Johnny Bench Biography

Johnny Lee Bench was born on December 7, 1947, and is an American former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career from 1967 to 1983 with the Cincinnati Reds, primarily as a catcher. Johnny Bench was a member of the Cincinnati Reds team that won six division titles, four National League pennants, and two World Series championships during the 1970s. Bench was a two-time National League Most Valuable Player and a fourteen-time All-Star who led the majors in home runs twice and in runs batted in three times. Johnny Bench hit 45 home runs in 1970, a National League record for catchers that stood until Salvador Perez reached 48 in 2021. On defense, Bench was a ten-time Gold Glove Award winner who skillfully handled pitching staffs and possessed a strong, accurate throwing arm. The Reds chose Bench in the second round of the 1965 draft, selecting him 36th overall when he was 17 years old.