Wednesday, 25 June 2025

Johnny Bench

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Athletes 2025
Embed from Getty Images
Sport(s): Baseball
Statistics: 2 World Series Championships (1975 & 1976)
2 MVPs (1970 & 1972)
14 All-Star Games (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980 & 1983)
10 Gold Gloves (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 & 1977)
2 Home Run Titles (1970 & 1972)
3 RBI Titles (1970, 1972 & 1974)
.267 Batting Average
2,048 Hits
389 Home Runs
1,376 Runs Batted In
Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
Member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame
Major League Baseball All-Century Team
Number Retired by the Cincinnati Reds
Many baseball historians believe that Johnny Bench was the greatest Catcher of all time, and as the heart of the “Big Red Machine” in Cincinnati, it is easy to see why.

Catchers are not always known for their offensive prowess, and if they can provide solid defense and learn how to handle their Pitchers, they are valued. Bench was one of the best in those skills, but his bat brought Cincinnati an elite player who could go deep, get on base often, and was a natural leader of what became a star-studded team. He made history as the first Catcher to lead the league in Home Runs, and the two-time MVP led his team to back-to-back World Series wins in the 1970s.

We are proud to nominate Johnny Bench for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.