Indians. Johnson led the Marlins in the Series with 10 hits, batting .357 including one home run. Along with winning his third consecutive Gold Glove Award in 1997, he also caught his second no-hitter when Kevin Brown no-hit the Giants on June 10.