Johnny Bench
From SoSH
| Born: | December 7, 1947 |
| Birthplace: | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Height: | 6' 1" |
| Weight: | 208 lbs |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Drafted: | 1965: 2nd Round by the Cincinnati Reds |
| College: | None |
| High School: | Binger High School (OK) |
| Teams: | Cincinnati Reds 1967 - 1983 |
Contents |
Overall Career
Johnny Lee Bench (born December 7, 1947, in Oklahoma City, OK), was one of the most impressive defensive catchers, and was also considered to be an outstanding hitter. A durable catcher, noted for his excellent baseball intelligence, Bench won 10 Gold Glove awards, two Most Valuable Player awards, and the Rookie of the Year Award during his 17-year National League career. A skilled hitter, the 14-time All-Star selection belted 389 home runs and led the league in RBI three times as a leader of the “Big Red Machine” teams of the 1970s.
Awards
- Elected to Hall of Fame by Baseball Writers in 1989 (96.42%)
- 1968 National League Rookie of the Year
- 1970 Major League Player of the Year
- 1975 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
- 1976 National League Babe Ruth Award
- 1976 World Series MVP
- 1981 Hutch Award
- 2-time National League MVP (1970, 1972)
- 10-time National League Gold Glove - Catcher (1968-1977)
- 14-time National League All-Star (1968-1980, 1983)
Achievements
- NL Total Bases Leader (1974)
- 2-time NL Home Runs Leader (1970 & 1972)
- 3-time NL RBI Leader (1970, 1972 & 1974)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 11 (1969-1975 & 1977-1980)
- 30-Home Run Seasons: 4 (1970, 1972, 1974 & 1977)
- 40-Home Run Seasons: 2 (1970 & 1972)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 6 (1970, 1972-1975 & 1977)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 1 (1974)
Trivia
- Won two World Series Rings with the Cincinnati Reds (1975 & 1976)
- Bench was fooled into taking strike three by Rollie Fingers and the Oakland A's in the 1972 World Series after the A's gave the signal for an intentional walk.
- Johnny Bench was a pioneer of the one-handed style of catching prevalent today, and was the first backstop to wear a protective helmet while behind the plate.
- Bench was also a Reds broadcaster from 1987 to 1990.
Transactions
- June 8, 1965: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2nd round of the 1965 amateur draft.
External Links
- Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
- Johnny Bench: Hall of Fame Page
