Johnny Bench is an American former professional baseball player who played his entire Major League Baseball career, which lasted from 1967 through 1983, with the Cincinnati Reds, primarily as a catcher. Bench was the leader of the Reds team known as the Big Red Machine that dominated the National League in the mid-1970s, winning six division titles, four National League pennants and two World Series championships. Johnny is widely regarded as the greatest catcher of all time.
A fourteen-time All-Star and a two-time National League Most Valuable Player, Bench excelled on offense as well as on defense, twice leading the National League in home runs and three times in runs batted in. At the time of his retirement in 1983, he held the major league record for most home runs hit by a catcher. He was also the first catcher in history to lead the league in home runs. His record of 45 home runs in a season held the record for the most by a catcher, until Salvador Perez hit 48 in 2021. His 389 home runs and 1,376 runs batted in remain the most in Cincinnati Reds history.
On defense, Bench was a ten-time Gold Glove Award winner who skillfully handled pitching staffs and possessed a strong, accurate throwing arm. He caught 100 or more games for 13 consecutive seasons. In 1986, Bench was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. ESPN has called him the greatest catcher in baseball history.
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Bench played baseball and basketball and was class valedictorian at Binger-Oney High School in Binger. His father told him that the fastest route to becoming a major leaguer was as a catcher. As a 17-year-old, Bench was selected 36th overall by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the 1965 amateur draft. Johnny played for the minor-league Buffalo Bisons in the 1966 and 1967 seasons. During the 1967 season, he hit a grand slam against Jim Palmer, (who was our 2014 Jamboree speaker). Jim Palmer would go on to never allow a grand slam in 19 years in the major leagues.
In 1968, his first full year in the big league, the 20-year-old Bench won the National League Rookie of the Year Award, batting .275 with 15 home runs and 82 RBIs. This marked the first time that the award had been won by a catcher. He also won the 1968 National League Gold Glove Award for catchers, which was the first time that the award had been won by a rookie.
During the Vietnam War, Bench served honorably in the United States Army Reserve as a member of the 478th Engineer Battalion, which was based across the Ohio River from Cincinnati at Fort Thomas, Kentucky. This unit included several of his teammates, among them Bobby Tolan and Darrel Chaney. In the winter of 1970–1971 he was part of Bob Hope's USO Tour of Vietnam.
For the last three seasons of his career, Bench moved out from behind the plate, catching only 13 games, while primarily becoming a corner infielder (first or third base). The Cincinnati Reds proclaimed Saturday, September 17, 1983, "Johnny Bench Night" at Riverfront Stadium, in which he hit his 389th and final home run, a line drive to left in the third inning before a record crowd. Johnny retired at the end of the 1983 season at age 35.
Bench had 2,048 hits for a .267 career batting average with 389 home runs and 1,376 RBI during his 17-year Major League career. Bench earned 10 Gold Gloves, was named to the National League All-Star team 14 times, and won two Most Valuable Player Awards.
In 2018 Johnny Bench was the Hall of Fame recipient of the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award, for his service to his country and continued support of the United States Military. Thank you, sir, for your service. Welcome to Chesapeake, Virginia!
