Our Arklahoma Heritage: Two brothers displaced from Oklahoma at an early age slugged their way to MLB careers

Bob Johnson and Roy Johnson

Bob Johnson and Roy Johnson grew up as brothers in a family with Cherokee roots. Roy was born on February 23, 1903, in Pryor, Oklahoma. Bob followed on November 26, 1905, in the same town.

Their family moved to Tacoma, Washington, during their childhood. Both attended Tacoma High School. Little is known about their early education beyond that, but they developed an interest in baseball there. Roy started his professional path first, which influenced Bob to pursue the sport instead of other jobs like firefighting.

Roy reached the majors in 1929 at age 26 with the Detroit Tigers. He played outfield through 1938, suiting up for the Tigers, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Boston Bees. He hit .296 over his career with consistent contact skills.

Bob debuted in 1933 at age 27 with the Philadelphia Athletics. He stayed in the outfield until 1945, moving to the Washington Senators and Boston Red Sox. Bob earned eight All-Star nods, hit .296, slugged 288 home runs, and drove in 1283 runs.

Known as Indian Bob for his heritage, he started late but posted nine straight seasons with at least 20 homers. The brothers never played on the same team, though Roy's time with the Red Sox overlapped with Bob's later stint there after Roy retired.

After baseball, Roy lived quietly in Tacoma. Bob settled in the Seattle area for most of his adult life. No major post-career ventures are recorded for either, though Bob's power-hitting legacy endured

.The Johnsons are one of over 400 sibling pairs in MLB history. While nearly 100 sets of brothers have been teammates, these two played in the same era without overlapping on a roster. Their shared Oklahoma origins and success as outfielders make them a notable duo among family acts in the league

.Roy died of natural causes on September 10, 1973, at age 70 in Tacoma. He was cremated with ashes scattered in an unknown location. Bob died on July 6, 1982, at age 76 in Tacoma. He was also cremated.