Post-career: Broken Records & 2001 HOF Ballot
Within two years of his retirement, Johnson's two major National League switch-hitting home run records were broken. In 1996, his single-season record was broken by former teammate, Todd Hundley, who finished with 41. In 1997, his career record was broken by another former teammate, Bobby Bonilla, who hit his 210th National League home run in the midst of a championship season with the Florida Marlins.
Bonilla finished his career in 2001 with 249 NL home runs, but Chipper Jones of the Braves currently holds the NL single-season switch hit HR record (45), achieved in 1999, and the career mark as well (452).
Mike Piazza passed Johnson into second-place on both the all-time Mets home run list in 2004 and the all-time Mets RBI list in 2005.
In 2001, Johnson was on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot but received no votes.
Read more about this topic: Howard Johnson (baseball)
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