HoJo And Son Join Boulders

Former New York Mets and World Series champion Howard Johnson and his son, Glen Johnson, have been signed by the Rockland Boulders to play in the team's final home stand of the season.

The father-son combo take the fied Sept. 4 and 5 to help the Boulders take on the Newark Bears.

“This is a dream come true for the Johnson family with father and son playing professional baseball together for the first time,” said Ken Lehner, president of the Rockland Boulders. “HoJo will always be synonymous with the Mets, but we are proud that he will also have been a Rockland Boulder.” 

Howard Johnson, better known as “Ho-Jo”, spent most of his time in the Major Leagues in a Mets uniform. He helped lead the Mets to a World Series championship in 1986 as they defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-games-to-2.

In the 1st round of the 1979 amateur draft, the Detroit Tigers drafted Johnson with the 12th pick overall, but then traded him to New York in 1984.  He would spend nine years with the Mets organization, playing in a career 1154 games with the orange and blue.  He collected 997 hits with New York, while belting 182 home runs and driving in 629 RBIs. 

Johnson was an All-Star with the Mets in 1989 and 1991, as well as a Silver Slugger award winner in both those years. The infielder scored a National League best, 104 runs in 1989 with New York.  In 1991, Johnson became the only switch-hitter to ever lead the NL in both HR and RBI in the same season.

“This may be my last go ‘round so it’s a great opportunity to play in a professional game with my son,” said Howard Johnson. “How many fathers can do that?”  

The New York Mets in the 36th round of the 2007 MLB Draft would then draft his son, Glen Johnson.  The switch hitter played collegiately at Jacksonville (FL) University for three seasons, before transferring to Pace University.

The infielder played in 38 games for Pace as a senior, hitting .220 with one home run and nine RBIs.