Johnny Werhas, Date of Birth, Place of Birth

    

Johnny Werhas

American baseball player

Date of Birth: 07-Feb-1938

Place of Birth: Highland Park, Michigan, United States

Profession: baseball player

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius


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About Johnny Werhas

  • John Charles Werhas (born February 7, 1938 in Highland Park, Michigan) is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who is now a pastor for The Rock Community Church in Anaheim Hills, California.
  • He retired from this position on August 23, 2015 and moved to Oregon to spend time with his wife of many years.Werhas was an All-American third baseman for the University of Southern California Trojans baseball team.
  • He also played forward for the Trojans basketball team, earning All-PCC honors and honorable-mention All-American recognition in 1959.
  • He was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2007.Werhas was drafted by the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers in 1960, however, chose to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers instead.
  • He batted .248 with 26 home runs and 127 runs batted in through three seasons in the minors before having a breakthrough 1963 season with the Spokane Indians.
  • He edged out Ken McMullen for the Dodgers' starting third base job out of spring training 1964.
  • After batting just .169 with eight RBIs through the first 33 games of the season, however, he was displaced by Jim Gilliam, who started the season playing second base.
  • Werhas enjoyed a career game shortly after losing his starting job on May 28, going three-for-four with a walk and run scored in a seventeen-inning marathon with the Cincinnati Reds that ended in a 2-2 tie, but was soon returned to Spokane, regardless.
  • He batted .309 with nine home runs and 51 RBIs for Spokane. He returned to the Dodgers when rosters expanded in September 1965, going hitless with one walk and a run scored in three pinch hit plate appearances.
  • The only time Werhas took the field was at first base in the final game of the season.He earned a back-up job in 1967, but was dealt to the California Angels on May 10 for outfielder Len Gabrielson.
  • On June 4, he hit his first major league home run off the Minnesota Twins' Jim Merritt.
  • His only other major league home run came later that month against the Cleveland Indians' Sam McDowell.Werhas' final major league at bat came with the Angels that season.
  • He remained with the organization through 1970 before heading to Japan in 1971 to play for the Taiyo Whales.
  • In the first trade between a Japanese and an American team, he was dealt to the San Diego Padres' Pacific Coast League affiliate, the Hawaii Islanders, for longtime major leaguer Clete Boyer.
  • He retired following the 1973 season. Werhas and his wife, Kay, have two children.
  • His daughter is married to former Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees pitcher Dan Naulty.

Read more at Wikipedia