Johnson & Johnson: How Deron and Sean Rose Up the Ranks in the Twins' Front Office

[Lucas Seehafer PT]

Deron (Twins Scouting Director, 2007-16) and Sean (Scouting Director, 2016-Present) are not related by blood, but their similar histories in baseball and with the Twins serve not only as ties that bind them but also as beacons for the Black community.

Growing up in Vallejo, California, now a bustling metropolis just south of Napa Valley and across the bay from San Francisco, Deron Johnson always thought of himself as more of a basketball guy. That is until he got to high school. 

“My basketball skills weren’t where I thought they would be,” Johnson said with a wry smile, perhaps the heartache still a little raw. But even then, reality didn’t sit in until after his junior year, one in which he stopped playing baseball entirely. “I had aspirations of playing point guard in the PAC10. That didn’t happen, obviously.”

Johnson picked up baseball again his senior season, a decision that would profoundly impact his life moving forward.  He eventually walked on at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California, and earned a partial scholarship before signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates during his senior season in 1988. 

Johnson’s life as a professional athlete was short-lived, having been cut by the Pirates in 1990 after posting a .225/.292/.370 slash line across rookie ball, Low-, and High-A. What followed was another period in which the game of baseball had lost its luster in Johnson’s eyes. But once again, a moment of serendipity occurred. 

Johnson was hired as a full-time assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of San Francisco in 1992 and in no time fell in love with the process of scouting and recruiting. (He didn’t really care much for the on-field aspect of his job, he was quick to point out.) After yet another moment of what can only be described as divine intervention — the story involves a menagerie of scouts wanting and finding new jobs — the Twins’ Northern California Area Scout position opened in 1994, and Johnson was brought on.

He eventually worked his way to earning a promotion to serve as the team’s Director of Scouting in 2007, a position he held for nine seasons. In 2016, he transitioned to a senior advising role.

* * *

Sean Johnson’s path took a slightly different route. Sean, a catcher who had a mind for the game and unparalleled work ethic, appeared in only 20 games during his four years as a member of the Wichita State University Shockers baseball team during the mid-1990s. He wasn't an elite athlete, nor did he have the defensive chops to warrant more playing time, but that didn't stop Sean from trying to have a positive impact on this team. 

“I always loved throwing to him,” former MLB pitcher Nate Robertson told The Wichita Eagle in 2016. “He always tried to get things as close to perfect as possible. He could read hitters. He knew how to set up a sequence of pitches.”

While his production for the Shockers was not enough to earn him a spot in an MLB farm system, his experience in Wichita was exactly what eventually led him to Major League Baseball.

“Being able to be a product of the Wichita State baseball program gave me a ton of exposure to being around scouts since we had a good amount of [draft picks] every year when I was there,” Sean said. “I was very fortunate that [former Miami Marlins scout and current assistant general manager for the Detroit Tigers] David Chadd also lived in Wichita, was very close to the coaching staff at WSU, and offered me a scouting opportunity with the Marlins.”

Unfortunately, soon after his arrival in Florida, the Marlins went through an ownership change, and Sean was let go. However, he did not remain a free agent for long.

“Long story short, I’m grateful that Deron Johnson and Mike Radcliff gave me an opportunity 20 years ago to join the Minnesota Twins as an area scout.” 

The Twins brought on Sean to serve as the area scout in the Four Corners region, a post he held for five years before being promoted to West Coast Supervisor in 2007. In 2016, he was promoted to Scouting Director.

“I’ve been blessed and fortunate the entire way to have had the opportunity to have amazing mentors and teammates who have shaped me as a scout and also as a leader. It has been an amazing ride so far, and I have loved every second of it.”

* * *

Both Deron and Sean are Black men who have risen to prominent positions in a sport and league that is predominated by those who are white. While he is proud of what he has accomplished, Deron stated that when he first began working in baseball, it was not necessarily his goal to function as a beacon for the Black community. He simply wanted to do the best job he could.

“I just wanted to be a good scout. I soaked up all the information from Mike Radcliff, Terry Ryan, Vern Followell. I just tried to be the best I could be. I was fortunate enough to get promoted, and I owe everything to Bill Smith. He gave me the job of Scouting Director back in 2007,” Deron said. 

However, his perspective shifted upon being named Scouting Director.

“When I took that job, you want to do well. You want to draft All-Stars, you want to draft a ton of big leaguers, you want to put your stamp on it. But as I grew into that role, I wanted to do the best job I could do so the next African-American could have a shot, and hopefully, I did the job well enough that the Sean Johnson’s of the world can get a chance at that job. I’m proud. I thought our group did a pretty good job during my nine years. We signed some pretty good players. I’m very fortunate and thankful and blessed to have that opportunity.”

The game of baseball is often discussed as a dying sport among Black youth in America, a sentiment that was backed by both Deron and Sean. The explanations for why baseball is in “a critical state” in the Black community, according to Sean, are myriad, ranging from the price of travel ball to the lack of opportunities to play in a little league to the lack of scholarship availability at the NCAA Division I level to the ever-increasing popularity of basketball and football.

However, Deron offered yet another explanation in the form of a challenge to Major League Baseball.

“I’ve always said that Major League Baseball needs to step up and be better at marketing the few African-American players that are in the Major Leagues in each city. I remember growing up, and you would see signs,  billboards with Vida Blue and Bobby Bonds. I mean, we knew who the Black players were. Major League Baseball could do a better job at marketing the players.” 

Sean largely concurred, though, despite the challenges facing Black youth in incorporating the game of baseball back into their communities, he remains largely optimistic about the long-term prognosis.

“But there is still some hope left for the future. I think the urban MLB academies that have been built around America are a good thing, and we’ve seen those start to bear fruit. There have been Black players showing up at the very top of the draft boards of late. We might see three African-American high school players go in the first ten picks of this draft — another good signal. But overall, I think there’s still much work to do to keep Black teens playing our sport.”

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[old nurse]

Since 2007 the baseball drafts have produced Gibson, Dozier, Hicks, Rosario, Buxton, Berrios and Rogers. Maybe in a few years that will change. Maybe not.