A Card With A Story

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

1916 Zeenut George 'Chief' Johnson

Johnson from Winnebago, Nebraska attended the Carlisle School and had a colorful professional baseball career that started in 1907 with the barnstorming Nebraska Indians

Johnson is third from left standing in the back row


His association with Guy Green the owner of the Nebraska Indians led to his minor league career start with the Lincoln Railsplitters which were also owned by Green

Johnson is seated on the ground right behind the mascot


Johnson later moved on to the Major Leagues with the Cincinnati Reds and made one appearance before jumping to the Federal League. He was the starting pitcher for Kansas City in the very first game ever played at Wrigley (Weeghman)...in the second inning of that game he was served papers by the Reds and was not allowed to pitch until the injunction was finally lifted later in the year. Following his career in the Federal League he moved on to the PCL. After a few years there he ended his professional career and went back to barnstorming...all the while he was also selling Native American herbal medicines on the side. He attended a medicine show in Des Moines, IA in 1921 and got into an altercation at a craps game that left him dead at the age of 36. He was shot and killed and murder charges were brought but later reduced because the defendants claimed Johnson was drunk and out of control.