X-Nico

3 unusual facts about Johnny Bench


Bill Deegan

He also umpired in the 1978 All Star Game and the 1976 World Series; he was the home plate umpire for Game Four of the Series, which the defending champion Cincinnati Reds won on the strength of Johnny Bench's two-home run, five-RBI performance to complete a sweep of the New York Yankees.

Frontier Field

Local resident Johnny Perotti and his family played alongside players including Frank Thomas, Rickey Henderson, Johnny Bench, Mike Schmidt, Ozzie Smith, Reggie Jackson, and others.

Hugh Baiocchi

His daughter, Lauren, is married to well-known retired baseball player Johnny Bench.


1970 World Series

Total Baseball described Brooks Robinson's fielding with, "other-worldly defense at third (which) gave Reds right-handed hitters nightmares through the Series." Upon hearing that Robinson won the MVP award and a new car from Toyota, Reds' catcher Johnny Bench said, "If we had known he wanted a car that badly, we'd all have chipped in and bought him one."

1976 World Series

Catcher Johnny Bench, first baseman Tony Pérez, and outfielder George Foster provided enough power to drive in sparkplugs, Pete Rose, Ken Griffey and Morgan, who combined power (27 homers, 111 RBI) and speed (67 stolen bases) from the third-spot in the batting order.

Orange Frazer Press

Subsequent works included Woody's Boys: 20 Famous Buckeyes Talk Amongst Themselves, a 1995 book about Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes, as well as biographies of Ohio sports figures Johnny Bench, Chad Johnson, and Joe Nuxhall.


see also

Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1989

The field also included some prominent Gold Glove winners: Jim Kaat, whose 16 at Pitcher was the record until broken by Greg Maddux; Johnny Bench, whose 10 at Catcher was record until broken by Iván Rodríguez; and Carl Yastrzemski, who won 7 as an Outfielder.