Johnny Callison

When I was a kid, my favorite baseball player was Johnny Callison. As a Little Leaguer in Bethlehem PA, I wanted to be just like Johnny Callison. He is still my all-time favorite big-leaguer.

Johnny had a cannon for an arm, good wheels, and a powerful swing. He was signed out of high school as a "hot prospect" by the Chicago White Sox. After only two seasons, they traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies. Johnny Callison became a fan-favorite during his ten years with the Phils.

Famous for his clutch-hitting, he was selected MVP of the 1964 All-Star Game after blasting a 3-run walk-off homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. He later played for the Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees. Johnny was a 4-time All-Star who led the National League in doubles once, triples twice, and hit over 20 home runs 4 years in a row, including back-to-back seasons of over 30. He belted three home runs in a game twice, and hit for the cycle on June 27, 1963 in Pittsburgh. He also led National League outfielders in assists 4 years in a row, and had a perfect fielding percentage in 1968. To view Johnny's complete lifetime stats, click here. For a well-written story by Steve Wulf about Johnny's life, click here.

These images are posted here to pay tribute to my baseball hero, Johnny Callison. There are two other Johnny pages. "1964 All-Star Game MVP" is dedicated to Johnny's shining moment in All-Star Game history. Photos taken during our visits to Johnny's home can be viewed at "Visiting with...". My search for Johnny Callison memorabilia is featured at "Baseball Card Wantlist".

"THE WHITE SOX STORY"
is a promotional film produced for the Chicago White Sox in 1958.
The subject of the "story" is young phenom Johnny Callison.