Addison Johnson Returns to Chatham

Here is another article I wrote for the company I work for MVP Scout:


CHATHAM, MA – The Chatham Anglers, who have been ranked the number one summer league team in the nation, have been patiently waiting for outfielder Addison Johnson to return – for two years to be exact. The Clemson junior suffered a hand injury in the 2008 season along with a hamstring injury which kept him out of the entire 2008 season. It was the longest Johnson has ever gone without playing baseball since he started as a kid. “I’m excited to be back,” Johnson said about his second summer with Chatham, “just as long as this weather lets up.” The Cape League has suffered two days without any games being played because of all the rain that has been happening which will give many teams, including Chatham, multiple double headers. “This summer I really want to work on my hitting. I did not have such a good season during the school year. I want to work on being a good lead-off hitter,” said Johnson.
As a freshman at Clemson in 2007, Johnson had a .286 batting average and scored 35 runs for the Tigers. He also helped lead his team to the NCAA Tournament where he had a .417 batting average in 17 appearances at the plate. Johnson then was ranked in the top 25 sophomore baseball players in the country. Johnson then went to play for the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Chatham A’s in the summer of 2007 and added speed on the bases and in the outfield for Chatham. He had a .276 batting average with 48 hits and 11 RBIs.
Unfortunately the world would not be able to see his next season with the Tigers or with Chatham after he broke his hand. Johnson, excited to play, tried to play after one month by treating his broken had with bone stem. But because he came back too soon he suffered a stress fracture in that same hand along with a pulled hamstring putting him out for the entire 2008 season and summer. “It was tough - sitting on the bench the whole season watching everyone else play, and we didn’t have that great of a year last year so that made it even more frustrating,” said Johnson. “But it feels good to be out here now and play at full speed.” Johnson took the time to rest and get back to top physical condition for the 2009 season at Clemson. Johnson said, “[My injury] might be the reason I didn’t play as well as I wanted to this season because I didn’t play last summer. We have to get on a roll and keep playing if I want to get better playing.” Before Johnson’s summer he hit .217 in his 2009 season with Clemson and had 14 RBIs. In the outfield Johnson had a .967 fielding percentage with only 4 errors. Johnson says he is back to perfect health now and just needs to “get [his] eye back and a lot of at bats.”
He stands at 5’7” and weighs in at 170 pounds. Don’t let his size fool you. His speed and talent in the outfield and at the plate make up for his size. Johnson was drafted this year in the 2009 draft by the Oakland A’s in the 48th round. “They are going to follow me around this summer but I think I will just end up going back to school,” said Johnson. Chatham is in good position now being 8 – 1 on the season leading the entire Cape Cod League. Johnson thinks the title can come back to Chatham. “We have got an awesome start,” said Johnson, “Wouldn’t really want to change much because everyone is playing so well.” Johnson is not active player for Chatham yet but he hopes when he gets in that he can continue to help Chatham to be on their way to the playoffs.