| Johnny Bench | |
|---|---|
 Bench in 2006 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: (1947-12-07)December 7, 1947 (age 77) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 28, 1967, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 29, 1983, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .267 |
| Hits | 2,048 |
| Home runs | 389 |
| Runs batted in | 1,376 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1989 |
| Vote | 96.4% (first ballot) |
Johnny Lee Bench (born December 7, 1947) is an American former professionalbaseball player. He played his entireMajor League Baseball career, which lasted from1967 to1983, with theCincinnati Reds, primarily as acatcher. Bench led the Reds team known as theBig Red Machine that dominated the National League in the mid-1970s, winning six division titles, fourNational League pennants, and twoWorld Series championships.
A fourteen-timeAll-Star and a two-timeNational League Most Valuable Player, Bench excelled on offense and defense, twice leading the majors in home runs and three times in runs batted in. At the time of his retirement in 1983, he held the major league record for most home runs hit by a catcher.[1] He was also the first catcher to lead the league in home runs.[2] He hit 45 home runs in 1970, the single-season record for catchers untilSalvador Perez hit 48 in 2021; Bench still holds the National League record.[3] His 389 home runs and 1,376 runs batted in are the most in Cincinnati Reds history.[4]
On defense, Bench was a ten-timeGold Glove Award winner who skillfully handled pitching staffs and possessed a strong, accurate throwing arm.[5][6] He caught 100 or more games for 13 consecutive seasons.[1] In 1986, Bench was inducted into theCincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. He was inducted into theBaseball Hall of Fame in 1989 in his first year of eligibility. He was named to MLB'sAll-Time Team in 1997 andAll-Century Team in 1999, andESPN has called him the greatest catcher in baseball history.[7]
Born and raised inOklahoma, Bench is1⁄8Choctaw. He played baseball andbasketball and was classvaledictorian at Binger-Oney High SchoolinBinger.[8] He survived a bus crash that killed two of his baseball teammates in 1965. His father, a truck driver, told him that the fastest route to becoming a major leaguer was as a catcher.[9][7]
As a 17-year-old, theCincinnati Reds selected Bench in the second round, with the 36th overall selection of the1965 Major League Baseball draft. In 1965, he played for theTampa Tarpons and Reds'Florida Instructional League team. He played for theTriple-ABuffalo Bisons in 1966 and 1967.[10] During the 1967 season, he hit agrand slam against fellow future Hall of FamerJim Palmer, who would go on to never allow another grand slam his major league career.[11][12]
Bench was called up to the Reds in August 1967.[13] Hehit only .163, but impressed many people with his defense and strong throwing arm, among themHall of FamerTed Williams. Williams signed a baseball for him and predicted that the young catcher would be a "Hall of Famer for sure!"[14][15] Williams' prophecy became fact 22 years later in 1989 when Bench was elected to Cooperstown.
During a1968spring training game, Bench was catchingright-handerJim Maloney, an eight-year veteran. Maloney was once a hard thrower, but injuries had dramatically slowed down his fastball. Maloney nevertheless insisted on repeatedly "shaking off" his younger catcher by throwing fastballs instead of thebreaking balls that Bench had called for. When an exasperated Bench bluntly told Maloney, "Your fastball's not popping," Maloney replied with an epithet. To prove to Maloney that his fastball was no longer effective, Bench called for a fastball, and after Maloney released the ball, Bench dropped his catcher's mitt and caught the fastball barehanded.[16][17] Bench was the Reds' catcher on April 30,1969, when Maloney pitched ano hitter against theHouston Astros.[18][19][20]
In 1968, the 20-year-old Bench impressed many in his firstfull season;[21] he won the National LeagueRookie of the Year Award, batting .275 with 15 home runs and 82 RBIs. This marked the first time that the award had been won by a catcher.[22][23] He also won the 1968 National LeagueGold Glove Award for catchers, the first time a rookie had won that award.[22][24][25] He made 102assists in 1968, which was the first time in 23 years that a catcher had more than 100 assists in a season.[26] During theVietnam War, Bench served in theUnited States Army Reserve as a member of the478th Engineer Battalion, which was based across theOhio River from Cincinnati atFort Thomas, Kentucky. This unit included several of his teammates, includingPete Rose,Bobby Tolan, andDarrel Chaney.[27][28] In the winter of 1970–1971, Bench was part ofBob Hope'sUSO Tour ofVietnam.[29]
In 1970, Bench had his fineststatistical season. At age 22, he became the youngest player to win theNational League Most Valuable Player Award. He hit .293, led the majors with 45home runs and a franchise-record 148runs batted in as the Reds won theNL West Division.[22][16][30] The Reds swept thePittsburgh Pirates in theNational League Championship Series (NLCS) but lost to theBaltimore Orioles in five games in theWorld Series.[31][32]
Bench had another strong year in1972, winning the MVP Award for a second time. He once again led the majors in home runs (40) and RBI (125) to help propel the Reds to another NL West Division title and won theNL pennant in the deciding fifth game over thePittsburgh Pirates.[22][33] One of his more dramatic home runs[34] was likely his ninth-inning,lead off,opposite field home run in that fifth NLCS game.[35] The solo shot tied the game at three; the Reds won later in the inning on a wild pitch, 4–3.[36][37] TheCincinnati Enquirer later called that game one of the best in franchise history.[38] However, the Reds lost theWorld Series to theOakland Athletics in seven games.[39]
After the 1972 season, Bench underwent surgery to remove a lesion from his lung, out of concern that it might be cancerous.[40][41] The lesion was benign, but Bench stated in an interview that he was never the same player after the surgery. “They cut the ribs, they cut the bones, they cut the nerves, and so I never was the same player afterwards.”[42] He remained productive but never again hit 40 home runs in a season.[43]
In1973, Bench hit 25 home runs and 104 RBI and helped the Reds rally from a 101⁄2-game deficit to theLos Angeles Dodgers in early July to lead the majors with 99 wins and claim another NL West crown. In theNLCS, Cincinnati met aNew York Mets team that won the NL East with an unimpressive82–79 (.509) record, 161⁄2 games behind the Reds. The Mets boasted three of the better starting pitchers in the NL, future Hall of FamerTom Seaver,Jerry Koosman, andJon Matlack. Bench's bottom of the ninth-inning home run off Seaver in the first game propelled the Reds to victory, but Seaver would get the best of the Reds and Bench in the deciding Game 5, winning7–2 to put the Mets into theWorld Series.[44][45]
In1974, Bench led the league with 129 RBI and scored 108 runs, becoming only the fourth catcher in major league history with 100 or more runs and RBI in the same season. The Reds won the second-most games in the majors (98) but lost the West Division to theLos Angeles Dodgers.[46] In1975, the Reds finally broke through in the postseason. Bench had 28 home runs and 110 RBI during the regular season.[22][47][48] Cincinnati swept thePirates in three games to win theNLCS, and defeated theBoston Red Sox in a memorable seven-gameWorld Series.[49][50][51]
Bench struggled with ailing shoulders in1976[52] and had one of his least productive years, with only 16 home runs and 74 RBI. He finished with an excellent postseason, starting with a 4-for-12 performance in theNLCS sweep over thePhiladelphia Phillies.[22][53] TheWorld Series provided a head-to-head match-up withYankees' All-Star catcherThurman Munson. Bench rose to the occasion, hitting .533 with two home runs, while Munson also hit well, with a .529 average.[22][54] The Reds won in a four-game sweep, and Bench was named theSeries MVP.[22][55][56] At the post-World Series press conference, RedsmanagerSparky Anderson was asked to compare Munson with his catcher. Anderson replied, "I don't want to embarrass any other catcher by comparing him to Johnny Bench."[57][58] Bench bounced back in1977 to hit 31 home runs and 109 RBI but theDodgers won two straight NL pennants. The Reds reached the postseason just once more in his career, in1979, but were swept in three straight in theNLCS byPittsburgh.[59]
For the last three seasons of his career, Bench moved out from behind the plate, catching only 13 games, while primarily becoming a corner infielder (first or third base). The Reds proclaimed September 17,1983, "Johnny Bench Night" atRiverfront Stadium, in which he hit his 389th and final home run, a line drive to left in the third inning, before a record crowd.[60][61] He retired at the end of the season at age 35.
Bench had 2,048hits for a .267 career batting average with 389home runs and 1,376 RBI during his 17-year Major League career, all spent with the Reds.[22] He retired as the career home run leader for catchers, a record which stood until surpassed byCarlton Fisk and the current record holder,Mike Piazza.[35][62] In his career, Bench won 10Gold Gloves, was named to the National LeagueAll-Star team 14 times, and won two Most Valuable Player awards.[22][63] He led the National League three times incaught stealing percentage and ended his career with a .990fielding percentage at catcher and an overall .987 fielding percentage.[22] He caught 118shutouts during his career, ranking him 12th all-time among major league catchers as of 2010[update].[64] Bench also won theLou Gehrig Award in 1975 for his philanthropic efforts, theBabe Ruth Award for his postseason performance in 1976, and theHutch Award in 1981.[65]
Bench popularized the hingedcatcher's mitt, first introduced byRandy Hundley of theChicago Cubs.[66] He began using the mitt after a stint on the disabled list in1966 for a thumb injury on his throwing hand. The mitt allowed Bench to tuck his throwing arm safely to the side when receiving the pitch.[16] By the turn of the decade, the hinged mitt became standard catchers' equipment. Having huge hands (a famous photograph features him holding seven baseballs in his right hand[67]), Bench also tended to block breaking balls in the dirt by scooping them with one hand instead of the more common way: dropping to both knees and blocking the ball using thechest protector to keep the ball in front.[66]
Bench was elected to theNational Baseball Hall of Fame in1989, alongsideCarl Yastrzemski.[68] He was elected in his first year of eligibility, and appeared on 96% of the ballots, the third-highest percentage at that time. Three years earlier, Bench was inducted into theCincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and the team retired his uniform No. 5.[69][70] In 1989, he became the first individual baseball player to appear on aWheaties box, a cereal he ate as a child.[71]
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After turning 50, Bench was a part-time professional golfer and played in several events on theSenior PGA Tour.[72][73][74] He had a home at theMission Hills-Gary Player Course inRancho Mirage, California.[75]
In 1999, Bench ranked 16th onThe Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. He was the highest-ranking catcher.[76] Bench was also elected to theMajor League Baseball All-Century Team as the top vote-receiving catcher.[77] As part of the Golden Anniversary of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, Bench was selected to theAll-Time Rawlings Gold Glove Team.[78]
From 2000 until 2018, the bestcollege baseball catcher annually received theJohnny Bench Award. Winners included future MLB playersBuster Posey,Kurt Suzuki,Kelly Shoppach, andMike Zunino. The award was renamed the Buster Posey Award for the 2019 season onwards.[79]
On September 17, 2011, the Reds unveiled a statue of Bench at the entrance way of the Reds Hall of Fame atGreat American Ball Park. The larger-than-life bronze statue byTom Tsuchiya shows Bench in the act of throwing out a base runner.[80][81] Bench called the unveiling of his statue his "greatest moment".[82]
In 2016, Bench was inducted into theInternational Sports Hall of Fame.[83] He was also the Hall of Fame recipient of theBob Feller Act of Valor Award in 2018, for his service and continued support of theUnited States military.[84]
In 1986, Bench andDon Drysdale did the backup contests forABC's Sunday afternoon baseball telecasts (Al Michaels andJim Palmer were the primary commentating crew).Keith Jackson, usually working withTim McCarver, did the No. 2 Monday night games. Bench took a week off in June (withSteve Busby filling in) and also worked one game with Michaels as the networks switched the announcer pairings. While Drysdale worked theAll-Star Game inHouston as an interviewer, Bench did not resurface until the playoffs. Bench ultimately moved toCBS Radio to helpBrent Musburger call that year'sNational League Championship Series. Bench would later serve as color commentator CBS Radio's World Series coverage alongsideJack Buck and laterVin Scully from1989 to1993.[citation needed] In 1994, Bench served as a field reporter forNBC/The Baseball Network's coverage of theAll-Star Game inPittsburgh.[85] Bench co-hosted a Cincinnati radio show with Reds broadcasterMarty Brennaman but quit in 2000 following Brennaman's Hall of Fame speech supportingPete Rose's induction.[86]
Bench wrote several books. During his playing career, he wroteFrom Behind the Plate, published in 1972,[87] the instructional bookCatching and Power Hitting in 1975,[88] andCatch You Later, an autobiography published in 1979 co-authored withWilliam Brashler.[89] In 1999, he wroteTheComplete Idiot's Guide to Baseball.[90] In 2008, he co-wroteCatch Every Ball: How to Handle Life's Pitches with Paul Daugherty.[91]
Bench has acted several times, usually related to his baseball career. While still an active player, he made acameo appearance as aKings Island Inn poolside waiter in a Season 3 episode ofThe Partridge Family which first aired on January 26, 1973.[92] Bench hosted the television seriesThe Baseball Bunch from 1982 to 1985. In the show, Bench and other current and retired ballplayers would teach a cast of boys and girls from theTucson, Arizona area about baseball.The San Diego Chicken provided comic relief, andLos Angeles Dodgers managerTommy Lasorda appeared as "The Dugout Wizard."[93] In 1985, Bench starred as Joe Boyd/Joe Hardy in a Cincinnati stage production of the musicalDamn Yankees, which also includedMarge Schott,Jerry Springer, andMarty Brennaman.[94] In 2003, Bench guest starred on anepisode ofYes, Dear as himself, along withErnie Banks andFrank Robinson.[95] Bench was aSavannah Bananas coach in a 2022 game.[96]
Bench has also been aspokesperson in advertisements for several decades. In the 1980s, he was a spokesman forKrylonpaint, featuring the catchphrases "I'm Johnny Bench, and this is Johnny Bench's bench" and "no runs, no drips, no errors" During his career, he also endorsedFifth Third Bank andGillette.[97][98][99] Bench received aStryker Corporation hip implant following his MLB career. He would then go on to become a spokesperson for the company.[100][101][102] He has also been a spokesperson for pain relief company Blue-Emu.[103]
In an interview during a 2008Boston Red Sox game withknuckleballerTim Wakefield on the mound for the Red Sox, Bench related a story that Reds managerSparky Anderson told him that he was thinking of trading for knuckleballerPhil Niekro. Bench replied that Anderson had better trade for Niekro's catcher, too.[104]
Bench has been married five times. Once hailed as "baseball's most-eligible bachelor," he shed that distinction before the 1975 season when he married Vickie Chesser, a toothpaste model and the 1970Miss South Carolina USA who had datedJoe Namath. Four days after they met, Bench proposed, and they were married on February 21, 1975.[105][106] Quickly, the pair realized they were incompatible, especially after Bench suggested that his wife acceptHustler magazine's offer for her to pose nude for $25,000.[107][108] They broke up at the end of the season (Bench reportedly said to her, "Now I'm done with two things I hate: baseball and you"), divorcing after just 13 months. "I tried. I even hand-squeezed orange juice," Chesser toldPhil Donahue in December 1975. "I don't think either of us had any idea what marriage was really like." After returning to Manhattan, Chesser said, "Johnny Bench is a great athlete, a mediocre everything else, and a true tragedy as a person."[109][110]
Before Christmas 1987, Bench married Laura Cwikowski, an Oklahoma City model and aerobics instructor. They had a son, Bobby Binger Bench (named afterBob Hope andBobby Knight, and Bench's hometown), before divorcing in 1995. They shared custody of their son. "He was, and is, a great dad," according to Bobby, who works in Cincinnati as a production operator on Reds broadcasts. Bench married his third wife, Elizabeth Benton, in 1997. He filed for divorce in 2000 on grounds of marital infidelity. His fourth marriage took place in 2004, to 31-year-old Lauren Baiocchi, the daughter of pro golferHugh Baiocchi. After living inPalm Springs with their two sons, Bench wished to return to South Florida, where he lived from 2014 to 2017. However, she would not relocate to Florida, leading to their divorce. As of 2018, Bench has primary custody of their sons.[111][112]
Bench was married for the fifth time in March 2024.[113]
I did have one offer: Hustler magazine offered me $25,000 to pose in Hustler style. I rejected the idea but Johnny said, 'Why not, it's good money.'
