Charles Johnson was the first Sea Dogs superstar. He hit the first two home runs in Sea Dogs franchise history in their inaugural game on April 7, 1994. His second home run was a game winning 14th inning blast to give Portland a 2-1 victory over Reading in the inaugural game. From that moment on, Johnson became a Sea Dogs icon. In the inaugural season, 1994, Johnson hit .264, with 28 home runs and 80 RBI. His 28 home runs led the league in 1994 and were the most hit by an Eastern League catcher since Tony Pena hit 34 in 1979. He was named to the 1994 Eastern League Post-season All-Star Team. Charles Johnson also became the first player in Sea Dogs history to hit a home run over the Hadlock Field scoreboard. In the twelve year history of the Portland Sea Dogs only thirteen home runs have been hit over the scoreboard.

Charles Johnson was named to both Baseball America’s and USA Today’s Minor League All-Star teams in 1994. He also has the distinct honor of being the first Marlins minor leaguer to reach the major leagues. Johnson received his first taste of the big leagues when he was called up for four games in 1994. In those four games, he went 5-11, a .455 average, and hit a home run off Curt Schilling in his second major league at-bat. After his brief stint in the majors, he returned to the Portland Sea Dogs, but he would not be away for long. Johnson became the Marlins everyday catcher in 1995. In twelve major league seasons with the Marlins, Dodgers, Orioles, Rockies, and Devil Rays, Johnson has a .245 career batting average, hit 167 home runs, and owns a career fielding percentage of .993. He was the recipient of five gold glove awards. Charles Johnson represented the National League in both the 1997 and 2001 Major League Baseball All-Star games.