photo: Ben Johnson (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Memphis Redbirds skipper Ben Johnson is one win away from becoming the winningest manager in the history of the St. Louis Cardinals’ Triple-A franchise. On Sunday, as the Redbirds beat the Nashville Sounds 10-6, Johnson tied the record of former manager Chris Maloney with 367 wins. Maloney led the club from 2007 through 2011.
With today's win, Memphis native Ben Johnson tied Chris Maloney for most managerial wins in Memphis Redbirds history (367). pic.twitter.com/x0kg9BzRpj
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 18, 2025
“I am honored to be a part of Memphis baseball history,” Johnson said. “I remember going to Memphis Chicks games with my dad at Tim McCarver Stadium, so I am honored to represent my hometown.”
Johnson, 43, was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. He attended and played baseball for Germantown High School. In 1998, they were runner-up in Class AAA state, with a 40-4 record.
After high school, he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth round in 1999. Johnson reached their then-Single-A affiliate Peoria Chiefs until he was traded to the San Diego Padres on July 31, 2000.
He was with their Triple-A affiliate, the Portland Beavers, when he received “the call” on June 26, 2005 to join San Diego. That season, Johnson was the Padres Minor League Player of the Year with a .312 batting average and 25 home runs.
After appearing in 89 games for San Diego in 2005 and 2006, the outfielder was traded to the New York Mets and primarily played for their Triple-A Affiliate, the New Orleans Baby Cakes in 2007. Johnson also appeared in nine games with New York.
Johnson was released by the Mets in May 2008. From there, he played in independent ball before signing with the Tigers in June 2010.
After playing a dozen games with the Double-A Erie SeaWolves, Johnson retired with career minor league totals of 901 games played with a .262 batting average, 187 doubles, 115 home runs, 473 RBIs and 91 stolen bases.
Johnson began the non-playing phase of his career in 2012, managing the Arizona Centennials of the Freedom Pro League. He then coached high school baseball in Goodyear, Ariz. (2011-13) and was a scout with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2014-17).
In 2018, Johnson was the third base coach for the Durham Bulls (TB) before being hired by the Cardinals to manage the Redbirds. He succeeded current St. Louis first base coach Stubby Clapp who led Memphis to back-to-back Pacific Coast League titles in 2017 and 2018.
Under Johnson’s leadership starting in 2019, the Redbirds have averaged 68 wins over his five full seasons as manager. (The 2020 season was canceled due to COVID.)
The Redbirds are on a road trip this week at the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA), so the record will likely not be broken in front of the faithful at AutoZone Park. However, do not be surprised if the Redbirds decide to do something special for Johnson. Winning 368 games and becoming the winningest manager in franchise history is a significant accomplishment.
If you want to see the record broken, tune in starting on Tuesday night via the MLB app with an At Bat subscription.
For more information
Be sure to check out Nathan Pomerenk’s Memphis Redbirds Notebook published each Friday, exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation.
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