Johnny Bench
Johnny Bench
Johnny Lee Benchis an American former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Bench, a 14-time All-Star selection and a two-time National League Most Valuable Player, was a key member of The Big Red Machine, which won six division titles, four National League pennants, and two World Series championships. ESPN has called him the greatest catcher in baseball history...
ProfessionAthlete
Date of Birth7 December 1947
believe box delivered died failing home lived newspaper people scared score week
It was not me failing that I was scared of. It was failing those people back home who believe in you. They only delivered the newspaper once a week where I lived in Oklahoma, and those people lived and died with the box score of my games.
arm feels legs playing responsibility
I want to win, but there's the grind. There's so much responsibility for a catcher...My arm feels good. My legs will be all right. How long will I go on? How long can I go on? How long for I want to go on playing baseball? Is this what it's like to be thirty?
dad hit thinking
I was just thinking that I don't think Dad could hit this guy.
high junior senior
I was valedictorian of my junior high and senior high classes.
ali fights five jimmy matches million muhammad ninety plays tennis winds
Jimmy Connors plays two tennis matches and winds up with $850,000, and Muhammad Ali fights one bout and winds up with five million bucks. Me, I play one-hundred and ninety games, and I'm overpaid!
ball knew moved tenacious tough
He knew how to pitch. He moved the ball around and was tough and tenacious on the mound.
dad owned
My dad owned a propane company in Oklahoma.
computer draw great guy love problem stands strike zone
I don't think you can set up a computer to do a strike zone on a guy who's 6-foot-5 and then a guy who's 5-8. Where does it draw the line? One guy stands tall, and another squats down, and it changes the lines. Nah. I still love the umpires; they do a great job. I don't have a problem with any of that.
best guys playing positions time
These guys were the best. They were the best at their positions and made playing the game easier. And at the same time it made it so much more enjoyable.
bust deal friend pitchers remind three town trust types
There are three types of pitchers you have to deal with. Some, you just have to tell what town they're in, remind them where they are. Some, you remind them about mechanics, and some, you have to bust their tail. You have to make them your friend and have them trust you.
peanut pulled worked
I pulled cotton at 6 years old and worked on the peanut farm and paper route.
best beyond drive game head minute remarkable scratch wildest
That's the remarkable thing about baseball. The game has a way of having you scratch your head one minute and drive you crazy, and then the next, you're entertained beyond your wildest hopes. That's why it's the best game.
bit buy chew cotton mickey money pick spent
I spent every bit of my money to try and get a Mickey Mantle card, and I don't have one. Growing up in Oklahoma, Mickey Mantle was my idol. And here I am, and I'd go pick cotton to have enough money, and I'd buy all of these packs, and I'd chew all of the gum, and I'd never find a Mickey Mantle card.
hard soft
They're like sleeping in a soft bed. Easy to get into and hard to get out of.