Senior right-handed pitcher Greg Johnson enters his final year at South Alabama as one of the Jags’ most reliable arms out of the bullpen. He recorded 10 saves during the 2008 season, enough to place him in a tie for the third-most ever in a single season at USA. He posted a 4-1 record with a 4.58 ERA in 37.1 inning pitched. If he’s able to record eight saves in 2009, Johnson will tie Blaine Dollar atop the USA career saves list with 18.
Johnson played his first two years of collegiate baseball at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kan. As a sophomore in 2007, Johnson led the nation with 14 saves and helped Butler to the Junior College World Series. He holds the school’s single-season and career saves records with 17 and 31, respectively. An Omaha, Neb. native, Johnson sat down to discuss his childhood, life outside of baseball, his career and the upcoming 2009 season.
Q: What baseball team did you root for as a child?
GJ: I actually rooted for the Pittsburgh Pirates. I grew up being a catcher who could pitch, not the other way around, and Jason Kendall was just one of those guys that was always getting into people’s faces ? maybe even fighting every other game. He just made the game interesting. Now that I’m older, I realize that’s not what baseball is about, but he’s someone that I’ve always followed.
Q: After starting your career as a catcher, would you be opposed to seeing some time behind the plate if the opportunity presented itself?
GJ: No, we’ve joked about it. In an emergency situation, should three or four catchers fall, I could do it. It was only two years ago that I was still catching, so it’s not that far-fetched. Hitting is another idea. I couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn if I wanted to, but that’s no secret.
Q: Do you think it helps you as a pitcher that you started as a catcher?
GJ: Yeah, it does. The catcher is the only person who can see the whole field. When you’re growing up as a catcher, you’re taught to be the leader and take control if someone’s out of position. I think that carries over to pitching, as well as knowing the strike zone and knowing what kind of respect to give to umpires. If they make a bad call, you don’t show them up. No bad attitudes, you just get back on the mound, and that tells the umpire that it’s no big deal, you’ll just move on to the next pitch.
Q: Who are your favorite baseball players outside of South Alabama?
GJ: Alex Gordon, who plays with the Royals and is from Nebraska, and Joba Chamberlain, who also went to Nebraska. I graduated with him, and it’s just something I can relate to them with. I don’t watch much TV, because I’m always outside doing something, but any time I can watch Gordon or Chamberlain in anything, I do.
Q: If you could go to one ballpark that you’ve never been to, which one would it be?
GJ: Yankee Stadium before they tear it down. There’s just too much history there, and I can’t believe they’re tearing it down. I understand that they’ve got to change with the times, but I’d love to be there just to feel the history. I don’t even like the Yankees, but I have to respect that stadium ? the house that Ruth built.
Q: What sports do you like other than baseball?
GJ: I’d probably say football, but college football. I don’t like pro football. I like college because the players are getting all amped up and excited about it. Growing up around Nebraska football, back in the 90s when they were the untouchable powerhouse, I’ve always preferred college football to pro.
Q: What is something your teammates know about you that not a lot of other people know?
GJ: My big thing is, if the price is right, it’s always been me to do it. Obviously, within reason, nothing illegal, but if it’s a dare and I’m there to do it, 95 percent of the time I’m going to do it.
Q: Who are your best friends on the team?
GJ: Jake Halverson and David Doss. I’ve been around Halverson for about three or four years now, and I’m also close to his family. David Doss and I get along pretty well. I look up to him in a lot of ways. He’s a great student, and he’s also a leader by example. He’s a hilarious guy. He’s a really quiet guy, but when he warms up to you, he’s strange, he’s a goofball. He’s a great guy.
Q: Here’s your chance. Tell us something embarrassing about them.
GJ: At one point, David Doss had 13 Papa John’s empty pizza boxes stacked up in his bedroom. This is awesome ... Jake Halverson, when he talks, the tip of his nose moves down as he speaks. Every word he says, the tip of his nose goes down.
Q: What are you studying in school, and what are your plans for after graduation?
GJ: I’m an exercise science major. Hopefully, baseball will work out for me as far as playing. If it doesn’t, I really want to stay in it. I’ve coached little league baseball and travel baseball with my little brothers Cole and Drew, and I really think if baseball doesn’t work out for me that coaching is my calling.
Q: Have you lived in Omaha your entire life?
GJ: Yes. I went to Kansas for two years of junior college baseball, and now here, but other than that it’s always been Omaha.
Q: What is something you’d like to see improve at South Alabama:
GJ: I’d like to see more fan support. Our fans we have now are great, but I’d like to see a higher energy level, and I think that goes along with bringing students to games. Everyone we have here now have been fans for years and they do a great job continuously coming out here. Any ideas that the university can throw out there to try to get students to come out here, I’m all for it. There are a lot of aspects about bringing students to the games that would really help the program.
Q: What road trip do you most look forward to?
GJ: This year it’s going to be the trip to Texas. That’s where we have Baylor and UC-Irvine. I want to go out there because those are two really good teams. I don’t want to go anywhere where we’re just going to walk in and kick people around. That’s not fun for us. I want to go show up to a good team’s place and make a statement. You can’t go wrong with Texas. Texas is just a great place to be.
Q: Do you feel you have a leadership role as a senior in the bullpen?
GJ: Absolutely. A lot of seniors in the bullpen are doing a great job of that. Lance Baxter, who is just a junior, is also doing a great job. I’ve taken it upon myself. We’re taught to do everything the South Alabama way. Being here for only one year, I’m not the best at it, but I would say that I’ve got the jest of it down. If someone’s out-of-line, I have no problem saying something that needs to be said, whether it’s positive or negative, and they need to take it the right way. I’m not trying to embarrass them or do anything like that, but I’m trying to get them back on track. That goes both ways as well. Matt Jackson and I were sitting down a couple of weeks ago, and I told him that he was doing a great job showing leadership coming in as a junior.
Q: You had 10 saves last season and are now eight shy of the all-time school record. How important is that to you?
GJ: It is important to me because I want to leave my mark. I did the same thing in junior college, and I never thought it would happen. I ended up having a breakout year and I did well, and that’s something that I’ll always pride myself on, that I led the nation in junior college saves my sophomore year. Hopefully I’ll get more than just eight this year, but I’m never going to put it above the team.
Q: You worked as the color commentator during the final four games of the Red and Blue World Series. Is that something you could do for a career?
GJ: Absolutely. I actually got a few phone calls. Jake Halverson’s dad called and made fun of me a little bit, but he told me that I did a good job. Kevin Nabors’ dad told me that I was doing a good job. Blake McCool pulled me aside and said that his mom liked it and that we made it fun and interesting by joking around. I could definitely get into that, but only if baseball doesn’t work out for me. I have a lot of fun with that, and it keeps me hooked up with the game too.
Q: What are your expectations for this year?
GJ: I know everyone says this about their team, but honestly, I think we have a very good shot to be very good. Last year we had a great team, but one thing that sticks out is that our team this year has about five times as much team chemistry. We all bond very well together, we pick each other up, and I think we’re going to be underestimated. There’s going to be a lot of people who are in for a rude awakening if that happens. I’ll back that up. I really believe that we’re going to have a solid team all the way around. Our starters are going to be solid, and I think our bullpen is going to be the determining factor of the year.
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Michael Logan
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