Johnson, "Sweet" Lou
(born: September 22, 1934 - died: September 30, 2020)Lou Johnson was born in Lexington, KY. The 5' 11", 175-pound Johnson was the first African American from Lexington to play major league baseball. The street Lou Johnson Way and Lou Johnson Park, both in the Pralltown neighborhood of Lexington, are named in his honor. He attended old Dunbar High School and later played semi-pro ball with the Lexington Colts. He went on to play in the Negro League on the Indianapolis Clowns team. In 1950 he joined the Chicago Cubs and went on to play for six different teams before ending his baseball career in 1969. Johnson hit two home runs during the Los Angeles Dodgers' 1965 World Series victory. For more see Kaleem, J., "Sweet Gets His Street," Lexington Herald-Leader (08/12/04), p. 1; and Lou Johnson at the Baseball Almanac website.
