Johnny Bench
| Birthdate | 12/7/1947 |
| Death Date | |
| Debut Year | 1968 |
| Year of Induction | 1989 |
| Teams | Reds |
| Position | Catcher |
On July 15, 2015 Johnny Bench was named one of the four greatest living baseball players along with Sandy Koufax, Willie Mays, & Hank Aaron.
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Johnny Bench is considered by many to be the greatest catcher in baseball history
Johnny Bench is considered by many to be the greatest catcher in baseball history
An All Star, Gold Glover and Rookie of the Year in 1968, Johnny Bench is considered the greatest catcher of all time. He was a two-time Most Valuable Player, a 14-time All Star, and a ten-time recipient of the Gold Glove Award.
In 2015, Major League Baseball’s Franchise Four was unveiled. In a more than 25 million votes, fans named Bench, Sandy Koufax, Hank Aaron, and Willie Mays the four greatest living ballplayers.
The quartet took the field together in a pregame ceremony before the 2015 All Star game in Cincinnati. The historic event was capped off by Bench crouching behind home plate in Cincinnati, the city he played all of his 17 seasons. Koufax took the mound to throw the ceremonial first pitch to the Reds legend.
Bench reached the pinnacle of his profession in 1989 when he and Carl Yastrzemski were voted into Cooperstown in their first year of eligibility. The Cincinnati catcher was named on 96.4% of the writers’ ballots.
Bench’s plaque in Cooperstown of Johnny Bench reads in part, “Redefining standards by which catchers are measured…”
The two-time world champ and former World Series Most Valuable Player did just that.
Shown here is a correspondence between quite possibly the greatest defenders at two positions, Bench, and Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson. The Human Vacuum Cleaner mailed current and former stars of the game requesting their consent to lend their name to the Babe Ruth Advisory Board. Johnny Bench agreed to this, writing, “Brooks, if you think it’s ok, it’s ok.”
At the bottom, Bench pens his signature and writes his Cincinnati address.
Bench and and the Reds cruised to consecutive World Series titles in 1975 and '76
Bench and and the Reds cruised to consecutive World Series titles in 1975 and '76
The Cincinnati Reds were the National League’s winningest teams of the 1970s. Known as the Big Red Machine, they won six division titles, four pennants, and two World Series titles. From 1970-1979 the averaged more than 95 wins per season.
Built by GM Bob Howsam, the Reds the Reds boasted future Hall of Famers at multiple position and Cooperstown-bound manager Sparky Anderson. Their zenith came in 1975 and ’76 when the won back-to-back titles.
The ’75 team won 108 games and finished 20 games ahead of the second-place Dodgers. Cincinnati swept Pittsburgh in the NLCS then defeated Boston in a thrilling seven-game Fall Classic.
A month after their triumph, Cunard Cruise Lines put together a promotional tour for the world champs. They offered an all-expenses-paid luxury cruise for Howsam, Anderson, players Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Tony Perez, and announcer Marty Brennaman. To earn their keep, each man did a presentation and fielded questions from those who attended.
Shown here is the baseball itinerary from that cruise. It is signed by all seven Reds and authenticated by Beckett. The itinerary describes the Reds catcher, “Johnny Bench – Catcher; regarded by many as the best catcher ever in major league baseball”.
The on-board presentations included the following:
“INSIDE THE WORLD SERIES – The inside story of the 1975 World Series from scouting the potential opponents to playing the games. Lean about Sparky Anderson’s pitching rotation strategy; front-office planning and the players’ tactics and reactions.”
“BUILDING A BALL CLUB – Bob Howsom [sic], Sparky Anderson, and Marty Brennerman [sic], discuss how a team is put together; the influence of astro turf, recruiting, drafting, scouting, trading; from front office to dugout.”
“BASEBALL COMMUNICATIONS – (Signs and Signals) – the secrets of signs to and from the coaches such as ‘take’ vs. ‘hit’, ‘bunt’ vs. ‘hit’, and ‘steal’ (what about Joe Morgan on his own?). Defensive players station themselves according to the pitch called for.”
“PARA NUESTROS PASAJEROS QUE HABLAN ESPANOL – A special bi-lingual [sic] meeting with Tony Perez, Marty Brennerman [sic], and others will be held. This will be a question and answer session about major league baseball in North America and the role of Latin America players.”
On July 15,1980 Johnny Bench broke Yogi Berra's record for home runs by a catcher
On July 15,1980 Johnny Bench broke Yogi Berra's record for home runs by a catcher
Johnny Bench left the baseball as the game’s greatest home run-hitting catcher. He hit 20 or more dingers in 11 seasons, and twice slugged 40+.
On July 15, 1980, Bench hit his 305th homer as a catcher. The smash broke Yogi Berra’s career record for long balls by a backstop.
The next day Berra sent Bench a telegram. It read in part, “Congratulations on breaking my home run record last night. I always thought the record would stand until it’s broken…”
Shown here is a photo autographed by Yogi shown shaking hands with Babe Ruth.
Bench held the catcher home run record for ten years until Carlton Fisk broke it
Bench held the catcher home run record for ten years until Carlton Fisk broke it
Johnny Bench held the record for home runs by a catcher for more than a decade, from July 15, 1980 to August 17th, 1990. His mark was broken by contemporary Carlton Fisk.
Since then Mike Piazza has passed both men. with 399 long balls while playing catcher, Piazza may have put the record just might be out of reach.
Shown here is a ticket to Game 6 of the 1975 World Series between Bench’s Reds and Fisk’s Red Sox. One of the greatest games in the history of the Fall Classic, it was decided by Fisk’s 12th-inning walk-off home run. Notice Fisk’s signature on the ticket. It is authenticated by PSA/DNA as is the inscription, “Gm 6 WALK OFF HR STAY FAIR! STAY FAIR!”.
You can watch the memorable contest in its entirety by clicking here.
Johnny Bench's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame came on July 24, 1989
Johnny Bench's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame came on July 24, 1989
Heading into the final year of the 1980s, only 23 men reached the Baseball Hall of Fame their first time on the ballot. That summer two more baseball legends were added to the list, Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski.
The Veterans Committee selected Cardinals great Red Schoendienst and legendary umpire Al Barlick. Together the four men were inducted on July 24, 1989 in Cooperstown, New York. The image above is an invitation to their ceremony. It is signed by Schoendienst at the bottom.
