Books and articles about Johnny Bench

Considered by some the greatest catcher of all time, Bench got a "can't miss" tag when Peninsula of the Carolina League retired his uniform after he hammered 22 homers in 98 games as an 18-year-old in 1966. He spent the first four months of the 1967 season at Buffalo, then took over the Cincinnati catching job in August 1967. In spring training of 1968, Ted Williams autographed a baseball "To Johnny Bench, a Hall of Famer for sure." Bench met expectations quickly by catching a rookie-record 154 games that season, setting a record for catchers with 40 doubles, and becoming the first catcher to win National League Rookie of the Year honors. He went on to become the National League's dominant catcher for nearly a decade and a half.

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Bench batted either fourth or fifth for the Big Red Machine team that dominated the National League in the 1970s and won six division titles, four pennants, and two World Series. From 1970 to 1977, Cincinnati players won six of eight MVP awards; Bench won two of them. The first came in 1970 following his league-leading 45 home runs and 148 RBI, all-time records for catchers. After holding out and slumping somewhat in 1971, Bench rebounded in 1972 to win his second MVP award. That year, he had the hottest streak of his career, hitting seven homers in five straight games from May 30 through June 3, and he finished with 40 homers and 125 RBI, leading the league in both categories for the second time. He homered three times on July 26, 1970, en route to setting a record of 36 homers by July 31, and twice more had three-homer games, on May 9, 1973 and May 29, 1980. He won his third RBI crown in 1974, driving in 129 runs and leading the NL with 314 total bases.

Of partial Native American descent, Bench was named to the All-Star team in 13 consecutive seasons, and he faced fellow Native American catcher Bill Freehan in five of them. He batted .370 in All-Star competition, hitting homers in the 1969, 1971, and 1973 games and narrowly missing a second homer in 1969. His selection as an All-Star was based as much on his defensive abilities as his offensive skills. He won ten straight Gold Glove Awards and set a NL record by catching at least 100 games in each of his first 13 seasons. He established career records for putouts and chances. Blessed with exceptionally large hands, he was one of the first catchers after the Cubs' Randy Hundley to use a hinged mitt and a one-handed catching style. His throwing arm was unrivaled by catchers of his era.

Bench suffered his worst year as a regular in 1976 when he hit .234 with 16 homers, and some thought he was finished at the age of 29. But competing head-to-head in the World Series against Thurman Munson, the American League's best catcher, brought him alive. He outhit Munson .533 to .529 and won the Series MVP award. Bench recorded his last super season in 1977, hitting .275 with 31 home runs and 109 RBI.

Worn out by catching, Bench repeatedly requested a shift to another position, but the Reds lacked a suitable replacement, and were reluctant to accommodate him. They finally moved him to first base in 1981. On May 28, Bench fractured his ankle, with his batting average at .343. He missed two months and finished the season at .309, his only year over .293. Bench played primarily third base the next two seasons, but went back behind the plate for his last game at the end of 1983. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility and was inducted in 1989. (MC/CR)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » June 8, 1965: Arizona State star sophomore Rick Monday, selected by the Athletics, is the first player chosen in the initial ML free-agent draft of high school, college, and sandlot players. Picking 2nd, the Mets take P Les Rohr (who will two games). Joe Coleman, Jr. is taken 3rd by the Senators. On the 10th round they finally take Nolan Ryan. Cincinnati picks Johnny Bench in the 2nd round after taking Bernie Carbo in the 1st. » June 21, 1966: Satchel Paige makes his final pro pitching appearance, going the first two innings for Peninsula (Carolina L) against Greensboro. Satch gives up two runs. As noted by historian Bill Deane, Peninsula's regular catcher, Johnny Bench, took the night off. » July 1, 1967: Baltimore's Jim Palmer gives up a grand slam—but its in the minors. Sent to Rochester (International League) to rehabilitate from back problems, Rochester manager Earl Weaver starts the 21-year-old against Buffalo, in a game moved to Niagara Falls because of racial disturbances on Buffalo's east side. Palmer is given a 7–0 lead, but the Bisons score five runs in the 3rd, four coming home on a grand slam by Johnny Bench. Rochester hangs on to win, 10–8. » August 28, 1967: In the Reds 3–2 loss to the Phils, catcher Johnny Bench makes his debut. He goes 0-for-3 before Chico Ruiz pinch hits for him in the 9th with a runner on 2B. » September 20, 1967: In the Reds 9–4, win over the Braves, Johnny Bench hits his first ML homer, a 3-run shot off Jim Britton in Atlanta. » May 5, 1968: In Los Angeles, Johnny Bench hits an RBI double in the 16th inning as the Reds edge the Dodgers, 3–2. » July 14, 1968: Houston's Don Wilson fans 18 batters in a 6-1 win at Cincinnati, tying the major-league record set by Bob Feller. Wilson (6-11) fans Johnny Bench to end the game. He also ties the major-league record with eight strikeouts in a row, striking out the side in the first three innings. A one-out walk to Alex Johnson in the 1st is the only interruption. Wilson also fans the side in the 5th. The Astros win the opener, 5–4. » November 22, 1968: Cincinnati C Johnny Bench is named National League Rookie of the Year, getting 10 1/2 votes to edge out New York's Jerry Koosman who had 9 1/2. Bench is the 3rd Reds' player in six years to be named the top rookie. » April 15, 1969: At Cincinnati, the Reds and Giants battle for 12 innings before the Reds win, 11–10. The game is 5–5 at the end of eight innings, and teams score three in the 9th and two runs in the 10th. Johnny Bench's bases-loaded single off Gaylord Perry ends it in the 12th. » August 3, 1969: The Reds tally 10 runs in the 5th inning and smack 25 hits in the game to just beat the Phillies 19–17 at Connie Mack Stadium. With the 10 run-5th they take a 16–9 lead, and add another pair in the 6th. The Phils counter with seven runs in the 6th. Johnny Bench is the high man for the Reds with five hits. » August 13, 1969: Montreal reliever Elroy Face gives up the last of his record 21 extra-inning gopher balls, an 11th inning grand slam to the Reds Johnny Bench. Cincinnati wins, 8–3 in Montreal. » April 17, 1970: Down 5–4 to the Giants in the bottom of the 9th, the Reds tie when Hal McRae socks a pinch homer. Tony Perez ends the game with a 3-run homer in the same inning. Johnny Bench, Lee May, and Pete Rose also homer for Cincy. » May 17, 1970: At Crosley Field, Hank Aaron collects his 3,000th hit, a first-inning infield single, and his 570th home run, off Wayne Granger, but the Reds beat Atlanta, 7–6 in 15 innings. Pete Rose's 9th inning homer knots the game at 3–3, and the Reds score another three in the 10th to tie the game at six apiece. The Reds score in the 10th on a double by Tony Perez and homers by Johnny Bench (who starts the game in CF) and Lee May. Don Gullett pitches the last two innings and drives in the winner with a single. Perez is 5-for-7 in the contest. Aaron is collared in game 1, a 5–1 Reds victory. The DH draws 33,217, the largest crowd at Crosley Field since 1947. » June 7, 1970: The rampaging Reds move to nine game ahead in the NL West with a 10–2 walloping of the Mets. Johnny Bench, with five RBIs, and Lee May crash homers to back Wayne Simpson's 8th win. » June 24, 1970: Before 28,027, the Reds play their final game at Cincinnati's Crosley Field, beating the Giants 5–4. Johnny Bench and Lee May hit back-to-back homers off Juan Marichal in the 8th for the win. » July 2, 1970: The Reds hand the Braves their 9th loss in 10 games, as Cincy wins, 2–1. Jim Merritt becomes the National League's 1st 13-game winner and his batterymate Johnny Bench drives in both runs. » July 26, 1970: Johnny Bench of the Reds and Orlando Cepeda of the Braves each collect three consecutive homers and seven RBIs during respective games with the Cardinals and Cubs. Bench hits all three off Steve Carlton and adds a single in the Reds 12–5 win over the Cards. Bench now has 33 homers and 95 RBIs to lead the majors. Cepeda collects his seven RBIs in the Braves 8–3 win over the Cubs in game 1. His first two are solo shots, and the 3rd follows an intentional walk to Aaron to load the bases. His last RBI comes on a single in the 9th. In the nitecap of the twinbill, Cepeda has three hits but the Cubs win, 7–6. Glenn Beckert, 2-for-3 in the opener, raps five straight hits in game two to lead Chicago. » August 1, 1970: After trailing 4–2, the Reds score four in the 8th to defeat the Cubs, 6–4. Johnny Bench and Ty Cline each drive in two runs in the 8th. » August 22, 1970: Johnny Bench has a 2-out, 2-run double in the 9th to give the Reds a 3–2 win over the Mets at Shea Stadium. » October 5, 1970: Johnny Bench and Tony Perez homer as the Reds beat the Pirates 3–2, while Jim Palmer pitches Baltimore to a 6–1 win over Minnesota. Both teams thus complete sweeps of their respective LCS and advance to the World Series. » November 18, 1970: Johnny Bench wins the National League MVP Award with 326 points, 108 more than the Cubs Billy Williams. Bench had 45 homers, 148 RBI, and a .293 average for the Reds. His 355 total bases is a record for a catcher, one that will be tied by Mike Piazza in 1997. » July 13, 1971: In an All-Star Game featuring home runs by Johnny Bench, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Reggie Jackson, Frank Robinson, and Harmon Killebrew, the American League triumphs at Detroit 6–4. It is the only AL All-Star victory between 1962 and 1983. Jackson's home run goes 520 feet. » June 1, 1972: At Houston, Hal McRae pinch hits a 6th inning grand slam to spark the Reds to a win, 10–3. The Astros had taken a 3–0 lead on homers by Cesar Cedeno and Doug Rader. Johnny Bench hits his 4th homer in three games in the 7th, and Tony Perez adds a homer in the 9th. » June 3, 1972: The Reds spot the host Phils a 5–0 lead, then score three runs in the 7th, and one each in the 9th, 9th, and 10th to win, 6–5. Julian Javier starts the Reds scoring with a 2-run homer and ends it with an RBI single. Johnny Bench also homers, his 7th in the last five games to tie an National League record. » August 14, 1972: In Atlanta, Johnny Bench drives in five runs on a home run, double and single, to lead the Reds to a 12–2 win over the Braves. » September 1, 1972: The Reds edge the Expos, 1–0, in 12 innings on Johnny Bench's single. Ross Grimsley and Clay Carroll combine on the shut out. » September 13, 1972: The Reds Johnny Bench hits a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 10th to beat the Braves, 8–6. He hit a grand slam yesterday in a 7–5 win over Atlanta, and he'll have 11 homers and 33 ribbies for September. » September 16, 1972: Following the Reds-Padres game at Riverfront Stadium, "This is your Life" host Ralph Edwards surprises Johnny Bench as the catcher is the featured guest on the program. With cameras rolling, Bench's family and friends appear as Edwards narrates the show. » October 11, 1972: The Pirates lead the Reds 3–2 in the bottom of the 9th inning of the final game of the NL series. Johnny Bench homers to tie the game, and two singles and a Bob Moose wild pitch later, the Reds are NL champs. » October 18, 1972: With the rainout yesterday, game five is quickly re-scheduled for this afternoon. With runners at 2B and 3B and a 3-2 count, the A's fake an intentional walk and strike out Johnny Bench looking. Blue Moon Odom strikes out 11, but Cincinnati's Jack Billingham is the winner 1–0. » October 21, 1972: The Reds send the Series to its 7th game with an 8–1 victory, the only game of the Series decided by more than one run. Johnny Bench has a home run and Bobby Tolan and Cesar Geronimo each drive in two runs. » November 22, 1972: Johnny Bench wins the National League MVP with 263 votes to 211 for runner-up Billy Williams. It is Bench's 2nd award in three years. » May 9, 1973: The Reds Johnny Bench slugs three home runs and knocks in seven runs in a 9–7 defeat of Steve Carlton and the Phillies. Bench homers in the 1st, walks in the 3rd, and homers again in the 5th and 7th. It is the 2nd time Bench has hit three home runs in a game against Carlton; the first came on July 26, 1970. Bench ties a major-league record with four consecutive homers, having hit one in his final at bat last night in the Reds 7–1 win. Despite the three homers, Dave Concepcion's 2-run homer in the 9th, off Barry Lersch, is the game-winner. » June 5, 1973: In Cincinnati, the Mets score three runs in the 10th inning, then watch as the Reds come back with four runs to win, 6–5. Johnny Bench ends the scoring with a 3-run homer. » July 27, 1973: The Reds wallop the Braves, 12–2, as Johnny Bench drives home six runs with a pair of homers. » September 1, 1973: In San Diego, Johnny Bench belts a 2-run homer in the 9th as the Reds edge the Padres, 3–2. » October 6, 1973: Jim Palmer fans 12 in shutting out the A's 6–0 in the opening game of the American League Championship Series. Meanwhile, Tom Seaver fans 13 and takes a 1–0 lead into the 8th inning of the National League opener, only to be beaten by home runs by Pete Rose and Johnny Bench. The Reds top the Mets 2–1. » August 31, 1974: Johnny Bench drives in seven runs with a bases loaded double and grand slam to lead the Reds to a 10–3 win over Montreal. » September 2, 1974: A controversial call against the Reds helps the Astros win 4–3. Johnny Bench's single in the 7th scores one run and the 2nd base runner Joe Morgan is called out, negating the tying run, though replays seem to show him safe. The Cincinnati City Council will pass a resolution stating their shock and dismay at the "atrocious call." » September 12, 1974: The Reds sweep a pair from the Braves and the two teams combine for a major-league record three grand slams. Cesar Geronimo hits one in the 2nd inning of game 1, as does the Braves Darrell Evans. The Braves hang on for a 9–6 win, then take game two by a 6–2 score. Johnny Bench hits the 3rd grand slam of the day in game 2. Bench will finish the year with 129 RBIs to top the National League, and his 315 total bases will lead the league. He is the only catcher in ML history to lead a league in TB [Bench caught 137 games; 3B in 36 games; 1B in 5]. » September 13, 1974: In Atlanta, Johnny Bench drives in all six runs as the Reds win, 6–2. » April 27, 1975: During a 4–3 loss to the Giants, the Reds Johnny Bench suffers a shoulder injury in a home-plate collision with Gary Matthews. Bench will undergo surgery in November. » May 17, 1975: In Montreal, Johnny Bench and Ken Griffey hit homers in the 10th inning as the Reds beat the Expos, 5–3. » May 26, 1975: At Riverfront, Johnny Bench launches a 5th inning grand slam to help the Reds beat the Expos, 5–4. » June 8, 1975: Johnny Bench belts a 2-run homer in the 7th and the Reds beat Rick Reuschel and the Cubs, 2–1. » June 14, 1975: The Reds keep hitting Chicago pitching, beating the Cubs like a rented mule to win, 11–3. Johnny Bench has two doubles and three singles. » June 30, 1975: For the 3rd time in four days, the Reds win on an extra-inning home run. This time, Johnny Bench belts a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 12th and the Reds whip the Astros, 9–6. Clay Kirby gets the decision. » July 31, 1975: Giants pitcher John Montefusco predicts he'll shut out the Reds and strike out Johnny Bench four times. The Count's a little off as the Reds score seven runs in one 1/3 innings off Montefusco, three of the runs coming on a Bench homer. The Reds win, 11–6. » September 8, 1975: Johnny Bench belts a 2-run homer in the 8th as the Reds beat the Padres, 3–2. » August 11, 1976: At Wrigley, the Cubs take a 10–1 lead after three innings, only to lose to the Reds, 13–10. Cincy scores two runs in the 6th, four in the 7th helped by a Johnny Bench 3-run homer, one in the 8th and two runs in the 9th. Ken Griffey's 2-run homer in the 9th ties the game. The Reds continue scoring with three in the 10th off Bill Bonham to hand the win to Pat Zachry. » October 12, 1976: The Reds score 7 times in the final 3 innings to secure a 7-6 win and complete a sweep of the LCS. Johnny Bench and George Foster hit successive HRs to start the rally. » October 21, 1976: The Reds take a 3-0 lead against Ed Figueroa, but the Yankees close it to 3-2. A 4-run splurge in the 9th, topped by Johnny Bench's 2nd HR of the game, ices the Reds 7-2 win, completing a 4-game sweep of the Yankees. WS MVP Johnny Bench has 2 HRs and 5 RBI,and demolishes the Yankees with .533 hitting. Opposing C Thurman Munson had 6 straight singles to tie a WS mark. The 1976 Reds become the first team ever to go through an entire LCS and WS without a defeat. » May 29, 1977: Johnny Bench's 1st-inning grand slam off Rick Rhoden jump starts the Reds to a 8–1 win over the Dodgers. » June 5, 1977: Johnny Bench clouts two homers and drives in five runs as the Reds rout the visiting Astros, 14–4. » August 27, 1977: Dan Driessen and Johnny Bench hit back-to-back homers in the 9th inning to give the Reds a 5–4 win over the Phils. Tug McGraw serves up both. Driessen's homer is a line drive that hits the CF wall at Riverfront and rebounds back over Jerry Martin's head all the way to the infield for an IPHR. Bench follows with one over the LF wall. » June 2, 1978: At Riverfront Stadium, Johnny Bench comes off the bench to pinch hit with two outs in the 9th and the Reds trailing the Pirates, 2–1. With a runner on, Bench presses his first ever pinch home run and the Reds win, 3–2. » July 26, 1978: Johnny Bench hits his 300th career home run, off Nino Espinosa, and Pete Rose hits in his 39th straight game, but the Reds bow to the Mets, 12–3. » October 1, 1978: With an 8–3 lead over the Braves, Reds manager Sparky Anderson pulls Pete Rose in the 8th inning. Atlanta scores five runs in the 9th to tie and the Reds finally win in 14 innings, 10–8. Rose thus ends the season with 198 hits, and Sparky's move deprives him of reaching his annual 200 hit total. Johnny Bench has a grand slam and the Braves hand out an National League record 16 walks in the game. Reds pitchers strike out 19. » July 22, 1979: In the first of two at Wrigley Field, the Reds roll over the Cubs 12–1, behind Bill Bonham. Johnny Bench ties the National League record by collecting five walks and Dave Concepcion hits an 8th inning grand slam, off Willie Hernandez to put the score in double digits. The Cubs come back in game two to win, 8–4. » July 24, 1979: In Pittsburgh, a 4th-inning call results in a 34-minute rhubarb during the Pirates-Reds game. With Buc runners on 1st and 3rd, a 3–1 pitch to Omar Moreno is called a ball, but Johnny Bench throws to 2B ahead of the runner from 1B, Lee Lacy, who is attempting to steal. Lacy is called out by Dick Stello even though Moreno has just received a walk (therefore entitling Lacy to 2B), and walks off the bag. He is then tagged out by Dave Concepcion, precipitating the argument. The subsequent protest is rejected by National League president Feeney, and the Pirates 6–5 loss is upheld. » August 22, 1979: In a 7–2 win over the visiting Expos, Johnny Bench belts his 325th homer, the most ever by a player in a Reds uniform. The previous club record of 324 was held by Frank Robinson. » May 29, 1980: Johnny Bench hits three home runs off Randy Jones in Cincinnati's 5–3 win over San Diego. It is the 3rd 3-HR game of his career. » July 15, 1980: In an 11–7 Reds win over Montreal, Johnny Bench belts homer #314 as a catcher, and #347 overall. The round tripper comes off David Palmer. » September 19, 1980: The Reds light up Jerry Reuss (17-6) for eight runs in two innings, en route to a 10–7 win over the Dodgers. Reuss serves up a grand slam to Johnny Bench, the 9th slam off him this year, a National League record. Steve Garvey and Ron Cey solo for the Dodgers. » May 4, 1983: Johnny Bench collects his 2,000th career hit, a single off Steve Carlton in a 9–4 Cincinnati loss to the Phillies. » September 17, 1983: A record regular-season crowd of 53,790 packs Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium on Johnny Bench Night, and the retiring superstar responds with a 2–run home run and a single. But the Reds lose to Houston 4–3. » September 29, 1983: In the Reds last home game, Johnny Bench hits a 2–run pinch single in his last ML at bat. The Reds still lose to the Giants, 11–7. » January 9, 1989: Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski are elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in their first year of eligibility. Bench was named on 96.4 percent of the ballots, the 3rd-highest figure in history behind Ty Cobb and Hank Aaron. » July 22, 1989: Johnny Bench, Carl Yastrzemski, Red Schoendienst, and ump Al Barlick are inducted into the Hall of Fame at ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York. » October 7, 1993: The New York office of consumer affairs files civil charges against Hall of Fame C Johnny Bench, for allegedly making misleading claims while on the Home Shopping Network. In December, Bench will pay $5,000 to settle the case. » September 14, 1996: Mets' C Todd Hundley hits his 41st home run of the season to set a new major league mark for catchers. The Mets defeat Atlanta, 6-5, in 12 innings. Johnny Bench hit 45 in 1970, but only 38 while behind the plate. Hundley also owns the Mets home run record, previously held by Darryl Strawberry with 39. » November 6, 2001: Gold Glove award winners are announced. Ivan Rodriguez wins his 10th straight to tie Johnny Bench for the most by a catcher, Greg Maddux wins his 12th straight to extend his NL record for pitchers, and Roberto Alomar wins for the 10th time, the most ever for a 2B.