Legends
Inducted 2010
Mr. Johnson started playing the game of softball in the streets of the Mt. Herman section of Portsmouth at the tender age of 11. He played this league for 4 seasons winning 2 championships against community of Jeffery Wilson, Ida Barbour, Truxton and Douglas Park.
In 1966 the U.S. Army received Joseph's playing talents for 4 seasons through 1969 playing for the brigade team. During this time he was voted Most Valuable Player on numerous occasions as an outfielder.
When he returned to Portsmouth in 1969 he played for a team in the Mt. Herman league until joining another league and playing for the American Legion Post 190. This team played for 10 seasons winning several Local, City and State Tournaments in Legion play. This is when he experienced a position change from outfield to pitcher. Through the league he was selected for a travel team "Zeus Club". This team added 2 more State Titles in Hopewell and Richmond.
From 1990 to 2001 Mr. Johnson was out of the game due to a medical condition.
In 2002 he came back stronger than ever. He started playing for Bullmans, a team loaded with young talent that was looking for a veteran to mentor their youth and teach them the game. This team in it's inaugural season won a Division Championship and received an invitation to the Metro Championships.
From 2005 - 2009 Mr. Johnson pitched for several teams on different nights of the week. He started playing with a traveling 60 year old team, The Patriots. While with the Patriots the team won the Down Syndrome Charity Tourney in Richmond where Mr. Johnson was selected as the Tourney's MVP. He continues pitching now for the Patriots, Grace Baptist church Co-Ed team and recently completed pitching in Norfolk Fall League for the "Ball Busters'.
