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
high junior senior
I was valedictorian of my junior high and senior high classes.
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?
softball baseball horse
A catcher and his body are like the outlaw and his horse. He's got to ride that nag till it drops.
catchers middle
The catcher is in the middle of everything. He sees it best.
good-as-it-gets pudge wells
Well, you know, Pudge Rodriguez, obviously is as good as it gets.
expectations yeah i-can
So, yeah, I can say I always set my expectations so high that I had a lot to live up to.
biggest moment series town winning
My biggest moment was winning the World Series because everyone in my town was able to feel he was a world champion.
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.
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.