When the Washington Nationals signed Reed Johnson to a minor-league contract late last month, they added a 38-year-old outfielder with a dozen years of major-league experience. Little did they know they were also acquiring a former competitive gymnast, a childhood phenom of sorts who competed in national tournaments until he was in high school. The Washington Times caught up with Johnson on Wednesday to talk about his previous athletic career, and how it’s helped him on the baseball field.
So how did you get into gymnastics?
Answer: Just when I was like four years old. My son’s in it now.