Norfolk beat writer remembers Ron Johnson, plus other notes

The news of the death of former Triple-A Norfolk manager Ron Johnson this week hit hard throughout the Orioles organization and beyond. He managed the Tides for seven years through 2018 and sent many a player to help the O's during a period when they made the playoffs three times from 2012 through 2016.

Johnson served the Orioles very well. Players were made better having played for him. His last Norfolk team in 2018 included the likes of DJ Stewart, Cedric Mullins, Austin Wynns, Chance Sisco, Stevie Wilkerson, John Means, Paul Fry, Tanner Scott and Josh Rogers, to name just a few.

Johnson was known for his humor and energy but also for fostering strong relationships with his players, Tides front office staff and fans. The Tides fans loved how he would throw his hat into the stands when he got ejected.

David Hall is the beat writer for the Tides for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, and few not wearing a uniform knew the man better.

Johnson was a big believer in something he called the "Circle of Trust," holding private meetings held often just with his players and coaches. He had such a strong relationship and respect for Hall that he would invite him to one of those meetings early each year to let the players get to see him and know him, and he would tell them they needed to answer whatever questions Hall would ask.

Talk about paving the way for a reporter in the clubhouse. As some of us could tell fans, the time spent around the manager of the team you cover daily is vast. At least it was pre-COVID. In this case, a strong friendship was the result.

"It was nothing for me to spend hours in his office swapping stories or watching a movie," Hall told me during an interview Tuesday after he broke the news of Johnson's death at age 64 due to complications from COVID-19. "He became a friend, and even after he left (the organization) we stayed in touch. The last text I got from him he said things were all good. That was a month ago yesterday.

"There was constant ribbing between him and (former Tides pitching coach) Mike Griffin. Some of it is not suitable for print. There was always something going on and it was so fun. More than anything, he really understood his role and as it related to the Tides within the organization. If they lost the game and he watched the end of an Orioles win, he would go, 'That's a good day.'

"Don't take that to mean he wasn't competitive. If you ever saw one of his ejections, you knew he was. But he understood the object of his job was to get players to Baltimore to help them win. If that meant his rotation had to be blown up for a few days, he was fine with that. If he was sent five shortstops, he'd figure out a way to get them at-bats."

This was a guy that took the job very seriously but also was going to make sure he shared a few smiles around the clubhouse and kept people loose. O's reporters got to see Johnson's engaging personality both during spring training and a few Septembers when he was called up to join the O's when Buck Showalter managed the club. Showalter often praised Johnson for his solid work on the farm.

"The word 'fun' keeps coming to mind," said Hall. "It was a fun place to be because of his energy, his quick wit, his enjoyment of busting chops. Never at the expense of doing the job. The job came first, but he was going to have fun while he did it."

Longtime O's fans remember cheering Earl Weaver after his many arguments with umpires. Norfolk fans couldn't wait to see the show at Harbor Park.

"He had a personal policy, that if one of his players got ejected, he was not going to see the end of that game," Hall noted. "He'd go right out and get run himself. He would gesture wildly and get real animated and scream as everyone has seen managers do. Finally, after he had spoken his piece, he would do that bowlegged walk back to the dugout and turn to say one more thing to the umpire, and then right as he got to the top step of the dugout he would sidearm his hat up into the stands. The crowd went nuts every time. What few people knew was that he would have the clubhouse manager take a new hat that he would autograph and trade it with the fan so he could get his good hat back.

"He had this almost existential understanding of his place in the game. What I mean is he would frequently say, 'Dave, this game will go on long after you and I are gone.' He was right. It goes on. Just not nearly as fun now."

MLB notes: The Toronto Blue Jays struck again this week when they added shortstop Marcus Semien on a one-year deal for $18 million. The Blue Jays push for the American League East title continues.

But with Semien we will need to see which player they get. From 2013-2018, his average OPS was .713, and that produced an OPS plus of 96 - four percent under league average. In 2020, Semien hit just .223 with a .679 OPS and OPS plus of 91. But it was in 2019 when he had a breakout year, one that helped him cash in, at least for one year, this week.

Over 747 plate appearances for the Oakland Athletics, he hit .285/.369/.522 with 33 homers, 92 RBIs and an .892 OPS. He finished third in the American League MVP voting. Yep third, behind Mike Trout and Alex Bregman. So Semien has seven seasons with an OPS plus between 80 and 99 and one year when it was 139. If the Blue Jays get that guy, yikes, that lineup is formidable.

Former O's reliever Darren O'Day will be back pitching at Camden Yards this season. He's signed a one-year deal with the Yankees that includes player and club options for a second season. Last summer, at age 37, he went 4-0 with a 1.10 ERA and 0.796 WHIP for Atlanta. Not really slowing down.

For the Orioles from 2012 through the 2018 trade deadline he was 28-14 with a 2.40 ERA. He was not only excellent in the bullpen but he became a team leader. Not bad for a guy they added via waivers.

Finally, there has been no official announcement that spring training is starting on time. There hasn't been one to the contrary either, we should point out. But the Orioles' bats, balls and more are on their way to Sarasota.

Yesterday, Von Paris Moving & Storage trucks carrying Orioles equipment departed from Oriole Park, making their way to Ed Smith Stadium.

O's staff have taken great care to implement health and safety protocols as they packed and loaded equipment for departure. In addition to wearing masks and gloves at all times, the crew utilized sanitizing stations throughout the clubhouse and worked in staggered shifts to ensure proper social distancing. Upon arriving at Ed Smith, a specialized staff led by the team athletic trainers will unload, clean, and sanitize equipment before it enters the facility.

An outpouring of support for Ron Johnson came in from all across social media. Here's a small sample of some of the love and respect people had for RJ ❤️ pic.twitter.com/91m6LX1YT4

-- Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) January 27, 2021

Ron Johnson meant so much to so many around baseball. @DavidHallVP caught up with several former players and colleagues to remember what made RJ so great. https://t.co/GsQfInkR4K pic.twitter.com/w7JqGmbSw0

-- Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) January 27, 2021