Johnny Bench facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Johnny Bench
Bench c. 1972
Catcher
Born: (1947-12-07) December 7, 1947 (age 77) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
August 28, 1967, for the Cincinnati Reds
Last appearance
September 29, 1983, for the Cincinnati Reds
MLB statistics
Batting average	.267
Hits	2,048
Home runs	389
Runs batted in	1,376
Teams
Cincinnati Reds (1967–1983)
Career highlights and awards
14× All-Star (1968–1980, 1983) 2× World Series champion (1975, 1976) 2× NL MVP (1970, 1972) World Series MVP (1976) NL Rookie of the Year (1968) 10× Gold Glove Award (1968–1977) 2× NL home run leader (1970, 1972) 3× NL RBI leader (1970, 1972, 1974) Cincinnati Reds No. 5 retired Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Major League Baseball All-Century Team Major League Baseball All-Time Team
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	1989
Vote	96.4% (first ballot)

Johnny Lee Bench (born December 7, 1947) is a famous American former professional baseball player. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Cincinnati Reds. From 1967 to 1983, he was mainly a catcher. Johnny Bench was a key player for the Reds team known as the Big Red Machine. This team was very successful in the mid-1970s. They won six division titles, four National League championships, and two World Series titles.

Bench was chosen for the All-Star team 14 times. He also won the National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award twice. He was great at both hitting and defense. He led the National League in home runs twice and in runs batted in (RBI) three times. When he retired in 1983, he held the MLB record for most home runs by a catcher. He was also the first catcher to lead the league in home runs. In 1970, he hit 45 home runs, a record for catchers until 2021. His 389 home runs and 1,376 RBI are still the most in Cincinnati Reds history.

On defense, Bench won 10 Gold Glove Awards. He was known for handling pitchers well and having a strong, accurate throwing arm. He caught 100 or more games for 13 years in a row. In 1986, Bench joined the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989, his first year of eligibility. Many people, including ESPN, consider him the greatest catcher in baseball history.

Early Life and Baseball Dreams

Johnny Bench was born and grew up in Oklahoma. He is part Choctaw Native American. In high school, he played baseball and basketball. He was also the top student in his class. His father told him that being a catcher was the fastest way to reach the major leagues.

Starting a Professional Career

Drafted by the Reds

When he was 17, Bench was picked by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1965 amateur draft. He was the 36th player chosen overall. He played for minor league teams like the Buffalo Bisons in 1966 and 1967. In 1967, he hit a grand slam against Jim Palmer. Palmer, a future Hall of Famer, never gave up another grand slam in his 19-year MLB career.

Playing for the Cincinnati Reds (1967–1983)

Bench joined the Reds in August 1967. He only hit for a .163 average. However, his defense and strong arm impressed many, including Hall of Famer Ted Williams. Williams signed a baseball for Bench, predicting he would be a "Hall of Famer for sure!" This prediction came true 22 years later in 1989.

In 1968, Bench was catching for pitcher Jim Maloney. Maloney's fastball was not as fast as it used to be due to injuries. Bench told Maloney his fastball wasn't "popping." To prove it, Bench called for a fastball, then dropped his mitt and caught it barehanded! Bench was also the catcher when Maloney pitched a no hitter in 1969.

In his first full season in 1968, 20-year-old Bench made a big impact. He won the National League Rookie of the Year Award. He batted .275 with 15 home runs and 82 RBI. This was the first time a catcher won this award. He also won the 1968 National League Gold Glove Award for catchers, another first for a rookie. He had 102 assists that year, the first time a catcher had over 100 assists in 23 years. During the Vietnam War, Bench served in the United States Army Reserve.

Dominating the 1970s

In 1970, Bench had an amazing season. At 22, he became the youngest player to win the National League Most Valuable Player Award. He hit .293 and led the National League with 45 home runs and a team-record 148 RBI. The Reds won their division. They swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the playoffs but lost the World Series to the Baltimore Orioles.

Bench in 1977

Bench had another great year in 1972, winning his second MVP Award. He led the National League with 40 home runs and 125 RBI. This helped the Reds win their division again. They won the National League championship against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a thrilling Game 5. Bench hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning. The Reds won the game later that inning. However, the Reds lost the World Series to the Oakland Athletics in seven games.

After the 1972 season, Bench had surgery to remove a growth from his lung. The growth was not cancerous, but Bench said he was never the same player after the surgery. He still played well but never hit 40 home runs in a season again.

In 1973, Bench hit 25 home runs and 104 RBI. The Reds came back from a big deficit to win their division. In the playoffs, they faced the New York Mets. Bench hit a home run in the ninth inning of Game 1 to help the Reds win. But the Mets won the series in Game 5.

In 1974, Bench led the league with 129 RBI and scored 108 runs. He was only the fourth catcher in history to have over 100 runs and RBI in the same season. The Reds won 98 games but lost their division to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1975, the Reds finally won the World Series. Bench hit 28 home runs and had 110 RBI. Cincinnati swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the playoffs. Then, they beat the Boston Red Sox in an exciting seven-game World Series.

Bench circa 1980

Bench had shoulder problems in 1976, and his numbers dropped. He hit only 16 home runs and had 74 RBI. But he played great in the postseason. He hit .333 in the playoff sweep against the Philadelphia Phillies. In the World Series, Bench faced Thurman Munson, the Yankees' star catcher. Bench played incredibly well, hitting .533 with two home runs. The Reds swept the New York Yankees in four games. Bench was named the Series' MVP. Reds manager Sparky Anderson famously said, "I don't want to embarrass any other catcher by comparing him to Johnny Bench." Bench had a strong year in 1977, hitting 31 home runs and 109 RBI. The Reds made the playoffs one more time in 1979 but were swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Later Career and Retirement

Moving to Other Positions

For the last three seasons of his career (1980-1983), Bench played less at catcher. He mainly played first base or third base. He caught only 13 games during these years.

On September 17, 1983, the Cincinnati Reds held "Johnny Bench Night" at Riverfront Stadium. Bench hit his 389th and final home run that night. He retired at the end of the season at age 35.

Johnny Bench's Amazing MLB Stats

Johnny Bench's number 5 was retired by the Cincinnati Reds in 1984.

In his 17-year MLB career, all with the Reds, Bench had 2,048 hits. His career batting average was .267. He hit 389 home runs and had 1,376 RBI. When he retired, he was the career home run leader for catchers. That record was later broken by Carlton Fisk and then Mike Piazza. Bench still holds the MLB record for most grand slam home runs by a catcher, with 10.

During his career, Bench won 10 Gold Glove Awards. He was named to the National League All-Star team 14 times. He also won two Most Valuable Player Awards. He led the National League three times in caught stealing percentage. He ended his career with a .990 fielding percentage as a catcher. He caught 118 shutouts, which is 12th all-time among major league catchers. Bench also won other awards like the Lou Gehrig Award (1975) and the Babe Ruth Award (1976).

Bench helped make the hinged catcher's mitt popular. He started using it after a thumb injury in 1966. This mitt allowed him to keep his throwing arm safe when catching pitches. Soon, this type of mitt became standard for catchers. Bench had very large hands; a famous photo shows him holding seven baseballs in one hand!

Life After Baseball

Johnny Bench has been married five times. He has a son named Bobby Binger Bench, who works on Reds broadcasts in Cincinnati. Bobby says his dad "was, and is, a great dad." Bench married for the fifth time in March 2024.

While still playing baseball, Bench made a guest appearance on the TV show The Partridge Family in 1973.

Honors and Activities After Playing

Bench's statue at Great American Ball Park

Bench signs autographs in Houston in May 2014.

Bench was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, in 1989. He was elected in his first year of eligibility, with 96% of the votes. Three years earlier, he was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. His uniform number 5 was retired by the team. He is currently on the board of directors for the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. In 1989, he became the first individual baseball player to appear on a Wheaties cereal box.

In the 1980s, Bench was a spokesperson for Krylon paint. He also hosted the TV series The Baseball Bunch from 1982 to 1985. On the show, kids learned baseball from Bench and other famous players.

Bench also worked as a baseball commentator for TV and radio. He called games for ABC, CBS Radio, and NBC. After turning 50, Bench played in some professional golf events on the Senior PGA Tour.

In 1999, The Sporting News ranked Bench Number 16 on its list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. He was the highest-ranked catcher. Bench was also chosen for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. He was also selected for the All-time Gold Glove Team.

From 2000 to 2018, the best college catcher each year received the Johnny Bench Award. Famous winners include Buster Posey and Kurt Suzuki. The award was renamed the Buster Posey Award in 2019.

In 2003, he appeared as himself on an episode of the TV show Yes, Dear. In 2008, Bench co-wrote a book called Catch Every Ball: How to Handle Life's Pitches. He also wrote an autobiography in 1979 called Catch You Later.

On September 17, 2011, the Cincinnati Reds revealed a statue of Bench. It is at the entrance of the Reds Hall of Fame at Great American Ball Park. The statue shows Bench throwing out a base runner. Bench called this moment his "greatest moment."

In 2016, he was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame. In 2018, he received the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award for his service and support of the United States Military.

Images for kids

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  Bench in 1972

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  Bench in 1977

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  Bench around 1980

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  Bench's statue at Great American Ball Park

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  Bench signs autographs in Houston in May 2014