30-year Marliniversary: Charles Johnson wins second straight Gold Glove

[Mike Ferguson]

Over the first 10 years as a Major League Baseball franchise, the Florida Marlins had just one player win a Gold Glove. He happened to be the first player ever drafted by the club and happened to win three straight for the Fish.

On this day 30 years ago, catcher Charles Johnson won his second Gold Glove. The No. 28 overall pick in the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft out of the University of Miami, Johnson didn’t take long to make his presence felt behind the plate.

After debuting in 1994, Johnson had become the Marlins’ everyday catcher in 1995 when he won his first Gold Glove at just 25 years old. On Oct. 9, 1996, he was awarded his second following an even better statistical year behind the plate.

That season, Johnson led National League catchers with a .995 fielding percentage. He led baseball with 12 double plays turned from his position and fielding runs above replacement. Johnson also ranked third in runners caught stealing and caught stealing percentage.

At the plate, Johnson had the worst statistical season of his first stint with the Marlins, but he more than made up for it behind it. That season, the Marlins reached 80 wins for the first time while Kevin Brown and Al Leiter became the first starting pitchers in franchise history to make the All-Star Game. Against the Colorado Rockies on May 11, Johnson caught Leiter’s no-hitter – the first in club history.

Johnson won four straight Gold Gloves from 1995 to 1998, although most of the 1998 campaign was spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Johnson would return for a second stint in South Florida prior to the 2001 season. In seven total seasons with the Marlins, Johnson was a two-time All-Star.

Moving into the future, the Miami Marlins appear set at the catcher position for a long time with Joe Mack behind the dish. For a franchise that has had both Johnson and Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez behind the plate, the bar is certainly high for Mack.

As for Johnson, he remains one of just two players ever to win multiple Gold Gloves as a member of the club with second baseman Luis Castillo being the other. Johnson claimed his second in a row on this day three decades ago.

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