MLB Now: Johnny Bench Demo

[@Getawhale]

What a gift to still have him around - he speaks so well and is so insanely knowledgeable and talented. One of the best ever.

[@eddieestrada2514]

This is absolutely phenomenal I love these demos with legends like himself literally he’s arguably the best catcher to ever play 👏🏽

[@slundgr]

To me there is no arguably. As Joe Garagiola used to say, you can look it up. I don't know would be better all-around. He did it in the regular season, playoffs, All-Star games and World Series.

[@billyperry7991]

Maybe it's just me,but as far as all around catcher,Bench offensively and defensively was the best!

[@TERoss-jk9ny]

I thought Steve Yeager was as good defensively as Johnny, but Steve was never consistent offensively. Other than that, yes! Johnny is the GOAT!!!

[@wilfredopeterson5726]

The best! Bar none.

[@eastwest42286]

Crazy thing is, even if he was a piss poor hitter, his defensive numbers alone would’ve been enough to get him in the hall.

[@Cincinnatus1869]

Johnny Bench was like a super hero to kids in my area when I was growing up. He was on tv shows and commercials, on the cereal box , he could do things that other players couldn't. Bench was a champion , an mvp and a celebrity. He stood out on a team full of stars.

[@slundgr]

Johnny Bench is the greatest catcher to ever put on the shin guards. He made catching look easy because he was so good at it. I never saw anyone hit the ball harder, even the outs, than Johnny Bench. In San Diego I saw him hit a ball off the third base umpire's leg that went into left-field for a double. And he's a fellow Okie. Boomer Sooner!

[@paulreynolds657]

I’m from Binger too and his brother Billy was my catcher.

[@gregj831]

You are so right. Bench could just crush it.

[@ethanweeter2732]

Did the umpire go to the hospital after the game?

[@144Donn]

He was my idol as a kid..I will always remember writing to him and getting a signed picture in the mail!

[@dmo1964]

144Donn I did too haha. I was 6. Asked if he could come visit our family in TN. I actually thought he would 😂. I got a thank you note and signed photo as well. He probably had a publicist that did it. I doubt he ever saw my letter. Ah the innocence of childhood

[@victorcroker2765]

When Johnny Bench speaks, I'm all ears! My favorite catcher ever!

[@tonyiacomi4822]

What a legend. All the little things. Like letting the ball come to you rather than reaching out. You're talking a millisecond difference but he paid attention to all those details.

[@davester1970]

When Johnny Bench played, he had to deal with many of history's best base stealers like Lou Brock, Maury Wills, Bobby Bonds and Davey Lopes during the 1970s. He needed every spare millisecond to throw these men out.

[@ethanweeter2732]

He could also barehand fastballs.

[@UpswingBaseball]

Haha Johnny Bench is great. That soft hand thing is actually really smart we've never heard of it before. Learn something new every day!

[@rjvsmb]

I love that he made a point to talk about making a play at home plate. That's how you do it.

[@nk5350]

Best catcher that ever lived and sharing his skills with everyone👍👍🙏

[@danejurus69]

If you want to be the best, you should listen to the best and that my friends, is Johnny Bench.

[@baseball9635]

Unbelievable knowledge from the GOAT. It's not the big things that separates you, it's the little things.

[@Chris_2cents]

Happy Birthday to Johnny Lee Bench 12-7-47,OKC

[@theoutlawbandit6727]

love these teaching videos with current players and hall of famers i am learning alot

[@ShawnaGraham50]

Dam this man is such a legend!!! The technical behind it is awesome

[@davester1970]

All you aspiring young catchers. Mr. Bench is holding GRAND master class on catching. The best that ever was at this position is giving valuable pointers. Take notes if you have to.

[@dlhartley157]

Could stay in a crouch and pick off a guy at first or second with lightning speed. Best catcher I ever saw play the game (Big Red Machine in the '70's). God bless JB!

[@AmericasChoice]

GOAT catcher.

[@gregj831]

Bench was one of those special players who could simply take over a game on both offense and defense. There just aren't many players like that. I saw him play as a kid and was in awe of him. We all were. That Big Red Machine Team of the 70s rolled.

[@PlayerToBeNamedLater1973]

One of my first baseball memories was being at Riverfront Stadium Reds vs Astros, mid 70s. A guy named Cesar Cedeno tries to steal second, Bench threw a bullet that landed on the corner of the bag in Morgan's glove, perfect throw and Cedeno is out. Later in the game Bench hits a screaming line drive that one hops the wall. He slides into 2nd just barely safe because Cedeno had played it right and threw his own bullet to 2nd from the warning track. Almost had his revenge! I later discovered that Cedeno was a 5 tool ballplayer, fast and strong but unfortunately troubled in his personal life which hurt his career. I also remember Bench talking to Art Howe and Cliff Johnson before the game and thinking Johnson was WAY bigger than Bench . I wondered what opposing players talked about before a game. Pete Rose running to and from his position and anyplace else he went, JR Richard standing there being the biggest man I'd ever seen up to that point. Sparky coming out to get Fred Norman and somehow Freddie talked him out of it and got out of the inning ! Great memories from that day , which set me on the path of becoming a baseball fanatic .

[@cesarvargasdesign]

I love these legends demos, especially their approach and thoughts to the game. I don't even like catching but Mr. Bench makes it awesome. Learned about 3 things in this video and the whole soft hands things was awesome! Keep 'em coming MLB Network!

[@brooklyn7189]

I could listen to John all day, the best , one of my idols.. first glove I ever owned was his catchers mitt

[@jayratliff4191]

The man speaks in coherent paragraphs (not sentences). He is the Ted Williams of catchers and there is so much that kids can learn from him even today -

[@lelabotoxique]

Legend. Absolute legend.

[@traviswhite7653]

This is unbelievable. So much knowledge

[@LouT1501]

Videos like this (and IT) is why MLB is my favorite network. Thank you!

[@MrJking065]

Wow Just Wow. He looks like he could play again if he had better knees.If you have a young catcher in your life...you need to show them this.

[@remme6]

He's the master.

[@davester1970]

Correction! He is the Grand master. Lou Brock and Bobby Bonds could have stolen another 100 bases if it weren't for Johnny Bench.

[@tedfio1tedfio1]

Go Johnny Go, greatest Catcher of all time!

[@alydar21]

I caught a baseball that Bench hit into the stands, but he wanted it back. So I threw it to him. Story: Reds were in Indianapolis playing against their farm team, Indianapolis Indians. This yearly exhibition game was a highlight of my youth and held at the stadium in Speedway (located between downtown Indy and the Indy Motor Speedway on 16th street - now dismantled). Pregame, Bench was playing pepper and bunted the ball past the players and into my awaiting hands. Just as I turned to dash away and show my dad my newest treasure, Bench lightly yelled to throw the ball back. I was just a kid and this was a split second decision. I tossed it to him. Did I do the right thing?

[@Cincinnatus1869]

You did the wrong thing by making up bullshit stories

[@andrewhiedelburg4576]

That 1975 Reds team had so much talent its unreal!

[@frankjoseph4273]

There was never a group of hitters like that in the same lineup. 5 hall of gamers on that team

[@jamesanthony5681]

Arguably the greatest starting 8 in history. They could beat you many ways, and often did.

[@SpottedSharks]

It all seems so common sense (soft hand thing was new to me) but he was the first to fuse it all together. I'd love to hear his thoughts on how to handle pitchers. He helped a generally mediocre Reds staff pitch better than you'd think they could.

[@ethanweeter2732]

Believe it or not, he pioneered one handed catching I guess. Meaning, where you out the hand behind the glove so as to not get that hand or fingers broken.

[@jamesanthony5681]

Randy Hundley pioneered the one handed catching style using the hinged catcher's mitt, protecting the right hand just before Bench came to the Big Leagues.

[@jwsnotruth7106]

best video 2020 !

[@ShawnC.T.]

Bench is still the "benchmark" for playing behind the plate, pun intended...

[@joshuamervis]

Like going to church! Love it. The best ever!

[@SuperIliad]

A taste of his vast knowledge.

[@angeldelgado6189]

Listen kids. Can get no better than that.

[@LJSJIUJITSU]

Man what I would do to go back to my playing days and have a private lesson with Johnny Bench.

[@ethanweeter2732]

That is why you don’t need to block the plate when catching the ball, but he had quick reflexes too. Unless you are lightning fast on the tag you probably have to block the plate before you get the ball.

[@stanleycarter9014]

his old man wanted him to catch and worked with him when he was young.

[@dape8993]

Terrific inside catching tips from the greatest Catcher ever to play the game. Not a single MIT-Ivy league sabermetric/analytic dork-a-zoid would ever be able to impart this sort of real baseball wisdom. This is true baseball, not computer-calculator baseball.

[@Alf763]

dape sabermetrics aren’t meant to tell you how to catch... you’re insulting something it doesn’t even do...

[@dape8993]

@@Alf763 If you read the comment closely, that is not what I am saying. I am not saying sabermetrics does or should teach a player how to catch; in fact, it doesn't tell anyone how to do anything. Therein lies one of its many faults. Sabermetrics can tell me a players extrapolated ball park adjusted OPS on Wednesdays in Cleveland. 95% of fans don't give damn about that. What real fans care about is seeing great players play and when they are retired, have them impart their wisdom to us as Bench does here. The overwhelming majority of fans want to hear Bench talk about his craft; not be rendered comatose by hearing or reading analytic material from some Professor Frink, Jr. type who can't throw or hit a ball 10 feet.

[@Alf763]

dape great players make bad coaches 90% of the time, and the fact is baseball has always been a stats game, it’s just different, far more accurate ones now than the useless ones used before

[@dape8993]

​@@Alf763 Stats have always been a part of baseball, but never the primary part as it is now. That is why the version of Major League baseball played now is the longest, slowest, dullest version--with the least action--of any version of the game presented to the public in the 150 year history of MLB. Also, attendance figures and TV ratings, especially for marquee events like the ASG and WS have been steadily declining. BTW, a lot of saber stats are useless also. Anyway, congratulations, sabermetricians--you have ruined baseball. Way to go!

[@Alf763]

dape never the primary part what are you on about, literally the entire game is based around stats, all anyone has ever cared about is stats, average, homers, steals, errors, doubles, triples, hitting streaks, they’re all stats, the hall of fame is about stats, sabermetrics hasn’t ruined baseball at all, it’s simply made players stop wasting their time doing things that aren’t productive

[@trajanII]

Awesome

[@VenomousStare]

Great video

[@steven2189]

2:10 How dare that nerd drop the ball when Johnny bench throws it to you

[@spirg]

He tread water to me as a kid 💪🏻

[@michaelestrada6840]

Johnny bench best Cather ever lots of close second.

[@dukeofearlbanjo]

Genius level catching clinic.

[@billycrocker3362]

The best!

[@davidmontgomery8938]

Talk about a thinking man's player, wow. I've heard Morgan and Rose make great points about the details that separate very good players from great ones, but Bench may top them both.

[@jomamackdaddy]

Love how he actually can't get into the squat. That's me and I only caught about 700 games, my wife gives me shit because i can't find stuff in the bottom of the fridge. I was no Johnny Bench, but I can't bend my knees for shit, just like my hero.

[@wilsonb1121]

🐐

[@gerardcomeau2160]

I want to know why their is no left handed catchers.

[@MrJking065]

Because they are pitchers.

[@gerardcomeau2160]

@@MrJking065 *Warm Beer*

[@char-lee212]

Because they're not (right) for the position! 🤣 get it? 🤗... nevermind 🙄

[@gerardcomeau2160]

@@char-lee212 Brought to you by... Hershey.

[@Alf763]

Lefty catchers can’t throw to third fast enough, and they can’t see the runner coming into home as well

[@NoNameNo.5]

Bench sure could snap em out

[@dankinsler1930]

I love Johnny Bench. But how come he's in the Hall of Fame and Dale Murphy is not?

[@roberthudson1959]

I think that a second MVP (or Cy Young) and appearances in 10 major league seasons make you worthy of induction. Murphy didn't get the votes because he had five great seasons in six years, but his numbers outside of that stretch are mediocre at best.

[@jamesanthony5681]

Johnny Bench is the greatest MLB catcher. Is Dale Murphy - good player that he was - the greatest MLB outfielder, or even in the top 30 based on his numbers?

[@tommydimopoulos6484]

From the master

[@gregwagner2163]

Best ever

[@keithdougherty1584]

I think Johnny can still play lol.

[@officerSteam.]

GO MS

[@17Peloton]

The host needs to stop talking