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Live Chat With Former MLB Catcher and Pro Scout Brian Johnson
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Nate
10:04
Thanks for chatting, Brian! You were with the Giants in 1998 when the league expanded -- what was it like having even more teams to face? How did that change the schedule? And also, I'm a Dbacks fan, so what was it like to witness their 2001 season, and who was the most intimidating Dbacks pitcher to face?
Brian Johnson
10:04
Hi Nate.  Good to have you here.  The new teams were exciting.  DBacks in 2001 were tough always.  Randy Johnson was, obviously the toughest.  His FB is what gets remembered the most, but his slider was what made him great.  Hitters can hit big FB's, but it is much tougher when they can control something else.  Take care.
Phil
10:04
Favorite Minor League and Major League city?
Brian Johnson
10:05
Hey Phil.  I loved Los Angeles and NY for the big leagues.  Playing in Las Vegas was my favorite minor league city.  I like the excitement of the cities.  Makes the game a little more meaningful and intense - in my mind, anyway.
Paul
10:05
Do you read comments on MLBTR?
Brian Johnson
10:06
Yes, of course.  Multiple times a day.  I like that it allows us to get caught up on the goings on of the game (for football and basketball too) in one spot.  Perfect match for me.
Duffy Scliff
10:06
Thanks for doing this Brian! How do you think your experience as a 16th round draft pick was different than say, a 1st round draft pick?
Brian Johnson
10:08
Great question Duffy.  As a "16th", you have a much shorter runway.  You don't have the luxury of going 0-20 and still having the assurance that you can work your way out of it.  It seems that way anyway.
Leon
10:08
Are you a Rob Manfred fan?
Brian Johnson
10:10
Hey Leon.  Hmm.  I do know Commissioner Manfred and I do like him as a person.  Intense.  Dry sense of humor.  I believe he is doing his best to adjust to a new world for MLB.  I like many of the changes, for instance, taking away collisions at home plate and 2B.  To be able to take out a defenseless player has always been a flaw in our game and Manfred fixed it.  You could not do that at any other base, so it was inconsistent too.  All commissioners will err from time to time and that is a good thing.  You gotta make some some mistakes to get it right.
Danny
10:11
Lifelong Giants fan here.  Sept 1997.  One of the biggest homeruns in Giant's history.  I know how it felt watching it, but can you explain what you felt and remember about that big moment?
Brian Johnson
10:13
Hey Danny.  Thank you for remembering that day.  It was very special.  Being a kid that went to Giants games as a kid, then to have the honor of having a moment like that?  Pretty cool.  I remember the relief that comes with big moment that goes well.  My family was there.  My curtain call was a shout out to the little league and high school coaches that I learned from.  I loved that so many locally could have some connection to a local boy making good.
Giants' fan
10:14
Brian, you have to be a legend in SF. Do you still get treated when in town?
Brian Johnson
10:15
The Bay Area, and Giants Fans in particular, have always treated me so much better than I deserve.  The Giants organization as well.  Larry Baer, Peter McGowan before, so many good folks within the org.  Grateful.
Ray
10:15
Advice on choosing an agent?
Brian Johnson
10:18
Hey Ray.  Great question.  This can be a tough decision.  I had my best friend and one of my HS baseball coaches as my agent, a guy named Dennis Young.  He was a district attorney at the time.  Baseball guy.  He was great, but I advise young players to, yes, hire someone you trust, but to also hire someone that has many players.  This way you are able to have a better window into the whole player market, and your agent will be privy to the inside scoops...which can help the player's career.
Frank N.
10:18
I seem to remember reading at one point that you live in SE Michigan. My family relocated to Michigan in 1997, one month before your big moment but I remain a huge Giants fan. What drew you and your family to settle in Michigan?
Brian Johnson
10:20
Thanks Frank.  Yes, still in Michigan.  We love it.  My wife was the reason we moved here.  She is a physician and she got a great opportunity with Henry Ford Hospital.  I was playing during those days, so it made a whole lot more sense to follow her career (much more stable), than to follow mine.  To that point, I got traded from the Tigers to SF two weeks into a 6 week residency program she did...in order for us to be together.  Still living that one down to this day!
Baseball Fan
10:21
Since you have been in the league, the game has changed. If you were in the league today, how different would your game be? Would you have even made it? Pitchers throw 100 mph WAY more than 20 years ago. Would you be able to hit a homer off Sandy Alcantara, Corbin Burnes etc.?
Brian Johnson
10:25
I hope so. Yes, the game has changed, but don't be confused.  Throwing the ball hard does not mean the game is more difficult.  All hitters can hit 100 mph.  All it takes is good timing.  Think about a bunt.  One does not need to swing 100 mph to hit a 100 mph fastball.  The pitching is very good, but the command is not as good as previous eras.  Also, there is very little strategy involved now.  People who are calling pitches are reading off of a stat sheet.  The catcher has the best vantage point and should be taught how to call a game more.  Good question.  MLB is still a great game and the players are amazing.
Guest
10:26
I see you were a scout for the Giants’ World Series runs. How hard is it to find players that can help win a World Series and how does that feel to know you were a part of winning a World Series?
Brian Johnson
10:28
Loved my time as a scout.  I was on the pro side, so I was evaluating men that were already pros.  It was a challenge to find special features in players that were what you needed with your team.  We had a great crew of 10 of us that did what I did.  The scouts that had to evaluate amateur players really had a tough time projecting how Little Jimmy, as an 18 year old, would end up as a 25 year old.  Just another interesting piece about baseball.  Really interesting all the way around.
Barry
10:28
Hi Brian, thanks for spending some time on MLBTR today!  Diversity is an incredibly important and can be a complex issue.  What would be a key point or two that you would share about some of your diversity efforts in your new career?
Brian Johnson
10:32
Thanks Barry.  I love the work I do now.  We help every industry get a little better so that people want to stay there.  We help cultures within an organization make everyone feel like they belong, so that they may produce better work and enjoy their co-workers.  I would say it is really important to build relationships with folks before you try to have the deep, complicated conversations of the day regarding race, religion, immigration, or even abortion.  It is possible to have respectful convos, but you gotta have a foundation of respect and understanding first.  A good way to do that is to learn about a friend's parents.  When you hear that story, it will be fascinating and illuminating as to, partly, what makes that person see the world as they do.  Thanks for the question.  I could talk about that stuff all day.
Guest
10:33
Hi Brian. I remember when you were with the Tigers, you called out AL umpires for not being as adept as the NL ones. I agreed with you 100%. Do you think anything positive came from that. It was a bold move.
Brian Johnson
10:37
Wow, great flash back.  Yes, I remember that day, and my argument.  Thanks for remembering that.  Umpiring is a tough gig.  Since that time, Sandy Alderson took over the oversight on umpires, and I think it made the quality of umpiring better.  There was a checks and balance piece involved then/now, and I think that is important.  Today, I really feel for umpires as it pertains to the catchers actions behind the plate.  You should not be able to move the glove as much as they do.  Small movements?  Yes.  But the focus on "tricking the umpire", which is what "framing" is all about, I am not a big fan of.  Catchers primary focus should be to provide a great target for pitchers to throw to.  It is hard to pitch to a certain spot.  I like that analytics has shed more light on the value of the defensive work that catchers do, but they go over board with the lust for framing.
Joe Davola
10:37
What was the first item you put in your trophy case? What was the latest item?
Brian Johnson
10:40
Hi Joe.  I don't have a trophy case.  In my house, I have tried to stay away from having my career on the walls or around the home.  I want my kids to not feel pressure to live up to what I did (or what my wife did/does), I want them to get into their stuff.  I rarely spoke to my son, who is playing college baseball now, about my successes.  Mostly I would tell him of the stories when I sucked.  When I felt, even as a pro, that I must be the worst baseball player on the planet.  I felt that would allow my son to be ok with the failures and frustrations that come with baseball, or anything else that he may decide to do in the future.
Guest
10:41
As a scout, is there anyone you recommended to the Pro Scouting Director that the Giants ended up trading for?
Brian Johnson
10:44
Ahh, a good memory.  All scouts have these stories.  They are part of the fun and value that scouting brings.  Gregor Blanco.  4th OF for our glory years in SF.  He had been traded a couple of times.  Had been hurt.  I saw him on a cold, gray day in Syracuse.  We were told to find a leadoff hitter, outfielder, that could run and play all three OF spots.  And, he had to be cheap.  Long story short, many folks had written him off.  Having been hurt in this game, I understood that it takes time to get back to what you were.  Anyway, because Gregor was a great teammate and great player for us, he is my favorite such story.
Coop
10:45
Brian, you played during the steroid Era. Be honest - did you ever try steroids and did you feel tempted at all to try them? It woukd certainly be understandable if you did.
Brian Johnson
10:50
Thanks Coop.  A very big issue for me, so thanks for bringing it up.  That right there tells you I did NOT take them, because I have been a staunch advocate for their elimination from our game.  Guys that used, they stay away from that conversation typically.  Part of my issue is that most will not believe me when I tell them I did not take steroids.  That is where we are.  Baseball players have lost the trust of the fans when they do super-awesome things on the field.  Well-deserved.  So many guys have lied through their teeth.  Yes, I did think about taking them.  We all did.  The expectations for catchers are artificially raised when guys are using.  That hurts my career.  In the end, I felt I could beat anybody on the baseball field - cheating or not.  So, being clean was a badge of honor, regardless of how my career ended up.  I can look in the mirror and know, it was me.
Rub Dirt on It
10:50
Did you ever catch Fernando with the Padres?
Brian Johnson
10:50
YES!!  Nando was one of my favorite teammates.  We worked well together.  He is hilarious and a great golfer.  Love him.
Kevin
10:51
You hit a grand slam against the Mets on July 1, 1994 against the Mets. That was the first game I ever went to. Does that HR stand out in your career since it was a grand slam?
Brian Johnson
10:53
No way!  Great memory.  Yes, I LOVED playing at Shea.  I stunk it up in the brief times I played at Yankee Stadium, but I loved Shea.  Not sure why, but things often went well.  That day was special.  I was red hot and fighting to win the #1 catching job with us (Padres) from Brad Ausmus - a good friend.  Day game.  Helped us win.  Glad you were there.  Hope you have gone to more since then.  Go Mets!  I like how they are looking so far this year.  Good luck.
StandUpDouble
10:54
Posey or Molina? Who gets the start
Brian Johnson
10:55
Tough question.  Love them both.  Benjie was a better thrower and defender early, but Buster improved to be just as good as Benjie defensively - which he will never get the credit for because he was so good with the bat.  Both great catchers, would love to have them both, but Buster get the nod for me.
John Barr Dormmate
10:55
How was it working with John Barr?
Brian Johnson
10:57
Loved John Barr.  He was with the Padres under Joe McIlvane when I went there in the minor league Rule 5 draft.  Then we reunited with the Giants and were together for all three WS there.  Smart guy.  Great sense of humor.  Philly guy.  One of the good ones.
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