The toughest part of this story is who's left behind: his fiancee, who is expecting their first child. They were married in a special ceremony at the hospital before his passing. She is changing the baby girl's middle name to Natalie to honor him. He was described as a strong Christian man by many of his peers.
While covering the team for the paper I admit I knew little about Johnson. It was a tough season on the field for the Daredevils in 2007 with the MLB Draft taking more than five players early, including 2006 CPL All-Star Mike Folli, along with a number of injuries. One of the highlights was the team's final game, when C.J. Rhodes hit a walkoff homer to give the fans one last good moment in a season of tough ones.
But it didn't stop the news from getting to me just days after Johnson had passed. We have host families who keep up with their players years after they leave the beach.
And while it sounds odd at first, there's a great ending to this story. Johnson was an organ donor, and his liver will now help a 4-year-old girl who is in critical condition live. His kidneys have already been donated.
We don't know why the Lord puts us in a certain path, but we know it is His will. I'm sure He will continue to bless Johnson's family and has used the family's own to help others in need.
One thing I look at when researching prospective players is their determination and passion. Do they really care about playing hard every single day, or is it someone more concerned with the sun and sand of the Outer Banks? I also make sure our coach makes the majority of the decisions on players -- otherwise, why hire one?
I can tell Johnson's passion reached beyond the baseball diamond to help others, even in his passing. I can only hope we recruit more players with his character.
- Owen
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