SportsCentury - Johnny Bench

A generation after Johnny Bench’s last game, he remains the gold standard for baseball catchers of any era. By the age of 20 he had redefined how to play the position, and by 22 he was the biggest star, at any position, in all of baseball. Catching eventually took its toll, moving him to the infield by his early 30s and to retirement by age 35, but his first decade with the Cincinnati Reds was enough to make him most experts’ choice as the greatest catcher who ever played the game. Ten Gold Gloves, two Most Valuable Player Awards, and his central role in two world championships made him an easy choice for the Baseball Hall of Fame at the early age of 41...
Bench was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989, receiving 96 percent of the vote in his first year of eligibility. He had made the Reds’ Hall of Fame in 1986, when the club permanently retired his uniform number 5. He was named to Major League Baseball’s All-Century team as the top-ranking catcher, and many organizations have named him baseball’s best-ever catcher. Since 2000 the Johnny Bench Award has been presented after the conclusion of the College World Series to honor the top Division I Baseball catcher. In 2008 the Reds honored him again, with a bronze statue outside the new Great American Ballpark. Fittingly, the statue shows Bench in full gear throwing out a runner with his powerful right arm. Written by Mark Armour
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject - sabr.org/bioproj/person/johnny-bench/
Or from Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Bench
www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/benchjo01.shtml
johnnybench.com/
Johnny Bench won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1968, batting .275 with 15 home runs and 82 RBIs, the first time the award had been won by a catcher. Manager Herman Franks said after his first full season in The Spokesman Review (07/23/1968, 'Rookie Catcher Praised', Page 6), "With more experience, he could be the best the league ever had." Manager Dave Bristol said in that same article, "One of the finest catchers in the league of all time. He has ability that is not noticed at times. He is strong, he has quick release of the ball, agile, and he has great body balance." Johnny Bench, when those comments were made, had one full season of experience at the time and was five months shy of his 21st birthday.
Johnny Bench was the youngest man (22) to ever win the National League Most Valuable Player Award when he won in 1970. He hit .293, led the National League with 45 home runs (Home Run Champions), set a team-record with 148 RBI (RBI Champions), and helped the Reds win the National League West Division. Two years later, Bench led the National League in home runs again, led the league in RBI again (snapping-up two legs of the Triple Crown each time), and won his second MVP Award - the first player in team history with two MVPs.
Johnny Bench was the second catcher (Roy Campanella was the first, in 1953) in National League history with a 100+ RBI / 100 runs scored season in league history. It was 1974, it was Bench's only 100 runs scored season, it was his third of six 100 RBI season, and his 73 extra base hits were the most in the league as well. Through this date, less than ten backstops have joined this unique hitting club.
Johnny Bench was the first individual baseball player to appear on the front of a Wheaties cereal box (image below). In an AP Wire article, July 6, 1989, Johnny Bench gets his picture on Wheaties box, the press reported, "Retired Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench has become the first baseball player to be chosen to have his picture placed on boxes of Wheaties cereal... 'This is a great honor for me,' said Bench, who retired after the 1983 season and will be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame on July 23 in Cooperstown, N.Y. Bench, now a Reds television broadcaster, said he ate the cereal as a child and recalls seeing a picture of Olympic pole vaulter Bob Richards on the box."
In 1954, Ted Kluszewski set a new team record for Runs Batted In (RBI) when he drove in 141 runs - the first Cincinnati Reds player to reach the 140+ RBI plateau. Sixteen years later, Johnny Bench broke the team record with 148 RBI, a mark that stood for only seven years as George Foster had 149 RBI in 1977, but those three sluggers remain the only Reds - through today - to ever have a 140+ RBI season.
The 1968 National League Gold Glove Award for catchers went to Johnny Bench, who caught 154 games and committed only nine errors, marking the first time the Gold Glove had been won by a rookie. That year was the first of thirteen consecutive years (1968 through 1980) that Bench caught 100+ games, a National League record, and the Gold Glove Award for catchers was his first of ten, all won consecutively as well (1968 through 1977).
www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=benchjo01

[@richardvalls2781]

When I was 12 years old in 1972 my little league team went to the Astrodome to watch the Astros play the Reds. Johnny Bench was catching, and I witnessed Bench make the most unbelievable play I have ever seen. Greg Gross of the Astros led off with a single to right field. It looked like Gross was trying to steal second base and was leaning a little too far from first base. On the second pitch of the game Bench received the pitch from the pitcher and in one motion from a sitting position from behind the plate Bench threw a bullet to First Basemen Tony Perez and Perez tagged out Greg Gross at first! I will never forget it. I remember it like it was yesterday.

[@robindew9072]

Amazing memory

[@kcailly1]

That's memorable

[@johnbaker8604]

No doubt the greatest catcher ever

[@danielhamilton1130]

Bench reinvented the catcher position.

[@davidholt9136]

I met Johnny Bench on a particularly tough day for me at Riverfront Stadium. Driving the production truck for Ed Joyner was my first paying job after college and two weeks in we ran from Angles Stadium in Anaheim to Cincinnati low on money and fuel got there late and started running the 7,000 feet of triaxial cable that was required to feed 5 cameras to a mixing board in the sub basement tunnel. Coming down from the press box in a raceway in the wall from the fifth floor to the the tunnel we discovered that the raceway opened in a closet on the third floor about an hour before the game so all the cameramen , production assistants, and crew had to untie a huge knot of cables that had spilled out of the closet when the door was opened. Meantime , I found the other end of the raceway in the ceiling above the Red’s locker room. In two stages I pulled the cables for five cameras to the production truck as time before the game ran out . I rode the elevator from the basement to the press box and the closet on the third floor numerous times. I had been on the road driving day and night for three days, crawling on a catwalk in a filthy space above the locker room, and stressing over whether or not we would make airtime on time; when on one of my elevator trips the door opened on the fourth floor and Johnny Bench, his wife and the then ,”Voice Of The Braves” , Milo Hamilton got in the elevator it was 45 minutes before game time and 15 minutes till the interview Milo and Johnny was scheduled. Milo took one look at me shuddered and then asked me ,”Do You have a camera up yet?” Trying to be diplomatic I answered , “No. We ran into a slight problem but I will have it fixed any second”. Milo exploded and screamed at me,” This isn’t a game it’s a FUCKING BUSINESS!!!” And it got quiet in the space then just as the elevator settled at field level where I would go hook up the truck and JB would go play baseball Mr Bench hit his shoe with his bat a couple of times and looked straight at Milo Hamilton and then said , “You’ve got it all wrong, Milo. It’s just a game.” The elevator doors opened and I said , “Thank you, Mr. Bench.” and walked back to the cables and the truck. That’s a true story and I will always be a Johnny Bench Fan. God bless Johnny Bench. Thanks, David Holt.

[@Leninade-ze7pd]

@@SH-zz2ef try not to be such a douche ok? The guy was just going over his last recollections.

[@ethanweeter2732]

Sounds like something Cossell would do too.

[@ShawnC.T.]

It was a privilege to watch this man play the game of ⚾...

[@jeffreylocke8808]

A jewel in the crown of our National Past Time. Johnny Bench made being the catcher a premier position.

[@bigpapavee]

Best Catcher Ever! The Big Red Machine were embarassingly stacked with talent!

[@waynejohnson3635]

I never watched baseball, except when the Reds played during the Bench era. I watched the big Red machine and Johnny Bench was why I watched. But that whole team had character. Sparky too.

[@mainman127]

Happy 75th birthday to Johnny Bench

[@slundgr]

Johnny Bench is the best catcher there ever was and the best there ever will be.

[@kumarg3598]

Carlton Fisk and Ivan Rodriguez would disagree but you could be right.

[@6412mars]

@@kumarg3598 Could be right? Hahaha! GD right!

[@kumarg3598]

@@6412mars I think catchers are the most overlooked in mlb history. Javier Lopez was a very good hitting and fielding catcher. Not so much at calling the game. Posada called a good game. Varitek, maher, Munson, McCann, etc had great and relatively long careers but had the fewest ABS in their prime years. Piazza would have hit 600 Homer's but had the most grueling position.

[@patrickgray5633]

@@kumarg3598 those guys were greats & are in Cooperstown where they belong but Johnny Bench is the greatest ever cause he changed the position.

[@augustinecerronejr7968]

Totally Agree

[@19austen65]

Best catcher ever for one of the best MLB teams in history.

[@jimhirsch4482]

I was so fortunate to live in Los Angeles County as a teenager in the 70s and got to see him and the Reds come out to Dodger Stadium three times a year.

[@aa697]

Better than Yogi Berra? Berra has 10 World Series Championship rings compared to Bench's 2. But yes he was the greatest in my era.

[@aa697]

Yogi Berra has 10 rings compared to Bench's 2.

[@obbor4]

@@aa697 Baseball is a team sport. Bench was the best ever I'm sure Yogi would have told you the same thing.

[@aa697]

@@obbor4 8n addition to his 10 WS Championships compared to Bench's 2 Berra also won 3 MVP awards compared to Bench's 2. Berra was in WWII which took away 2 of his professioal baseball years. And yes baseball is a team sport and like Berra , Bench was also surrounded by great players i.e. Perez, Rose , Morgan who were huge parts of the Big Red Machine. That said, yes Bench was a great catcher and was the best during his era. And that says a lot considering other great catchers of his era like Fisk, Munson, Simmons, Freeman etc.

[@rpc717]

My absolute favorite player growing up. My Johnny Bench catcher's mitt was one of my prized possessions. Best of all was seeing him at a Bob Hope USO show in Riyadh. The best catcher ever and a great guy.

[@RoundingThird]

I have the clip of him from the 1970 Bob Hope Christmas Special on my channel. The full one is on youtube somewhere.

[@bufnyfan1]

@@RoundingThird Don't ask his first wife about Bench. She said he was a great athlete but a horrible human being. I believe Bench has been married 3 times already.

[@Dime_time333]

@bufnyfan1 he probally just slept around. Hard to resist that much temptation. Plus maybe she wasn't playing with a full deck herself. 3 sides to every story.

[@robindew9072]

Johnny Bench is an ICON to so many of us.

[@tomsmith5216]

I'm old enough to have seen them all play in their primes I didn't see Yogi until 1952, but saw the rest of them from their rookie seasons to the end of their careers.

[@gregj831]

Bench was one of those very special athletes who could simply take over a game and he could do it on both offense and defense. My greatest memory of him was unquestionably, the 1976 World Series. He was unstoppable and completely blew up the Yankees.

[@scottodonnell7121]

Thurmon Munson was the Yankee's catcher and actually outhit Bench in this series. The Reds were way better than any team in baseball, 75-76.

[@esportshighlights2457]

@@scottodonnell7121 Munson didn't outhit Bench. Bench hit .533 with 2 HR and 6 RBI. Munson hit .529 with 0 HR and 2 RBI. Bench clearly had the better series.

[@ethanweeter2732]

@@esportshighlights2457Only slightly, but the HRs and RBIs alone would have likely given him the higher WAR.

[@scottcornwall9320]

One thing that wasn't mentioned about Johnny's surgery following the 1972 season was that the tumor was on the BACK of the lung. Had the doctors taken the easy way out, they would have cut through his back, and likely ended his career. Because the surgeon took the more difficult route by cutting through his chest, it saved his career from an early ending. Yes, it DID affect his HR totals and his power in general, because of the chest muscles that were cut, but he still managed to put up solid numbers for many years (just no more 40+ HR seasons).

[@ethanweeter2732]

That matters though as he might have had 500 HRs and more hits too.

[@rgarrison1819]

1975,76 Reds,Who Defeated the Boston Red Sox in the 1975 World Series, in 7 Games,Widely Considered The Greatest World Series Ever Played!!!,and Then the Following Year, Swept the National League Playoffs, and Then Won The World Series for the 2nd Year in a Row,by Sweeping Billy Martins Bronx Bombers,The New York Yankees!!!!, Yes This Reds Team with The Great Starting 8!!!, was in my Opinion, The Greatest Major League Baseball Team of All Time!,Hall of Famer's,Johnny Bench " The Greatest Catcher of All Time",Joe Morgan "The Greatest 2nd Baseman of All Time!,Tony "Doggy"Perez " RBI Man,Mr Clutch",Pete "The Hit King" Rose,Davey Concepcion,One of The Best All Time Defensive Shortstops,and in my View Should be in The Hall,along with Pete Rose!,Cesar Geronimo "The Chief",Gold Glove Center Fielder,Who Could Flat Out go Track Them Down!,Ken Griffey,who was a Great,Great Contact Hitter,Who Also Played a Fantastic Defensive Right Field,Strong Arm!,and Then Finally Big George Foster,Who With That Big Black Bat of His Swated 52 Bombs in the 1977 season!,and We Can't forget George Sparky Anderson,HOF Who Managed This GREAT 8,Yes This Was THE GREAT 8!!!,and General Manager Bob Howsam put it all together What Memories I have as a kid watching the Best Professional Baseball Team ever Assembled Play Every Summer of my Youth!!!

[@mikecushing7276]

Brilliant

[@mr.eggplant866]

You must be from cincinnati.

[@randyhuke3773]

Every one of these guys should be in the Hall!

[@richardescalante6663]

No one could play like Johnny he was a hero and a respectful and very strategic player. We love you !

[@matta3968]

My hero as a kid. He wrote a book on catching and I must have checked it out from the local library a hundred times.

[@patrickgray5633]

The greatest catcher that ever lived!!!!!

[@MrNaturalSez]

That Yogi Berra guy wasn't shabby.

[@joeyjohnson4826]

@@MrNaturalSez LOL Carlton Fisk Pudge Rodriguez all better than Yogi Bear none of them as good as a good luck charm though. Yogi was good but let's not be ridiculous

[@thegreenbird795]

@@MrNaturalSez Yogi was quite a character but Bench was the best...

[@MrAitraining]

Yogi and Fisk were nowhere near the defensive player Johnny was. To hit at MVP levels for much of his career (won 2 MVP's) and be a 10 time gold glove winner sets him apart and I believe he is the best all around ever.

[@williegordon9188]

@@joeyjohnson4826 Yogi was lucky to play for those great Yankees teams.

[@ferniechaffino2672]

I'm only six years old.. he wore my most favorite number #5 .. he plays my most favorite position.. Catcher.. and my favorite color of all time is Red.. should I say anymore? Reds headquarters..

[@toddnyc1642]

GOAT. was always enjoyable to watch Johnny play. Thank you.

[@patrickgrisley]

Thanks for posting. He knew my grandfather in Cincinnati and I got to meet him once. A great person and a legend of a ballplayer.

[@parker_hullum3268]

Jhonny bench is my 3rd cousin. I have the blood ine

[@bufnyfan1]

I remember an interview Mr. Bench did where he demonstrated how he could hold 5 baseballs in one hand and not drop one!! Amazing. He complained about all the squatting he had to do playing catcher and the number it was doing to his hips. I believe Sparky Anderson let him play 1st base occasionally to reduce the wear and tear on his hips.

[@patrickgrisley]

@@bufnyfan1 pretty sure there is a video of him on a talk show demonstrating that! Have a search for it.... He might have played a bit of 3rd base as well at the end of his career. Hands down my favorite ball player!

[@BrianJamesWH]

I loved watching this on ESPN classic, I wish they still produced this show! Thank you for sharing!

[@christianfishin9940]

He is the one that got me into catching now I’m the starter catcher for my travel ball team

[@lazaroleoneltorres2651]

Best player I've never seen. He was the signal caller on two championship teams. And he won 2 MVPS.

[@mikemcd207]

Met this man at my son's teeball game this morning in Florida. Extremley nice, took pictures with everyone and signed a bunch of things. Stand up guy.

[@donconners6937]

Johnny & Pugde the standard for all time

[@danielharford1864]

As a Pirate fan, Johnny Bench stood out as the best of the Big Red Machine. His homerun in the 9th in 72 playoffs against the Pirates crushed me. It was Clemente's last game. Bench is the best catcher ever.

[@patrickgray5633]

@danielharford1864 I can respect that I came from a family of Cincinnati Reds fans as crushed as you had to be as a Pirates fan my dad was at work he told me watching it & he was a school janitor at the time he's the only person there Bench goes deep to tie that game & he was going crazy screaming excited he said.

[@franceswitham8214]

He's the greatest catcher of all time.

[@chrismcnutt8970]

My dad worked at his Coors distributor so we got blue section seats behind the home bench for Johnnys final home game as a Red. he hit a HR his last at bat

[@adamdorgant9454]

Great video of the Greatest Catcher in Baseball History!!!!!

[@ghill628]

You know, I find it interesting, and no one has mentioned it yet (or maybe I just missed it) but Bench was taken in the second round of the draft by Cincinnati behind Bernie Carbo. In fact of the 26 players taken before Bench in the draft only 4 ever even made an All-Star game appearance and none were close to the HOF. Another two players taken in the 10th & 12th rounds respectively by the Mets did make the HOF, some guys named Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan!

[@chrysmallander6726]

Think of when Tom Brady was taken in the draft.

[@mikestansberry8656]

Playing baseball and catching in the late 70's and early 80's. Bench made it easy for me to put on "the tools of ignorance" and try to play like him. Best times of my life as an athlete.

[@jeffdarnell7942]

Bench was the greatest Overall Catcher, in MLB. His abilities behind the plate, were unreal. He was nearly a perfect catcher.

[@scottodonnell7121]

he practically invented the position.

[@ethanweeter2732]

@@scottodonnell7121For sure the modern day catcher. He is the big reason catchers hide their throwing hand behind the glove, probably why the mitt is not very big, and why catchers don’t always hold the glove further forward and keep their hand right by the glove.

[@6412mars]

JB! My mentor as a young catcher late 60s early 70s..and my hero as a youngster..Best catcher ever!

[@JAMwithGeo]

Just think, that lesion on his lung put a damper on his potential, according to Johnny. I can only imagine what he would have done during what should have been the pinnacle of his career in his late 20's; 50 home run seasons and 150 rbi's ? You can only wonder and look back in amazement. The greatest catcher of all time.

[@markross2124]

I'll never forget that home run Bench hit in the bottom of the 9th in 1972 to tie the crucial fifth game against the Pirates off of ace reliever Dave Guisi.

[@RoundingThird]

You might like this version too. :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpS6l6uKfJaVbM0

[@smartluck100]

Dave Giusti…😎

[@robindew9072]

I grew up watching the Reds play when Johnny Bench and Mr. Pete Rose were in their prime. We got Reds tickets if we studied hard and got straight As and high marks. Man! They we two of the absolute greats. Pete should be allowed in the Hall of Fame. We loved Johnny Bench and Mr Pete Rose. So respect Johnny and Pete.

[@ricthornton2958]

Bench did things defensively that others could only dream of doing. He had incredible instincts and lightning quick reflexes. His hands were as good as any shortstop in the game. And his arm??? To understand the greatness of Bench, review the following statistics. From 1970 thru 1976, Bench played in 42 post season games (playoffs & WS). This was a time in the history of National Lequge baseball where the stolen base was "paramount" . . speed was a huge part of the game. In those 42 postseason games, opposing baserunners were successful in stealing a base only 2 out of 14 attempts meaning he threw out would be base stealers at an 85% clip which is amazing in and of itself as the league average for catchers year in and year out was well below 50%. However, during those same 42 games, Bench himself stole 6 bases in 6 attempts . . not because he had blazing speed but because he was an incredibly smart player with amazing instincts for the game.

[@toddrunyon]

I agree with your comments and would like to add one additional thought about it. Your description about speed and it's importance is spot on but one additional thing that can be taken from the number of postseason steals versus attempts is the small number of attempts. Everyone knew Bench's ability and usually didn't even TRY to steal on him.

[@dzanier]

@@toddrunyon true. Mickey Rivers was thrown out in the sixth inning of Game one in 1976 and the Yanks didn’t attempt another steal until Game four. By then it was too late.

[@rgarrison1819]

When Johnny Bench threw a Baseball to 2nd Base,it was like He was Throwing a Golf Ball!,That's what a Baseball looked like in The Palm of Johnny Bench's Hand!,and He Fired it Like a Seed Out of a Cannon!!!,Best MLB Catcher of All Time!!!!,and He was Part of The Best Starting 8 of All Time,The 1975,and 1976 Cincinnati Reds!!!!

[@ethanweeter2732]

@@toddrunyonThat means he impacted the game without hitting or throwing because runners could only run if they had big leads.

[@garymusick405]

THE BEST CATCHER EVER

[@MapleSyrupPoet]

Legend 🇺🇸 ...absolutely ⚾️

[@herbhouston5378]

This is good! Great tribute to the best catcher ever.

[@henry-bo3np]

Johnny Bench is the best catcher ever.

[@robindew9072]

Johnny Bench one of the best of the best

[@stumarston6812]

Now THAT was a ball player.

[@pauljohnson7382]

So...I had a chance to meet Mr Bench at a club back in the late '80's...1.)Biggest hand I have ever shaken...2.)Honestly the most humble former pro-athelete I've ever met...Also met Mark Spitz once...Great Era for Sports!..

[@chrysmallander6726]

He could palm 7 baseballs.

[@MrNaturalSez]

He never DH'd an at-bat in his life. He earned every at-bat by taking a position in the field.

[@ScottParisi]

Incredible job taking the ESPN show and adding ads. Bench was an absolute beast. My favorite player as a kid.

[@RoundingThird]

I'm not sure what that means but I don't add ads or make a dime off of any videos I post. That's all KZbin and whoever claims the copyright. I have zero control over it.

[@ScottParisi]

@@RoundingThird fair enough. Thank you for the reply. My channel is not monetized and KZbin adds ads to me as well.

[@jockoadams3377]

My son is becoming a catcher. Johnny Bench had the single greatest rule of catching: "Catch the ball."

[@melaniemorris667]

Just love this man, the greatest!

[@CSDonohue11]

Johnny B!

[@russellsmith9917]

Especially before his lung surgery, he was unbelievably great!

[@waldolydecker8118]

Bench was drafted in 1965 in the second round (#36 overall). The Reds #1 draft choice that year? Bernie Carbo (16th overall), who had an excellent rookie year with the Reds in 1970, batting .310, but when his production declined and the Reds added additional pieces to the Machine, he was traded to St Louis in 1972. Carbo famously resurfaced in the 6th game of the 1975 World Series, when he hit that 3-run homer in the bottom of the 8th inning against the Reds that tied the game and set up Carlton Fisk's extra innings heroics.

[@jomamackdaddy]

I modeled my catching after Bench and Rick Dempsey. Caught about 650 games in high school and local industrial leagues. I have no knees and terrible arthritis, I hope my heroes are doing OK.

[@josephsalyers8405]

So the moral of this story is ol Sparky thinks that Johnny Bench is the 2nd coming of the Messiah. Nice Video Man! Well Done !

[@jackwillis6867]

I'd take Johnny Bench over Pete Rose any day and not think twice about it.

[@chrysmallander6726]

I would just like to have both if that is ok.

[@cv5916]

Someday, somewhere a kid will come along and be better than Bench. I doubt I’ll live to see it.

[@bufnyfan1]

Johnny Bench in interviews has said that the "Big Red Machine" couldn't exist if it had played in the modern era. Paying yearly multi-million dollar salaries to Rose, Bench, Morgan, Concepcion etc would not have been possible for just one team. And other teams would have been making offers to each of them such that they would never have all stayed together anyway

[@meharinationsportspodcast2582]

Imagine if Johnny Bench played in today's baseball, good luck trying to steal any bases with him commanding home plate. ⚾️

[@ricthornton2958]

There are only a handful of teams that could afford to pay him.

[@chrysmallander6726]

These days no one steals. Just pitching and homeruns,,

[@indianasunsets5738]

Today, his operation would have been an outpatient procedure where a medical device would have been used with non-invasive characteristics. No problem.

[@mitchelll3879]

Sorta like Michael Jordan, there is Johnny Bench and there is everyone else

[@andyburns5472]

So he went 8 for 15 in "76 WS. Good job!

[@chrysmallander6726]

That's a BA of better than 500, so whats your point.

[@andyburns5472]

@@chrysmallander6726 I knew beforehand Bench hit 0.533 in this WS and wanted to know how that translated into hits per at bat. Munson hit 0.529 or 9 for 17. Good World Series for the catchers.

[@chrysmallander6726]

@@andyburns5472 Indeed!

[@RoundingThird]

I wonder if it wasn’t the best World Series for catchers. Too bad it didn’t go 7 with both guys getting 15-18 hits each.

[@craigacook8360]

True story. My brother was a catcher when he played baseball, my brother was so good as a catcher people called him Bench

[@willrogan955]

Had he have been great, they would have called him pudge

[@Leninade-ze7pd]

@@willrogan955 come on now

[@stardaddyo9]

Best catcher of all time: Johny Bench

[@MapleSyrupPoet]

Johnny can really sing 🎶 super, duper ...great to see 👀 Sparky Anderson

[@patrickgray5633]

Thank you very much for uploading this can you get Sparky Anderson now?????

[@RoundingThird]

You're very welcome. I'll see what I can do.

[@robertmays2851]

How long was John in the carolina league?

[@patrickgray5633]

@@RoundingThird have you been able to find Sparky Andersons’????

[@toddmerriss]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGHTfXmrn9ljmtk

[@tombowden9675]

In 76 johnny bench hit 15 balls into the green seats in left in batting practice this writer got 3

[@Jiltedin2007]

They just don’t make Catchers anymore like Johnny Bench! As a Red Sox Fan I was glad to see that he was close friends with Carl Yastrzemski, they both retired together in 1983 and became enshrined in Cooperstown together in 1989.

[@samuelschwartz2124]

Funny, I remember Yaz keeping Bench from being the MVP of the 1969 all star game by robbing him of his 2nd homer(this was Johnny's first all star game). Willie McCovery followed bench in the lineup and hit his 1st homer after benches and hit his 2nd after Yaz robbed Bench. McCovey got the MVP.

[@emmetjohnson3110]

I taught my grandson how to catch one handed he could throw anybody out at second base also tried to teach him never the block the plate but the sweeping tag will keep you from getting hurt Johnny bench is style of keep from getting hurt

[@tomloft2000]

he was the prototype for all those coming after him.

[@tombowden9675]

When Johnny came up in 67 I could not believe his rifle arm picking off runners at 1st bace

[@TroysPepperstick]

"I would like to play backgammon on that board" Guy was seducing grannies

[@philrisser6853]

the doctors found a spot on my lung! fortunatly it was bar-bQ sauce

[@MrSnidleywhiplash]

Greatest catcher all time

[@randyransio7870]

Best all around catcher. He invented the position. Clemente invented right field.

[@smartluck100]

And Michael Jack Schmidt invented 3rd…😎

[@Leninade-ze7pd]

@@smartluck100 arguably Brooks Robinson invented third from a defensive point of view, but Mike was definitely a better hitter.

[@smartluck100]

@@Leninade-ze7pd Schmidt had BOTH. Gotta go with MJS

[@Leninade-ze7pd]

@@smartluck100 while Brooks had 17 gold gloves, Mike is the goat third baseman

[@chrysmallander6726]

What about Al Kaline.

[@smartluck100]

Hated The Big Red Machine as they came through Atlanta every summer through the late 60’s and early 70’s and thoroughly brutalized my Braves. But I sure as hell respected them. Bench was the beast (yes, beast) of the team. In hindsight, I consider myself lucky and privileged to have seen what I now call The Modern Day Murders Row. Discuss.

[@RoundingThird]

In the 1970 compilation on my channel there is a newspaper headline that said ‘make that chief watch-a-homa’ after the reds brutalized Neikro.

[@eddierivera1860]

My dad saw both Bench and Josh Gibson and told me Bench was nowhere near Gibson couldnt carry Josh's bat!

[@dannywallace4905]

I've seen Bench play in many games...?Damn Great

[@mikecustenborder3991]

Sullivan, we put together a last minute gift. Sports writers, executives, jealousy

[@earlmcclain8488]

Stand flat footed at home plate. Take no step and throw it over a 400 foot fence. Cannon

[@SuperIliad]

Were free agency to come along two years after it did, well... who knows?

[@keithmotsinger918]

Best catcher i ever saw and him being a Okie,like the Mick ,one of my faves,Both were.But my all-time fave was Willie say-hey Mays.Greatest player,exciting.Saw a documentary about Willie quite a few years ago,asked 2 name greatest catcher,said Campy and Bench.

[@remanco65]

Yep

[@mr.eggplant866]

He played in a hitter's park.

[@mirandamiranda5830]

Marsha Marsha Marsha

[@GoodmanMIke59]

"Jerry Grote would have caught and I'd have played 3rd."

[@stevenmccart5455]

I know exactly where Binger Oklahoma is.

[@chefcook6076]

YEAH WELL THURMAN HIT OVER 500 IN THE 4 GAMES TOO

[@justifiedtruth9722]

Love Johnny bench, greatest catcher ever but he never would give Oakland As any respect for beating them in the World Series without Reggie Jackson

[@RoundingThird]

Sparky called them the greatest team he ever faced.

[@idc9323]

I mean the title

[@haroldfloyd5518]

Bench is probably the best ever (he thinks so…) although you could make a good argument for Campy or Yogi.

[@RoundingThird]

I think the deal breaker is that Bench caught with one hand and everyone since has done it that way. Campy and Yogi, while great and with even better numbers offensively, didn't make every team go get a 30 HR hitter at catcher.

[@haroldfloyd5518]

@@RoundingThird Yogi is the Bill Russel of baseball: woefully undervalued but has the rings that say he was the best teammate ever. 9 Championships! But I’m with you: Bench is still the best. He made pitchers better. And he could do everything.

[@dnasty312]

41:06

[@jackwillis6867]

I wonder if Bo Jackson would've been a good catcher because of his arm, Jackson could throw like a dart,remember the throw he threw out out home flat footed from the wall and made a perfect throw.

[@ghill628]

It takes much more than an arm.

[@chrysmallander6726]

Johnny Bench would throw out runners without even leaving the crouch.

[@bak-mariterry5180]

Bo should have left football alone .

[@richardmiller5818]

Could of had close to 2500 Hits

[@robertpanetta7912]

Ok you have to build a baseball team because your life depends on it . You go Bench or Berra . There is no question it’s Bench . You see late in a game You won’t steal on Bench you will steal on Yogi .

[@gregb6469]

In that scenario I'd probably pick Campanella.

[@raymondvandewalle934]

Bench was an idol of mine, ...until one fateful morning. He humiliated me, my nephew (4 years old) in 1985....all I can say is that at the 6:35 minutes in, as they say, Johnny was not a nice guy....well, he was an as***ole that morning to me, and I literally said, in the moment, " you are the best catcher ever, and an idiol... could you please give me your autograph..."?( I was"star~struck)....no one even knew who he was that day, including the wait staff, ...but I did. And he signed the 'guest check ' , handed ot to me, and looked at me with DISGUST.....HEY...I get it...on the road, small town, like ..who's this asshole...however, he looked right at my nephew with his scorn.Yes, scorn. Look it up...Johnny Bench is still, the greatest catcher in MLB history. However, his ego, and his demeanor is know, in small circles, as an...as% hol*....sad as hell...

[@alexstachura11]

😂😭🤣

[@gregpettis1113]

Maybe he was just having a bad day

[@ghill628]

I know the feeling. Spent hundreds on a ticket to a baseball dinner where he was the featured speaker. Tried to get him to autograph my From Behind The Plate book from 1972. The guy was a dick about it & ended up not signing the book because . . . I still don't know why. He was signing autographs for people, just not my book. They always say never meet your idols. They're right.

[@duradim1]

Sometimes a little hyperbole can be taken the wrong way.

[@thespaceram2879]

There are no idols. None! There are no other Gods besides Lord Jesus Christ. He does punish idolaters later if those keep doing it.

[@iloveamerica11]

In the 80's I was informed that Johnny Bench was in the occult.

[@RoundingThird]

Funny, in the 80s I was informed that nearly everyone was in the occult.

[@iloveamerica11]

@@RoundingThird Could be that. Bench and Cindy Williams from Laverne and Shirley were the only 2 famous people named from my information.

[@waynenoll1967]

Back when they actually played baseball…no “launch angle” no “war” no “fantasy” bullshit, it was a man’s game. Nobody played better than Johnny Bench. Baseball today is unwatchable

[@gregpettis1113]

Today they disparage the old time ball players. They have the nerve to adjust their numbers and say this is what they would've done in today's game

[@chrysmallander6726]

I agree with all you said.

[@ferniechaffino2672]

Reds headquarters..