Born in Qualls, Oklahoma, Callison batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was signed by the Chicago White Sox out of high school in 1957, being assigned to the Class-C Bakersfield Bears in the California League, where he had a .340 batting average with 17 home runs and 31 stolen bases. The next season, he was advanced to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, where he led the American Association in home runs. In September 1958, he was recalled by the White Sox, where he had a .297 batting average in 18 games.\n', '

In 1959, Callison split time between Chicago and Indianapolis. He was not on the World Series roster when the White Sox lost the series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and in December he was traded to the Phillies for third baseman Gene Freese.\n', '

Callison became a fan favorite in Philadelphia; Supreme Court Justice and lifelong Phillies fan Samuel Alito recalls he "adopted Johnny Callison out there in right field" as a boy. Over the next decade, Callison would be named to the NL All-Star roster three times (1962, 64-65).[a] In 1962, he batted an even .300, the only time he would reach that mark, and led the NL with 10 triples. On June 27, 1963, he hit for the cycle against the Pittsburgh Pirates.\n', '

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