MLB player Daniel Johnson loses more than $90,000 in memorabilia after Phoenix storage unit burglary

PHOENIX — A major league baseball player is out tens of thousands of dollars in memorabilia and other items after police say two men broke into his Phoenix storage unit.

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Phoenix Police say the two suspects broke into Daniel Johnson’s storage unit last week, along with several others at the same facility near 24th Street and Indian School Road.

“They’re just going through and breaking locks and seeing what’s in it when they open it, and then in this case, you know, they got a very valuable unit,” said Phoenix Sgt. Sheree Lee.

Johnson, 31, has played for multiple teams including Cleveland, Baltimore, San Francisco and Houston throughout his baseball career, collecting gear along the way.

“The apparel consisted of shirts, hoodies, jackets, shorts, long sleeve shirts, sleeveless hoodies, batting gloves and hats, and I’ve had all the same gear from multiple teams,” Johnson said.

Johnson and his fiancée were storing the apparel and other items while their home was being remodeled. His shoe collection was among the hardest hit. In total, more than $90,000 worth of items was stolen.

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“That’s stuff you can’t really replace,” Johnson said.

Police say storage facility managers recognized the suspects as the same men involved in another burglary at a different facility in Phoenix. Investigators are hoping someone will recognize the suspects and contact Silent Witness.

“They can seek up to a $1,000 reward if their tip leads to an arrest in this case,” Sgt. Lee said.

Johnson says much of the gear was intended for his GFB (God Family Ball) Foundation to give away to kids who participate in the program.

“But also to give back to my own kids at some point,” Johnson said.

Much of the memorabilia is marked with a name or number, and police say if you see those items listed online, you should report it to law enforcement.

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