| Johnny Callison | |
|---|---|
 Johnny Callison in 1961 | |
| Right fielder | |
| Born:(1939-03-12)March 12, 1939 Qualls, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
| Died: October 12, 2006(2006-10-12) (aged 67) Abington, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 9, 1958, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 17, 1973, for the New York Yankees | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .264 |
| Home runs | 226 |
| Runs batted in | 840 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
John Wesley Callison (March 12, 1939 – October 12, 2006) was an American professionalbaseball player. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for 16 seasons and is best known for the 10 years he spent with thePhiladelphia Phillies as aright fielder, from 1960 through 1969. He was an All-Star for three seasons and fourAll-Star games.[a] He led theNational League (NL) intriples twice anddoubles once, and gained his greatest prominence in the1964 season in which he was named theMVP of theAll-Star Game and he was the runner-up for the NLMost Valuable Player Award. He also led the NL in outfieldassists four consecutive times and indouble plays once, and ended his career among the top five Phillies inhome runs (185) and triples (84).
Born inQualls, Oklahoma, Callison batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was signed by theChicago White Sox out ofEast Bakersfield High School in 1957,[1][2] being assigned to theClass-C Bakersfield Bears in theCalifornia League, where he had a .340batting average with 17 home runs and 31stolen bases. The next season, he was advanced to the Triple-AIndianapolis Indians, where he led theAmerican Association in home runs. In September1958, he was recalled by the White Sox, where he had a .297 batting average in 18 games.
In 1959, Callison split time between Chicago and Indianapolis. He was not on theWorld Series roster when the White Sox lost the series to theLos Angeles Dodgers, and in December he was traded to the Phillies forthird basemanGene Freese.[3]
Callison became a fan favorite in Philadelphia;Supreme Court Justice and lifelong Phillies fanSamuel Alito recalls he "adopted Johnny Callison out there in right field" as a boy.[4] Over the next decade, Callison would be named to the NL All-Star roster three times (1962, 64-65).[a] In1962, he batted an even .300, the only time he would reach that mark, and led the NL with 10 triples. On June 27,1963, hehit for the cycle against thePittsburgh Pirates.
The 1964 season became best remembered, however, for the Phillies' late-season collapse; despite a6+1⁄2-game lead with 12 games to play, the Phillies lost 10 in a row and finished one game behind theSt. Louis Cardinals. ManagerGene Mauch was criticized for his handling of the pitching staff over the final two weeks, but players such as slugging rookie third basemanRichie Allen also drew harsh treatment. Callison was 12-for-48 during the last 12 games, including a 3-homer game on September 27 against theMilwaukee Braves which the Phillies still lost 14–8, dropping them out of first place for the first time since July. With the Phillies behind by two on September 29, Callison did not start because he had the flu with chills and fever. However, Callison pinch-hit late in the game and managed a single. He reached first base and would not come out, so the Cardinals and the umpires allowed him to wear his Phillies jacket on the base paths, against MLB rules; due to his high fever, Callison needed help fromBill White to button his jacket.[5] Despite the disappointing second-place finish for Philadelphia, Callison ended the year third in the league in home runs (31) and fifth inruns batted in (104). He earned two first-place votes for the MVP Award, won byKen Boyer of the World Series champion Cardinals. In the 1964 All-Star Game atShea Stadium in New York on July 7, Callison hit a game-winningwalk-off home run offRed Sox pitcherDick Radatz with two out in the ninth inning, a three-run shot to right field to give the NL a 7–4 victory; it was only the third walk-off home run in All-Star history (and the last one as of 2022), with Callison joining legendsTed Williams andStan Musial in baseball annals.[6]
In 1965, Callison again led the NL with a career-high 16 triples, once more topping 30 home runs and 100 RBI; on June 6, he hit three home runs against the Cubs and the Phillies won 10-9. In1966, he paced the league with 40 doubles. Callison also is remembered for being an excellent outfielder with a formidable throwing arm. He led the NL in fielding average as a right fielder in 1963 and 1964, and his throwing accuracy helped him lead the NL in outfield assists (24) and double plays (7) in 1962 and he topped the league in assists the next three years with totals of 26, 19, and 21. But his power production fell off sharply, and he failed to collect 20 homers or 65 RBI in any of his last four Phillies seasons. After the 1969 season, he was traded to the Cubs, and he posted 1970 totals of 19 home runs and 68 RBI before hitting only .210 in 1971 with just 8 home runs. In January 1972 he was traded to theNew York Yankees, and he found limited playing time over two years, closing his career with a .176 average, one home run, and 10 RBI in 45 games in1973.
Callison was a career .264 hitter with 226 home runs, 926runs, 840 RBI, 1,757hits, 321 doubles, 89 triples, and 74 stolen bases in 1,886 games. He recorded a .984fielding percentage at all three outfield positions.
Callison was a player-coach with thePhiladelphia Athletics, a professional softball team that played atVeterans Stadium in the 1978 season of theAmerican Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL).[7][8][9]
Callison would remain in Philadelphia where he made frequent appearances and had several business ventures.
A resident ofGlenside, a northern suburb of Philadelphia, Callison died in 2006 inAbington, Pennsylvania.[10][11]
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Hitting for the cycle June 27, 1963 | Succeeded by |
Members of thePhiladelphia Phillies Wall of Fame | ||
|---|---|---|
| Inducted as Phillies |
|  |
| Inducted as Athletics | ||
