Baseball isn't the most important thing in Gary Johnson's life.
Despite finding himself on the verge of a career in the major leagues, the Salt Lake Stingers outfielder puts the game third on his list of priorities. His religion and family come first.
Even so, the former BYU slugger insists he can accommodate it all.
"I think if I keep those three things in perspective I can't help but have a happy life — and even have a good season," said Johnson, who will make his triple-A debut Thursday when the Stingers face Portland at Franklin Covey Field.
Success on the field, however, has required some juggling. In 2000, the 6-foot-3 lefty from California was named organizational player of the year by the Angels. While splitting time between Single-A Lake Elsinore and Double-A Erie, Johnson hit 23 homers and drove in 118 runs.
Though impressed with his offense, Angels officials felt Johnson's defense needed work. They opted to keep him in Double-A ball — this time in Arkansas — and asked manager Mike Brumley to help clean up that aspect of his game.
To Johnson's credit, his defense was great in 2001. The same, though, could not be said about his offense. His batting average slipped 42 points to .245 and his power slumped to the tune of 11 home runs and 72 RBIs.
The downward turn in his career led to an offseason of reflection. And for Johnson, that meant re-enrolling at BYU.
"Sometimes just walking away from the game for a few months and not thinking about it is really good for you. My way of doing that was to go back to school," said Johnson. "I had the opportunity to play in the Arizona Fall League, but it was better for me as a player to just walk away for a couple of months and live a normal lifestyle."
Then, he added, it would be time to get ready for another season. In January, Johnson flew to Arizona and spent six weeks preparing for spring training.
"To his credit, he had a great spring," said Brumley, who also earned a promotion to Salt Lake this season. "He played really well in the big league games. The big league staff was excited by things he did. They were excited by his defense and he swung the bat really well."
Brumley believes Johnson may have benefited from his struggles.
"I think his player maturity, his understanding of his game and that kind of thing may have gone up," said Brumley. "I have all the confidence in the world in him."
As such, he plans on just turning the slugger loose this season.
"I feel great. Last April, I was maybe a little mentally tired. And maybe a little physically tired after playing winter ball," said Johnson. "Now I feel refreshed and ready to go. It's exciting for me to be back here and playing again."
Spending so much time with the Anaheim Angels this spring also provided rejuvenation. Johnson said playing alongside those guys helped him realize that if he worked on a few things he could see himself there on a permanent basis.
Until then, Johnson will hone his game in Salt Lake City. And he's not complaining. The returned missionary, who served the LDS Church in Spain (he refers to it as the "absolute greatest thing he has ever done"), is excited to reside in an atmosphere where BYU and his religion are prominent. He even plans on finding a 9 a.m. church service to attend before reporting for work on Sundays.
"I don't think it'll be that big of a deal," Johnson said of any possible distractions. "I think it'll be fine just to play here."
Johnson's grandparents resided here and his parents met while attending the University of Utah before relocating to San Francisco. In addition, he has lots of relatives living along the Wasatch front. Friends are also plentiful. While driving up from Arizona at the conclusion of spring training, Johnson stopped in Provo to visit his old roommates.
He'll likely have his own cheering section at Stingers games, especially this weekend when his mother's birthday will be celebrated. Though unsure about how many tickets he'll need, Johnson knows it'll be plenty.
As the first player with Utah ties to play for Salt Lake since Kelly Downs' short stint several years ago, Johnson has localized Stingers baseball.
The question is, for how long?
E-MAIL: dirk@desnews.com