"Of course, Elway won two more Super Bowls [after our conversation], then retired on his own terms. It was a year of firsts. According to Rose, the team went 47–4, losing only to the alumni teams of the 1961 and '62 NCAA champion University of Cincinnati squads. I said, 'It looks like you got two canes, the way those legs are shaped.' Johnny Bench is 70. I walked away from a $900,000 contract. In 1970, the Big Red Machine showed they would be a force to be reckoned with by making the first of four World Series appearances. And Johnny wasn't staying. And Lord knows, he isn't living the life of a 70-year-old. Known for its infamous black borders, it is often terribly unforgiving and the cards show any wear and tear that they have gone through. Johnny finished the 1968 season with stats so high that he bagged the National League's Rookie of the Year Award. You can fool your dad, but you can't fool me!'". Bench sees Pérez, who lives nearby, in Miami. Don't let that stop you from grabbing a card from one of the most important seasons in Johnny's career, though. In 1982 Johnny continued his foray into television by hosting a show called, “The Baseball Bunch.” Bench and some other winding down greats would teach a group of kids all about playing the game. That offseason, Sports Illustrated ran a feature on "The Big Zinger from Binger.". This particular Topps set was prone to bad centering, making good quality cards harder to find. "As I went to the plate," he later recalled, "I heard my mom hollering my name: 'Hit me a home run.' Johnny hit 28 home runs and 110 RBIs throughout the winning season. Over his career Bench threw out 43% of the risk-tolerant base runners who chose to test his arm. Before the Reds would come back to make world history, they had one more season out of the limelight. "Ever heard 'Mr. In constituting a review bench, the chief justice should ensure substantial compliance with Rule 8 of Order 26 by including author judge (if available) in the review bench. This Johnny Bench baseball card has a close up shot of Johnny smiling, wearing a red cap which matches the the cartoon hat on the card design used to showcase his position and team. "I want those boys to be well-raised and well-behaved and well-educated. Bench took his third at bat in 1997, marrying Elizabeth Benton, and his fourth marriage came in 2004, to Baiocchi, the daughter of pro golfer Hugh Baiocchi. So with the same grimace he flashed pitchers when they shook off his signs, the greatest catcher in history turns the dial and the three males in the SUV start singing along to 21 Pilots and Imagine Dragons. Bench chooses his words cautiously talking about their recent breakup, in part because it involves his sons' mother and in part because there are matters still in court. But Johnny never required the validation of others. Carolina was determined to acquire a new QB, but at some point it may have been smart to stick with Teddy Bridgewater instead of trading away future picks. It didn't matter. This card shows Bench taking off after a hit with a bright red banner above and below the photo highlighting the team's name. He looks around on parents' nights and the generation gap is clear. During just his second season in the majors, he reckoned that the arm of his pitcher, Gerry Arrigo, was tiring. They cheer like mad until you fall. Johnny Bench baseball cards are some of the most sought after from the late 60's through the early 80's. The card commemorating this fantastic season shows Johnny crouched down, hand in the hinged mitt that he made so popular. The team's logo is displayed in the bottom left corner. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. At this point Johnny had caught 100 games over 12 seasons. Johnny wasn't loving the California desert; he had the urge to return to South Florida, where he lived from 2014 to '17, and it was closer to Lauren's parents, who live there. The beloved former Cincinnati Reds catcher played for 17 years and won two World Series championships, 10 Golden Gloves and 2 MVPs during that time. Really, it's hard for me to accept people who don't make an effort, are not professional. © 2021 ABG-SI LLC. He says he doesn't feel 70. But Ted had been a semi-pro baseball player, and as Johnny was growing up, Mickey Mantle was proving that Oklahoma boys could become luminous stars on the diamond. One point he makes without hesitation though: Primary custody suits him fine. The son of post office engineer, he was born in Kentish Town supporting Arsenal as a boy. Bobby Richardson, the former Yankees second baseman, said, "This crowd on Earth, they soon forget the heroes of the past. They noticed that for all his natural talent, he was flailing at breaking pitches. He was picked one last time to be a part of the All-Star team. This 1968 Topps card is the only officially recognized Johnny Bench rookie card out there, and mint specimens can go for over $2500! Though barely in his 20s, Bench comported himself like a veteran. So Bench called for a curveball. Johnny Bench is 70. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? While playing for Class A Tampa that year, he caught the attention of no less than Yogi Berra. Half a lifetime later he still recalls the rough treatment he received from unsympathetic fans. He made 14 All-Star teams, and he won 10 Gold Gloves, every year from 1968 through '77. Suffice to say that when "Sports Dynasties" is a Jeopardy! He led the major leagues in caught-stealing percentage in 1969 and '72. The Big Red Machine's bill of particulars: five seasons, four division crowns, three pennants, two World Series titles. "They threw me curveball after curveball after curveball," Bench recalls. (For the sake of comparison, Buster Posey has one.) For more great storytelling and in-depth analysis, subscribe to the magazine — and get up to 87 percent off the cover price and two FREE gifts. The Minnesota Twins lost a beloved member of the organization Friday when bench coach Mike Bell died at the age of 46. By 1972 the Big Red Machine was humming. "That's right," he says, his voice dropping an octave. He'd go hunting with his pal Knight and golfing with any of his innumerable celebrity friends. A former Army man, Bench joined Bob Hope's United Service Organizations Tour of Vietnam in the winter of 70-71 to help raise the morale of troops overseas. "I don't mind the work. He doesn't look 70; his physique, tanned by the Florida sun, hasn't swollen significantly from his playing weight of 221 pounds, with muscles still discernible. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? The edges commonly chip and there are plenty of printing errors. But do this: Walk into your office tomorrow and have two people boo you. The back of this card had a small cartoon boasting about Bench’s MVP titles. The photo on the card shows Bench with a bat in his hand and a smile on his face. I wasn't earning it." Catching 118 shutouts during his career, Bench is rated 12th of all time for major league catchers. Six years older than Bench, Arrigo declined. While his career was toning down, Johnny began making more TV appearances. The Reds managed to power through to the World Series once again, although they still came up short in the end. ", Most of the stories don't involve baseball, but there's one, set in the late '60s: Bench was 18 and playing in Buffalo. He doesn't look 70; his physique, tanned by the Florida sun, hasn't swollen significantly from his playing weight of 221 pounds, with muscles still discernible. An easier way to honor his legacy for the average fan is to collect his baseball cards. The Rangers' home opener in Arlington, Texas drew the largest attendance at an American sporting event in over a year. The team's core—Bench, Rose, infielders Joe Morgan and Tony Pérez—could scarcely have been more different in background, playing style and personality. Dad messes up the words, as he often does. ESPN parted ways with ESPN after videos of him surfaced with exotic dancers on his Instagram Live. He kept the fire going in 1969 by setting the highest caught stealing percentage in a single season with 57%. His hips ached constantly, the legacy of a car accident Bench endured as a teenager. The photo also captures something special in Johnny's face, as though he's looking off into his future. Mark Few is looking to complete what was once thought to be an impossible feat in Spokane. "We're called the Reds, which is funny because we don't see color," Bench explained. None of it makes a difference. The pitcher was Sam Jones, supposedly the curveball guy. Bench had the season of a lifetime in 1970. category, the mid-'70s Reds are invariably mentioned. The boys' friends have scarcely heard of Johnny Bench. ", Over the final three seasons of his career, Bench caught only 13 total games. ", As if on cue, he receives a text. Neither plays baseball, but Johnny would like both to be involved in the game. On September 17 of 1983, The Cincinnati Reds coined the game Johnny hit his last home run as “Johnny Bench Night.”. He was the leader of the "Great Eight"that made up the Big Red Machine teams of the 70s. Then he laughs. He had back trouble, surgery to remove a lesion on his lung in 1972, and he broke his left ankle in 1981. When Arrigo reared back and threw a fastball, Bench caught the pitch barehanded. If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. The next thing you know, you're back in your office, you're not coming out. The 'Jeopardy!' Four days after they met, Bench proposed; 13 months after they married, they were divorced. You throw it in, put some soap in, push the button and come back when it's done. While that was an oversimplification, an unmistakable chill passed between them. 8 Arizona State men's basketball's thrilling 64-59 win over No. He hired his team's young radio announcer as his sidekick. "I gave Al Michaels his first job in television," he says. The kids want Top 40. While 1971 is often viewed as a down year for Bench because it was sandwiched between two huge MVP years, no collection is complete without his 1971 Topps card. "Definitely firm. His autograph graces the photo in black. This card features an action shot of Bench making a catch mid-game in foul territory dangerously close to the visitors dugout. ", Nor was the team destabilized by the social stresses of the late '60s and '70s. "We respected him, but he respected us, to the point that he would ask for our input," says Bench. Even though this card is from a lower part in Johnny's career, and from a set that's easily attainable, this card is worth having for its visual value alone. But he did a lot of things you later appreciated.". In 1968, Bench played his first full season and was named National League Rookie of the Year. That being said, the card itself has a punchy and colorful design with interesting fonts and a great yellow border. Collecting this catcher's cards gives you a chance to hold some amazing baseball history in your hands, and as he is still alive today, you might just be lucky enough to snag an autograph. He would win #3 of his 10 consecutive Golden Glove Awards while also winning the National League MVP by hitting 45 home runs, 148 RBI and batting .293. 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