Baseball Guru
07-06-2001, 11:20 PM
Dodgers Writer Dies After Car Wreck
by JOHN NADEL
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Terry Johnson, who covered the Dodgers during a 29-year career as a writer and editor at Los Angeles-area newspapers, has died after a car accident. He was 50.
Flags flew at half-staff and there was a moment of silence at Dodger Stadium for Johnson before Thursday night's game against San Francisco.
''That's a shock,'' said Dusty Baker, the Giants' manager and a former Dodger. ''He was a good man, a fair man, that's what I liked. He didn't stir stuff up. He reported it the way it was. Good guys die young.''
Johnson was on his way to the stadium to be the official scorer for Wednesday night's game against the Giants when he died.
His car hit two parked cars, went down an embankment and hit a fence in the Sylmar section of Los Angeles, according to Dwight Gillett, a police traffic investigator.
Police believe Johnson had a heart attack or stroke, Gillett said.
Johnson was assistant sports editor at the Antelope Valley Press, which he joined a year ago.
He began his career at the Pasadena Star-News in 1970, where he first covered the Dodgers. He later covered the team for the Daily Breeze in Torrance. In 1999, he served as sports editor of The Signal in Santa Clarita, then moved to the Valley Press.
''I've known T.J. ever since I came up to the big leagues (in '91),'' Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros said. ''He was someone you could always talk to, joke around with. He was one of the genuine good guys. He's going to be missed.''
Longtime Dodgers coach Manny Mota remembered Johnson's easygoing personality.
''Great man, he was a great friend, a great person with a great sense of humor,'' Mota said. ''Everybody who knew T.J. loved him.''
Johnson's other beats included the Anaheim Angels, Los Angeles Kings, Southern California, UCLA and prep sports.
He is survived by his wife, Vicky, and four sons.
Services were pending.
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"Man may penetrate the outer reaches of the universe, he may solve the very secret of eternity itself, but for me, the ultimate human experience is to witness the flawless execution of a hit-and-run."
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by JOHN NADEL
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Terry Johnson, who covered the Dodgers during a 29-year career as a writer and editor at Los Angeles-area newspapers, has died after a car accident. He was 50.
Flags flew at half-staff and there was a moment of silence at Dodger Stadium for Johnson before Thursday night's game against San Francisco.
''That's a shock,'' said Dusty Baker, the Giants' manager and a former Dodger. ''He was a good man, a fair man, that's what I liked. He didn't stir stuff up. He reported it the way it was. Good guys die young.''
Johnson was on his way to the stadium to be the official scorer for Wednesday night's game against the Giants when he died.
His car hit two parked cars, went down an embankment and hit a fence in the Sylmar section of Los Angeles, according to Dwight Gillett, a police traffic investigator.
Police believe Johnson had a heart attack or stroke, Gillett said.
Johnson was assistant sports editor at the Antelope Valley Press, which he joined a year ago.
He began his career at the Pasadena Star-News in 1970, where he first covered the Dodgers. He later covered the team for the Daily Breeze in Torrance. In 1999, he served as sports editor of The Signal in Santa Clarita, then moved to the Valley Press.
''I've known T.J. ever since I came up to the big leagues (in '91),'' Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros said. ''He was someone you could always talk to, joke around with. He was one of the genuine good guys. He's going to be missed.''
Longtime Dodgers coach Manny Mota remembered Johnson's easygoing personality.
''Great man, he was a great friend, a great person with a great sense of humor,'' Mota said. ''Everybody who knew T.J. loved him.''
Johnson's other beats included the Anaheim Angels, Los Angeles Kings, Southern California, UCLA and prep sports.
He is survived by his wife, Vicky, and four sons.
Services were pending.
------------------
"Man may penetrate the outer reaches of the universe, he may solve the very secret of eternity itself, but for me, the ultimate human experience is to witness the flawless execution of a hit-and-run."
LETS GO METS!!!
HELP BE AN ADDICT AND CLICK ON AN AD!!