By Nick Taylor
Daily Bruin Contributor
Offensively, UCLA knew it could count on Chase Utley, Garrett
Atkins and Bill Scott to drive in runs this year.
On the other hand, Bruin catcher Forrest Johnson was supposed to
platoon beyond the plate with Ryan Hamill. The coaching staff hoped
Johnson would be able to avoid injuries and simply fulfill his
role. Little did they know that Johnson would become a team leader
this season, in every sense of the word.
“Forrest is the man,” says UCLA pitcher and regular
battery-mate Rob Henkel. “This year, he’s showing
everybody what he’s about.”
Last season, UCLA started senior Jason Green behind the plate.
Johnson was not going to dislodge the steady Green from his
starting role. Instead, the Bruins tried to put Johnson in the
outfield. It worked OK, except that in the second game of the
season last year, Johnson and Nick Lyon collided in the outfield.
Johnson was injured on the play and missed two weeks.
Later in the year, Johnson was hit by a batting-practice
ricochet, which broke his jaw. He missed all of April and most of
May recovering from the fluke injury. All told, he played in only
18 games and made one start at catcher in 1999. He hit .217 in 46
at-bats, with one home run.
“I wanted to play last year. Freak accidents just
prevented me from playing a lot. From getting in a groove,”
Johnson said.
Johnson went through his frustration and disappointment, one
humbling injury after another. Not having a starting spot waiting
for him when he was healthy also was a thought that weighed heavily
upon him.
Any way you look at it, Johnson had a rough year.
This year, though, promised be different. Yet, matters were made
worse when UNLV catcher Ryan Hamill elected to transfer to UCLA.
The former Runnin’ Rebel hit .324 last year and was expected
to be the Bruins’ starting catcher.
“Hamill came in as our starter,” said UCLA pitcher
Jon Brandt. “It was close to Forrest not playing this
year.”
Johnson, a junior, knew that the situation was urgent.
“At the beginning of the year, they got Hamill and my job
was questionable,” Johnson said. “It made me work 100
percent harder. It made me a better player.”
Despite being the underdog, Johnson showed his true colors and
won the starting catcher’s job from Hamill.
“In fall ball,” teammate Nick Lyon said, “the
catcher spot was up for grabs. Forrest just beat him out. He played
phenomenally.”
From that point forward, Johnson has been everything UCLA hoped
for, and then some.
Hitting .366 this season (fourth best for UCLA), with a .728
slugging percentage, 18 homers and 62 RBIs, each second best on the
team behind Scott, Johnson has been a huge reason for the
Bruins’ offensive prowess.
Johnson ranks in the top five in the Pac-10 conference in hits,
slugging percentage, RBIs, doubles, homers, and total bases. Twice
this season, Johnson was named Pac-10 player of the week.
“No one expected me to hit this well,” Johnson said.
“I’ve been able to hit for better average and more
power.”
“(UCLA hitting coach Vince) Beringhele figured out that I
was locking my front out when I hit. After solving that,
everything’s blossomed since then,” he added.
In addition, Johnson has thrown out an impressive 17 of 43
runners (40 percent) and, on a staff with 58 wild pitches, has
blocked dozens more.
“Skip (UCLA head coach Gary Adams) has helped me with my
catching. He’s pulled for me and helped me become a better
catcher,” Johnson said.
Statistics alone don’t tell the full story about Johnson.
As catcher, Johnson has to call the game, dictating to the pitcher
which pitch to throw. If Johnson misjudges a hitter and calls the
wrong pitch, UCLA is in trouble.
So far this season, Johnson has made all the right calls.
“I have a lot of confidence in him,” Henkel said.
“I don’t shake him off often, because he studies
hitters. He knows how to work them.”
In fact, through his difficult season last year, Johnson spent a
lot of time catching pitchers in the bullpen. He was able to
develop trust with the pitching staff.
“I’m comfortable behind the plate. I caught them
last year in the bullpen. It was good for me, because I became a
pitch caller,” Johnson said.
“I think what they’re thinking. They have faith and
believe in me.”
Not only does Johnson call a good game, he is best described by
his fellow Bruins as a “fiery” player.
“He gets in our face,” said lefthanded pitcher Bobby
Roe. “You have to have someone to put you in check, and we
need that.”
“Fiery? Temperamental, maybe. But it makes him so good. He
plays with so much emotion, and gives you all he’s got. You
want him on your team,” said Lyon.
Johnson is unabashed about his field personality. He said being
a catcher keeps him more involved and allows him to use his energy
to help the team.
“You need to show energy. You need that on the field. Guys
need someone to get in their face, tell them they’re screwing
up. If I feel (pitchers) are losing confidence, I’ll try to
pick them up. You don’t want them to be down,” Johnson
said.
“I think I’m an average catcher ““ I get the
job done. I have confidence in the way I play. I think I can throw
out anybody,” Johnson added. “You need to play
confidently.”
Johnson certainly has played assertively all year long, and it
shows in the finished product on the field. After splitting time at
catcher the first week of the season, the starting job has been
Johnson’s. Most importantly, he’s been injury-free all
year long, allowing him to play in all but one of the Bruins’
games this season.
Maybe the team wasn’t sure what to expect from Johnson
this season, but now they’ve finally seen what he can do.
“He fires up the team in general. He plays hard all the
time, no matter the game,” Henkel said.
“He’s just a good guy to have on our
side.”