Mike Johnston #37

Michael Charles Johnston...Wife's name is Michelle...Played baseball at Garrett Community College in McHenry, MD (located in the Allegheny Mountains of western Maryland, near the Wisp ski resort)....Was diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome at the age of 10, a condition which consists primarily of nervous tics...Jim Eisenreich, who played for 15 seasons with five teams between 1982 and 1998, is the only other major league player ever known to have Tourette's Syndrome...Signed by Pirate scout Craig Kornfeld.

2005

Spent a majority of the season with Triple-A Indianapolis...Had a 7.20 ERA (5.0ip/4er) after being scored upon in first three outings...Singled in first plate appearance on 4/15 @Norfolk...Allowed just one run in a 20-game stretch (19.2ip) from 4/18 thru 6/8 to lower ERA from 7.20 to 1.80...Whiffed four of the five batters he faced on 5/3 @Toledo...Posted a 0.77 ERA (11.2ip/1er) in 11 appearances during the month of May...Suffered only loss after allowing four runs in 1.1 innings on 6/10 @Scranton...Did not allow a run in his next 12 appearances (15.2ip) with Indianapolis from 6/12 thru 7/16...Was recalled by Pittsburgh on 6/23...Made lone outing with Pirates on 6/24 @St. Louis and surrendered four hits and four runs (two homers) in 1.0 inning of work...Was optioned back to Triple-A following the game on 6/25...Picked up first win on 6/30 with 2.0 scoreless frames vs. Ottawa...Won for the second time in four games on 7/10 vs. Durham...Was scored upon five times in eight appearances from 7/18 thru 8/1...Worked a season-high tying 3.0 scoreless innings on 8/6 vs. Toledo...Was diagnosed with lateral tendinitis in left elbow on 8/26 and did not pitch the remainder of the season.

2004

Began season with Pittsburgh, making the jump from Double-A straight to the majors...Made big-league debut on 4/7 vs. Philadelphia and struck out two of the four batters he faced while tossing a scoreless inning of relief...Did not allow a run in his first nine outings (8.1ip)...Surrendered first run in 10th appearance on 5/11 @Colorado (game one)...Suffered first major league loss after allowing two runs (one earned) in 6-3 setback vs. San Diego on 5/19 (game one)...Served up first big-league home run and suffered "blown save" on 5/28; gave up pinch-hit grand slam to Michael Barrett in Pittsburgh's 9-5 walkoff win in game one of a doubleheader vs. Chicago...Was ejected from game on 5/30 after hitting Todd Walker in 12-1 Pittsburgh loss. ...Had ERA of 1.84 at the end of May (16 games)...Was scored upon in three straight outings and in five of his six appearances from 5/28 thru 6/10 (6.1ip/10r/6er)...Also suffered losses on 6/2 vs. St. Louis and 6/7 @Texas...Surrendered second career home run (another grand slam) to Texas' Brad Fullmer on 6/10 (game two)...Was scored upon in each of his final three outings with the Pirates from 6/13-21...Posted a 9.00 ERA (9.0ip/13r/9er) in his last 10 major league appearances...Allowed eight of his 14 inherited runners to score while pitching with the Pirates...Was placed on the 15-day disabled list on 6/24 (retro to 6/22) with left medial elbow inflammation...Was on rehab assignment with Bradenton from 7/11-15, but did not pitch in a game...Also made seven appearances while on rehab with Nashville (AAA) from 7/16 thru 8/1...Was reinstated from the disabled list and optioned back to Triple-A on 8/2. ...Allowed two runs while working a season-high 2.0 innings of work with Nashville on 8/8 @Tucson...Was charged with six runs while retiring just one batter on 8/11 @Las Vegas, raising ERA to a season-high 11.70...Was not charged with a run in his last seven appearances with the Sounds (4.0ip), but allowed six of his seven inherited runners to score during that stretch...Participated in the Arizona Fall League and went 0-1 with a 4.42 ERA in 13 games with the Peoria Saguaros (18.1ip/16h/12r/9er/8bb/20so).

2003

Spent entire season with Altoona (AA) and was used exclusively as a reliever for just the second time (also 2000)...Was named to the Eastern League's mid-season All-Star team...Tied for fourth in the organization in appearances. ...Established career high in appearances...Did not allow a hit in his first four outings (4.2ip)...Picked up save on 4/10 vs. Reading, his first since 8/9/00...Earned his first win with 1.0 scoreless inning on 4/13 vs. Reading (game two)...Surrendered just one home run in his first 32 relief appearances (49.2ip)...Did not allow a run in 11 straight games from 4/29 thru 5/29 (17.1ip) and went 4-1 with two saves and a 0.66 ERA (40.2ip/3er) in 24 games from 4/29 thru 7/14...Struck out five batters in 3.0 scoreless innings of work on 7/5 vs. Erie...Earned four saves in a span of six games from 8/1-17...Whiffed five out of his six batters faced on 8/7 @Harrisburg...Tossed a season-high 3.1 innings on 8/17 @Akron (1h/0r)...Posted a 1.35 ERA (13.1ip/2er) in his final eight contests. ...Held opponents to a .179 average over the final four months...Limited left-handed hitters to a .162 average (12-for-74) and just one extra-base hit...Participated in the Arizona Fall League and posted one save and a 2.55 ERA (17.2ip/5er) in 14 relief appearances with Mesa (team managed by current Lynchburg skipper Tony Beasley)...His six-year minor league totals include a 26-19 record and a 3.63 ERA (409.1ip/165er) in 143 games (41 starts).

2002

Spent entire season with Lynchburg (A)...Went 4-2 with a 4.17 ERA (49.2ip/23er) in 10 starts and 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA (7.1ip/0er) in five relief appearances...Made first appearance in relief on 4/10 @Winston-Salem (1.2ip/0r), but then made 10 consecutive starts...Won consecutive starts on 4/19 @Salem (7.0ip/1er) and 4/24 @Myrtle Beach (5.2ip/1er)...Was dealt his first loss on 4/30 vs. Myrtle Beach (3.2ip/7r/6er)...Also uncorked four wild pitches in the 4/30 contest...Rebounded to strike out a season-high nine batters while tossing 6.2 scoreless innings on 5/5 @Kinston (game two)...Missed last half of May and entire month of June with a right hand fracture...Made his final start on 7/22 vs. Wilmington...Pitched 6.0 innings or more in just two of his 10 starts...Returned to bullpen on 8/20 after serving a league suspension for most of the month of August (was suspended for intentionally throwing at an opposing players head)...Did not allow a run in his final four relief appearances (5.2ip)...Surrendered just two home runs in his 57.0 innings of work.

2001

Split season between Hickory (A) and Lynchburg and went 8-9 with a 3.36 ERA (155.1ip/58er) in 27 games (26 starts) with the two clubs...Posted the seventh-best ERA among Pirates farmhands...Began season with Hickory and was victorious in his debut on 4/7 vs. Hagerstown (5.0ip/1er)...Lost three straight decisions from 4/12-28...Recorded a 2.17 ERA (29.0ip/7er) in five starts from 4/18 thru 5/9...Threw at least 6.0 innings in eight of his nine starts from 4/18 to 5/30...Tossed 7.0 scoreless frames on 6/10 @Charleston-WV...Held left-handed hitters to a .194 average (12-for-62) while pitching with Hickory...Was promoted to Lynchburg on 7/1...Picked up win while making lone relief appearance of the season in his first game with the Hillcats on 7/3 vs. Myrtle Beach. ...Won three of his first four decisions with the Crawdads and posted a 2.08 ERA (26.0ip/6er) in his first five Carolina League games (four starts)...Tossed a season-high 8.0 innings on 7/19 vs. Potomac...Pitched a 6.0-inning complete game (loss) on 8/18 @Winston-Salem (game one)...Struck out a season-high eight batters in his final start on 8/30 vs. Frederick (7.1ip).

2000

Spent entire season as a reliever with Hickory - his first year used exclusively in relief...Issued three walks and surrendered three runs without retiring a batter in first appearance on 4/11 @Greensboro...Was on disabled list from 4/12 thru 5/5 with left biceps tendinitis...Recorded a 1.04 ERA in six games during the month of May (8.2ip/1er)...Was scored upon in seven of his nine appearances from 6/6 thru 7/9 (16.1ip/18er - 9.92 ERA)...Picked up his first win on 6/25 vs. Columbus...Tossed a season-high 4.1 innings on 7/4 vs. Delmarva...Yielded seven runs while retiring just one batter on 7/9 vs. Charleston-WV...Earned first of two saves on 7/20 vs. Cape Fear...Notched second save with 3.0 innings of scoreless relief on 8/9 @Hagerstown...Was charged with just one earned run in seven outings from 7/20 thru 8/13 (16.1ip)...Struck out season-high seven batters in 4.0ip on 8/4 @Charleston-WV...Went 2-0 in his last three games despite recording a 12.54 ERA (9.1ip/13er) in that time...Opposing batters hit a collective .320 (66-for-206), which included a .333 (15-for-45) clip by left-handed hitters.

1999

Spent entire season with Williamsport (Advanced Rookie)...Began season in bullpen...Tossed 3.0 scoreless innings and won his debut with the Crosscutters on 6/23 @Auburn...Picked up second win in third outing on 7/3 vs. St. Catharines...Was scored upon in five straight relief appearances from 7/6-29 (9.2ip/11r/8er)...Earned first professional save on 7/29 vs. Jamestown and record ed second save in next outing on 8/3 vs. St. Catharines...Made three straight scoreless appearances from 8/3-15 (7.0ip)...Made final relief outing on 8/22...Suffered loss in first start on 8/27 @Jamestown (6.0ip/5r)...Struck out a season-high eight batters, but also suffered a defeat in his final start on 9/1 vs. St. Catharines (7.0ip/2er)...Went 0-2 with a 4.85 ERA (13.0ip/7er) in two starts and 3-0 with a 3.99 ERA (29.1ip/13er) and two saves in 13 relief appearances.

1998

Made his professional debut with Bradenton (Rookie) after being selected by Pittsburgh in the 20th round of the June draft...Spent the majority of his first pro season with the Baby Bucs...Also made two relief appearances with Erie (Advanced Rookie). ...Went 1-2 with a 3.41 ERA in his 15 appearances (31.2ip/12er).