Johnny Bench

He was born in Oklahoma on December 7th, 1947. When, as a young boy, he voiced his dream to become a major league baseball player, his dad said his best chance of getting there was as a catcher. The young southerner followed his dad’s advice all the way to the big leagues.

After just two seasons in the Cincinnati Red’s minor league, the twenty year old got a chance at the big leagues where he effectively revolutionized the catcher’s position. At a time when the catcher’s equipment was called the “tools of ignorance”, alluding to the player’s inability to play any other position, Johnny Bench came along and glamorized the craft, causing young boys everywhere to aspire to become catchers, too. But Johnny’s baseball skills weren’t limited to catching. He was also a talented hitter with a legendary throwing arm and great defensive skills. Once, when a pitcher was practicing a fastball that Johnny thought lacked velocity, he caught the ball with his bare hand to make a point.

Over his seventeen year career in the National Leagues, Johnny Bench won two Most Valuable Player awards, 10 Gold Glove awards, and earned fourteen All Star selections. He was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame, ranked sixteenth on The Sporting News’ list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and honored with a selection to baseball’s All Century Team.

After baseball Johnny Bench found even more success as an author, commentator, and motivational speaker. He has continued to use his blessings to support a number of worthy causes such as the American Cancer Society and the Kidney Foundation.

With his place in baseball history well cemented, Mr. Bench can afford to quip about the records. When asked how he felt about having his record for career home runs by a catcher broken by Carlton Fisk in 1990, Johnny Bench said, “I was thinking of making a comeback until I pulled a muscle — vacuuming.”

~Shellie