Category: Athlete Appearances, Baseball, Cancer Speakers, Hall of Famers, Leadership Speakers
Highlights: Johnny Bench is a former catcher who played for Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds from 1967-1983. Considered one of the greatest catchers ever, Bench became a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.
Travels From: California
Fee Range: $20,001 - $30,000
Johnny Bench is considered one of the greatest catchers in Major League Baseball history. He played for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967-1983 and was a 14-time All-Star. He was an integral part of the Reds’ famed “Big Red Machine” that won six National League Central Division titles, four National League pennants and two World Series. Bench enjoyed his best season statistically in 1970 when he batted .293 with 45 homers and 148 RBI. That year, at the age of 22, he became the youngest player ever to win the NL MVP Award. Bench won the NL MVP Award for a second time in 1972 after leading the NL in home runs and RBI.
Bench retired at the end of the 1983 season with the following career totals – a .267 batting average, 2,048 hits, 389 home runs and 1,376 RBI. At the time of his retirement, he was the all-time home run leader among catchers, a record which would later be broken by future Hall of Famers Carlton Fisk and Mike Piazza. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1989 after appearing on 96 percent of the voters’ ballots.
Bench was raised in Oklahoma and attended Binger-Oney High School, where he was class valedictorian. In 1965, the Reds took Bench with the 36th overall pick of the baseball amateur draft. He spent two seasons in the minor leagues before making his major league debut in August of 1967. Even though Bench retired several decades ago, he remains popular and highly visible. He’s a sought-after motivational sports speaker and has been a pitchman for numerous products, including Blue-Emu. In 2008, Bench co-wrote a book titled “Catch Every Ball: How to Handle Life’s Pitches”. In 2011, the Reds unveiled a Bench statue in front of the Reds Hall of Fame at Great American Ball Park.
A summary of his achievements and honors include…
• 14-Time All-Star
• 10-Time Gold Glove Winner
• 2-Time World Series Champion
• 2-Time National League MVP
• 1976 World Series MVP
• 1968 National League Rookie of the Year
• 3-Time National League RBI Leader
• 2-Time National League Home Run Leader
• Member of Baseball Hall of Fame
• Member of Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame
• Named to MLB All-Century Team
• Named to MLB All-Time Team
• Number 5 Jersey Retired by Cincinnati Reds
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