Lamar Johnson

Lamar Johnson Sr. (born September 2, 1950), is a retired American professional baseball player and former hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners and New York Mets. Johnson was a first baseman who played in the Major Leagues from 1974 to 1982 for the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers. A right-handed batter and thrower, Johnson stood 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighed 215 pounds (98 kg). On perhaps the best day in his career, on June 19, 1977, against the A's, Johnson sang the National Anthem before the game, and followed up with two homers, the only White Sox hits on the day, as the Sox won 2-1. 2Coaching career Lamar's coaching career began in 1988, when he was hired by the Milwaukee Brewers as a minor league hitting instructor. He coached in Milwaukee's minor league system through 1994, serving as the hitting coach for their AAA affiliate, the Denver Zephyrs, in 1991 and 1992, and as manager of their highest A ball affiliate, the Stockton Ports, in 1993 and 1994. In December 1994, Lamar Johnson was named by manager Phil Garner as the hitting coach for the Brewers big league club. After having scored only 547 runs in 1994, the club scored 740 runs in 1995, and then 894 runs in 1996, a franchise record. After the offense stagnated over the next two seasons, Johnson was fired by the Brewers in August 199