City to City, He’s Kept One Goal in Mind : Deron Johnson Jr. Hopes to Follow His Father’s Lead in the Majors

By the time the kid was in junior high, he had spent summers living in Cincinnati, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Oakland, Chicago and Boston.

He didn’t get to play organized baseball until Pony League because his family moved so frequently. He missed his freshman year of high school baseball because of a bad knee.

Sound as if Deron Johnson Jr. of San Diego State has had it tough?

Not really.

How many current college baseball players visited the locker room in Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia? How many watched their father play for Oakland when it won the 1972 World Series? How many had a father who was batting coach for the Angels when they won their division championship in 1979?

Despite the constant moving around at an early age, Johnson has been able to live a life other boys could only live in dreams. He has been a constant locker room companion with his father, Deron Sr., wherever his father has played or coached.

The Johnsons have gone their own direction these days. Kids do grow up. Young Johnson is occupied at SDSU, and his father is the hitting instructor for the Seattle Mariners.

Indeed, Deron Sr. has also been his son’s hitting instructor--but by invitation only.

“From my dad’s standpoint, he has never pressured me into any situation,” Johnson said. “He never told me, ‘Let’s go hit.’ I had to be the one to bring it up.”

Johnson, a SDSU senior, recently approached his father on the subject. He explained that he had been struggling at the plate.

Deron Sr. asked where he had been hitting the ball, and Deron Jr. said he had been pulling a lot.

“My dad said my front knee was probably moving too fast,” Johnson said. “He told me to slow down. I slowed down at BYU (three weeks ago) and have been pretty hot since. For a while, I had home runs on my mind too much. I wanted to impress everyone.”

Statistically, Johnson has been impressive. He is batting .320 overall with seven home runs and 42 RBIs in 52 games. In Western Athletic Conference play, he is batting .415 with two home runs and 14 RBIs in 20 games.

Johnson was drafted in the fourth round by St. Louis three years ago, but he decided not to sign.

“My dad told me the pros and cons about signing,” Johnson said. “He didn’t make the decision for me. I didn’t think I was ready at the time. As I look back now, I know I wasn’t ready. I would’ve gotten lost in the shuffle.”

This time around, Johnson hopes he hasn’t gotten lost in the shuffle.

“I definitely want to be a major league player,” he said. “That has been my goal since I could walk. I won’t let anything stand in my way. I guess it’s in my blood because I have been around the game from such a young age.”

Gary Brown, an SDSU assistant coach, remembers Johnson from those early years. When Johnson’s father was playing for Philadelphia, Brown lived next door to Greg Luzinski.

According to Brown, being the son of a major leaguer was good and bad for Johnson.

“Growing up in a baseball family, naturally, his interests lie there,” Brown said. “He has been exposed to major league parks and players. As a kid, you fantasize ‘This is where it’s at.’ On the other hand, there may be some pressure applied along the lines. Sometimes, the kid tries to be an overachiever to attain what he has to get to be a major league player.”

Recently, Johnson has attempted to emulate his father in one regard.

Deron Sr. was a husky, power-hitter, his playing weight listed at 200 pounds. After last season, Deron Jr. was a skinny 155-pounder.

Over the winter, the younger Johnson said he gained 30 pounds by eating a lot of pasta. Johnson has a way to go to catch Tommy Lasorda, but he is beginning to look more like his father.

“I was always real skinny until last year,” Johnson said. “My dad was always big and I was small. I wasn’t up to his caliber. I feel that eventually I will hit more home runs.”