Johnny Hopp is pictured with the New York Yankees in the 1952 Topps set, but it wasn’t his only stint in New York. He had potentially one of the shortest Brooklyn Dodger careers that baseball ever saw. He spent less than three weeks in Flatbush.
In 1949 the Pittsburgh Pirates sought to improve their outfield by trading for Marv Rackley, a contact hitter that had posted a .327 average the prior year. The Pirates gave Brooklyn Johnny Hopp and $25,000 cash in exchange.
Hopp did not have a starting role with the talent-rich Dodgers, but was instead relegated to work as a pinch-hitter. He went 0-14 in 8 games for Brooklyn. Rackley, on the other hand, was batting above .300 in everyday use with the Pirates. Pittsburgh’s front office was unhappy when Rackley reported a sore arm and said the injury predated the trade by several months. The Pirates pressed Brooklyn to rescind the transaction and both players rejoined their prior clubs. Hopp would go on to bat 40 points higher than Rackley for the remainder of the season.
Hopp certainly had his moments between seemingly regular World Series appearances (5x in 14 years). He tied an MLB record by going 6 for 6 in a 9-inning game. He was a very fast runner, gaining notoriety for an ability to score on singles from first base.
