Johnny's era was the last of the guys that played the game for fun and to win. Big money was important, but not thee most important. Winning was number one.
@MANCHESTER UNITED F.C Soccer is easy to learn and play. Everyone can play. Baseball is the most difficult sport to play. Simply put,few can hit a 95mph fastball,then worry about a 70 mph curveball coming next. Soccer is boring,the only way it makes it in America,and remember I told you this,is if the American fan base turns away from football and basketball due to kneeling during our national anthem, singing the "black national anthem"and yielding any kind of attention to BLM. I have already turned my back on the NFL,never again. Expect to see this change with our fans THIS year.
Big money in those days wasn't that great. These guys were way before the massive contracts of today. Many of them could probably made more money doing other things. That's what's missing from the game in today's world, playing for the love of the game. It's all about the money in today's MLB
Yeah That’s why the LITTLE LEAGUE World Series with 11/12 year olds is broadcast all around the planet 🙄 Not to mention the hardest thing in sports is hitting a baseball So kicking a soccer ball for a penalty shot to win is harder than hitting a curve or change up off Nolan Ryan Right after a 99 mph fastball on the previous pitch That was thrown inside??? Come on that’s just silly and not even worthy of a comparison and I’m a High school football coach saying this......geez 🤷🏻♂️🤨🙄😏
I really didn't intend to watch the whole thing but once it started I couldn't help myself. Johnny Bench is such a great guy and class act on and off the field. And yes, that was a fast 25 minutes!
I grew up as a huge fan of The Big Red Machine. Pete was my favorite, Johnny, Joe Morgan, George Foster, Davey, Tony, Caesar G, Griffey SR. The best catcher of all time was Johnny Bench.
With the New York Boston Chicago and LA bias sadly anybody born in the 90s and up have no idea how great that 75 team was. I was born in 88 and learned from my uncle
I graduated from high school in Indianapolis in 1972. At the time, Indy did not go on daylight saving time, so from April to October, Cincinnati was an hour ahead. We would leave school at 3:30 PM and get to Cincy in plenty of time for a 7 PM game, and (with the time change) be home and in bed by 11 PM on a school night. Great teams and great times.
Loved watching Reds play. 70s and early 80s were the best. Johnny Bench and Pete Rose were two of the best in the MLB. We earned Reds tickets if we got High marks and straight As. What a great time to be a kid. So many great games we watched. I will always be a Reds Fan.
As a 60 yr old lifelong Red’s fan, I absolutely know that I KNOW that there will never, EVER be another catcher like the legendary Bench! He is both, THE best hitter AND best fielder...............hands down! 👏👏👏
Personally, I think it's more like: Ivan Rodriguez is the best fielding catcher ever, Mike Piazza is the best hitting catcher ever, but fuse them together and you get Johnny Bench. Best of both worlds.
I was a kid during the "Big Red Machine" years and I absolutely idolized Johnny Bench. He was the best role model a kid could have at that time. I still have his Rookie baseball card. Love the stories he tells here. The one about getting a drink with Mantle is priceless.
Michael M. And John was a better catcher. Bench was a better broadcaster, too. Heard Uecker call the Dodger game last night. Horrible, but not the worst.
Pay attention. I never compared anyone’s skills as a catcher or broadcaster. Only their entertainment value. Consider yourself lucky if you can even speak at Bob’s age.
@@samiam619 Johnny Bench was a better catcher then Ueck. You really went out on a limb there. You heard him call the Dodger Game? He doesn't call Dodger Games. Ueck is Mr. Baseball and one of the best broadcasters ever. You listened to a nearly 90 year old Uecker guest in the Dodgers booth or something? He doesn't travel anymore. Completely idiotic comment.
The Great Johnny Bench. I was a young teenager during The Big Red Machine years, and am still in awe every time I see one of these guys on TV. I can't imagine sitting down and having a conversation with Bench. I would be on Cloud Nine. Yet, he just sits there like a regular guy chatting away. People who are masters at their craft have no idea how their presence affects us mere mortals.
as a Dodgers fan since the Korean War,I believe the Big Red Machine was comparable to the fabulous Brooklyn club I grew up watching.I must say,its my recollection that the Machine dominated the '70s Dodgers in head to head match ups,and the Little Blue Wagon wasn't too shabby either.I really enoyed this interview
Loved him as a kid. He was and still is my baseball sports Hero. i wept when they said he had lung cancer but thank God it turned out to be o.k. Love ya Mr. Bench and thanks for all the great memories!
Back in the late sixties when I was about 13 I had a little,transistor radio that I listened to a couple of local fm stations on. Well in the evening on the AM side i could get various distant stations and the one that came in clear carried the Cincinnati Reds games. They hadn’t attained their greatness at that time but I became a fan. All us boys in the eighth grade had our teams and mine was the reds. Well long story short, as we got older they became great and I was a wizard to be a fan. They were magical. Every single one of them. And being from Oklahoma, Johnny Bench came close to being my goat to The Commerce Comet. I was lucky.
They used to have a fans photo day at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Fans could go down on the field before the game and shake the players hands and take photos. Not sure what year it was, but this was back in the 70s. Before a Reds-Cardinals game. Fans were behind a roped off area in the outfield and the players walked by. Bench was my favorite player and I got to shake his hand, what a great thrill for me. A memory that I'll never forget.
Johnny Bench, as usual, is frighteningly articulate. He was never one to mince his words. I cannot find fault or disagree with anything he has said. All Rose had to do is apologize and admit guilt. But he didn't.
Yes, Johnny is a smart man - baseball smart and school smart. Valedictorian in his high school. I've always liked listening to him. Rose should have followed his and other's advice and come clean.
Rose couldn't do it. That would go against the image he had of himself. At the end of the day, Pete Rose thought he was bigger than the game of baseball.
@@jeremyebert3309 Yes. An analogous situation is that of Ben Johnson who was stripped of his gold medal in Seoul. Had Ben come clean and admitted taking steroids, then I believe the public would have forgiven him after a period of time. Why? The sporting public and the public in general knows it is a dirty sport and others were doing the same. When the evidence is clear and incontrovertible, do you go around and claim ignorance as Johnson did, or outright deny betting on baseball in the case of Rose? Rose got good, sound advice and ignored it. He was complete delusional. You can be a terrible human being, but the worst thing you can do as an athlete (in the public's mind) is throwing a game, betting on a game, or quitting/not giving your best in a game.I don't feel sorry for either. Sad, really.
Pete never threw a game. 4256 hits will never be seen again. I agree there are rules and Pete has admitted his mistakes. Why is everyone so forgiving of steroids. Those are rules as well.
@@swinn848 Nobody ever said Pete threw a game. He placed bets on the game and there are rules against that. Betting on baseball strikes at the integrity of the game. If betting is left unchecked, the public will question whether the players and managers are giving their best effort in order to win games. The fans will think the outcomes are predetermined, they'll stop going to games and the sport will eventually die. That's not the case with steroids. Although some fans may stay away if they think players are on the juice, they (fans) won't question whether the players are giving maximum effort in order to win games. That's the distinction I would make between gambling and steroids. I personally want steroids completely out of sports. I don't think everyone is so forgiving of steroids. Bonds and Clemens are not in the Hall because of steroids, and may never get in.
Every guy on that team had personality and wit. Back then we had two newspapers, The Enquirer and the Post. And every morning, all you'd read was the banter going on.. And Perez was the leader of it all. Just talking off the top.. They'd talk about the next team coming in, and they'd openly say how bad they was going to beat them... "We love playing in Atlanta, probably score 15 runs off Capra, Neikro might hold us to 7...blah blah blah. Reds lose Tom Seaver for rest of season in 1978...Joe Morgan says, all that means is we win division by 10 instead of 20...mind you, they're in 2nd place at the time... Just the most confident and open teammates in history.
Johnny is one of my all-time favorites - and he never disappoints. Loved the Niekro story with Sparky - Bob Uecker used to say the only way to catch a knuckle ball was to just wait until it rolled to a stop. :-)
Aaron was a fabulous all around player! Especially early in his career. Hit for average, power, good arm, had speed, good defense... really really good!
The Great John Bench. I’ve never seen anyone make a devastating snap throw to first base FROM THE CROUCH to catch a runner sleeping like he did. And you better have a good lead and a good jump or forget stealing second.
Mark, fwiw I was thinking the exact, same thing. I never saw that happen before Johnny Bench. I cannot recall seeing it happen afterward. What an arm! And that's just one of the amazing feats this all time great performed. Great player. Class act.
Desert Dogg thanks for sharing, looked him up and he’s got impressive stats, especially put outs, he even threw out Lou Brock stealing haha caught some great pitchers like Lolich & Denny McLain 1968 (31-6)
I thought hard about this one, and I agree.. Bench is the best I’ve seen in 50 years of watching baseball.. #2 is a bit tougher to iron out.. Fisk is a good choice, but Ivan Rodriguez has to be considered... And I’d even give Sandy Alomar Jr some consideration..
I am, was, and always will be a Pirates fan. Went to see the Big Red Machine in Pittsburgh whenever I could. Johnny Bench was terrific. Glad he gives kudos to those Buc teams. Class act all the way.
Just from being a sports fan perspective, Johnny Bench is about the best pro athlete star to listen to. He is funny and interesting. Can't think of anyone better. Maybe Muhammed Ali was close.
Hey, Johnny Bench, I used to work with your brother Ted in Houston. He was a DARN GOOD MAN. Lost contact after I was retired from Williams Cos. In 02. He talked about going to Oklahoma to retire. FYI.👍👍👍
Cincinnati guy here, I saw the Big Red Machine play in Crowley and Riverfront. Saw Rose’s Record breaking hit. Broke my heart when the Machine was traded off. Watched them on our first Colored TV great time to watch when they had about 4 guys hitting 300 and 1 or 2 with a potential 40 home runs.
Incredible player! Him and Yogi were the best catchers of all time! Remember Yogi won MVP 3 times playing with DiMaggio, Maris, Mickey and the rest of the Yankees! But what I’ll never forget my 8 year old son running up to him in the Angel parking lot, just him. I’m standing 30 ft away and I remember my son asking “Mr Bench” can I have your autograph Please! And Bench telling him no! It took everything I had to not to tell the bastard off. But instead I told my son he must have been in a hurry! It was a all star weekend and Bench was retired for some years but my kid loved the reds and knew who Bench was!
The first MLB game I ever attended was in the Houston Astrodome with the Big Red Machine. Johnny hit a 2-run homer and a grand slam. My dad grew up loving Mickey Mantle, but I grew up LOVING Johnny Bench. I still have his rookie card.
As a longtime baseball fan it feels like a blessing that Pete Rose and Johnny Bench are still around....
Oops
This whole interview is absolute gold....We need more of this and more stories from veteran ballplayers from the 80s and older.
Johnny's era was the last of the guys that played the game for fun and to win. Big money was important, but not thee most important. Winning was number one.
@MANCHESTER UNITED F.C Soccer is easy to learn and play.
Everyone can play.
Baseball is the most difficult sport to play.
Simply put,few can hit a 95mph fastball,then worry about a 70 mph curveball coming next.
Soccer is boring,the only way it makes it in America,and remember I told you this,is if the American fan base turns away from football and basketball due to kneeling during our national anthem, singing the "black national anthem"and yielding any kind of attention to BLM.
I have already turned my back on the NFL,never again.
Expect to see this change with our fans THIS year.
Big money in those days wasn't that great. These guys were way before the massive contracts of today. Many of them could probably made more money doing other things. That's what's missing from the game in today's world, playing for the love of the game. It's all about the money in today's MLB
Bench is a true legend and a great storyteller.
Same as Mantle. Okies
Truly an original.
Name a false legend.
Yeah
That’s why the LITTLE LEAGUE World Series with 11/12 year olds is broadcast all around the planet
🙄
Not to mention the hardest thing in sports is hitting a baseball
So kicking a soccer ball for a penalty shot to win is harder than hitting a curve or change up off Nolan Ryan Right after a 99 mph fastball on the previous pitch That was thrown inside??? Come on that’s just silly and not even worthy of a comparison and I’m a
High school football coach saying this......geez 🤷🏻♂️🤨🙄😏
Even Bench hates Harper! Join the club.
“Do I look 70? No, but you used to.”
“What was that ladies name again? Oh yeah, plaintiff.”
Holy crap Johnny Bench cracks me up.
Loquacious and very funny
Greatest catcher of all-time...great storyteller too...loved the Mickey Mantle story
Anyone else watch the whole thing and when it was over couldn't believe 25 minutes had flown by?
ME !
I really didn't intend to watch the whole thing but once it started I couldn't help myself. Johnny Bench is such a great guy and class act on and off the field. And yes, that was a fast 25 minutes!
Yes. I agree. Very enjoyable conversation.
yep - Bench is a national treasure.
absolutely.
I grew up as a huge fan of The Big Red Machine. Pete was my favorite, Johnny, Joe Morgan, George Foster, Davey, Tony, Caesar G, Griffey SR. The best catcher of all time was Johnny Bench.
With the New York Boston Chicago and LA bias sadly anybody born in the 90s and up have no idea how great that 75 team was. I was born in 88 and learned from my uncle
Todd Dell That’s real.
Todd yankee fan here born n 51. I knew
I graduated from high school in Indianapolis in 1972. At the time, Indy did not go on daylight saving time, so from April to October, Cincinnati was an hour ahead. We would leave school at 3:30 PM and get to Cincy in plenty of time for a 7 PM game, and (with the time change) be home and in bed by 11 PM on a school night. Great teams and great times.
I was the biggest Reds fan back in the 70s i worship and live those years of baseball never forget the great players of the BIG RED MACHINE
To this day, I wished Reggie had the chance to do to the Reds, what he did to the Dodgers.
Johnny Bench one of the greatest Catchers in the Game Period I still have his Rookie Card in my collection etc.
greatest Catcher in the Game ever
Valuable!
Loved watching Reds play. 70s and early 80s were the best. Johnny Bench and Pete Rose were two of the best in the MLB. We earned Reds tickets if we got High marks and straight As. What a great time to be a kid. So many great games we watched. I will always be a Reds Fan.
Those days of the BIG RED MACHINE back in the 70s and MLB in general will Never be repeated Glad I was there to see it live. Thanks
What a great guy to interview. I could listen to him for hours
Ben Covington he is a prick
Best catcher of all time. Hands down
Hands down??? Nobody is that much better than the others regardless of position.
MONSTROUS hands down!!!!
Yogi Berra sure did win a lot plus he lost a few years to WW2
Tom Dolan True, he was great but it was a different game. But I agree Yogi was Awesome player and most importantly he was a great guy too.
@@tomdolan9761 Yogi came up just after WWII
As a 60 yr old lifelong Red’s fan, I absolutely know that I KNOW that there will never, EVER be another catcher like the legendary Bench! He is both, THE best hitter AND best fielder...............hands down! 👏👏👏
Personally, I think it's more like: Ivan Rodriguez is the best fielding catcher ever, Mike Piazza is the best hitting catcher ever, but fuse them together and you get Johnny Bench. Best of both worlds.
i like pudge
I would argue that joe mauer could have been better if he wasnt injured so much. But woulda coulda shoulda, bench is the all time best no doubt
@@travelbaseballtoprobasebal6551 my best friend in high school liked pudge, but I was from Cincinnati so for me it was Bench!
Bench has a .267 career BA.
He's overrated!
Joe Mauer has a .306 career BA
Pudge Rodriguez has a .296 career BA. And a better arm!
I was a kid during the "Big Red Machine" years and I absolutely idolized Johnny Bench. He was the best role model a kid could have at that time. I still have his Rookie baseball card. Love the stories he tells here. The one about getting a drink with Mantle is priceless.
Absolutely
AWESOME interview, thanks Dan!! 👍🏽👍🏻⚾
My all time favorite catcher, class act.
Love this & loved the stories about Mickey Mantle & love the old days stories
Just a legend
Johnny was great in this interview. He’s almost as entertaining as Bob Uecker!
Michael M. And John was a better catcher. Bench was a better broadcaster, too. Heard Uecker call the Dodger game last night. Horrible, but not the worst.
Pay attention. I never compared anyone’s skills as a catcher or broadcaster. Only their entertainment value. Consider yourself lucky if you can even speak at Bob’s age.
@@samiam619 Johnny Bench was a better catcher then Ueck. You really went out on a limb there. You heard him call the Dodger Game? He doesn't call Dodger Games. Ueck is Mr. Baseball and one of the best broadcasters ever. You listened to a nearly 90 year old Uecker guest in the Dodgers booth or something? He doesn't travel anymore. Completely idiotic comment.
Johnny makes great points.
When he says you take away all of Aaron's HRs... Henry still has 3000 hits. Bam! Never thought of that!
2,200 rbi's
Rex Sexson
Only 3RBi shy of 2,300.
2,297 RBi.
@@CSDonohue11
That is stunning.
The Great Johnny Bench.
I was a young teenager during The Big Red Machine years, and am still in awe every time I see one of these guys on TV. I can't imagine sitting down and having a conversation with Bench. I would be on Cloud Nine. Yet, he just sits there like a regular guy chatting away. People who are masters at their craft have no idea how their presence affects us mere mortals.
Simply awesome interchange! Johnny and Dan both! Doesn’t get better than this.
Pete is the best hitter in history...the stats show it. Put him in!!!
The great Johnny B, grew up watching him, what an honour it was.
One of THE greats... I could listen to him talk baseball all day!
Great, Great interview. As a Dodger fan in the sixties and seventies I had great respect for what the Reds accomplished.
Wayne, Steve Harvey was my idol growing up. Hands down, the greatest first baseman, ever. Man, those splits he used to do.
as a Dodgers fan since the Korean War,I believe the Big Red Machine was comparable to the fabulous Brooklyn club I grew up watching.I must say,its my recollection that the Machine dominated the '70s Dodgers in head to head match ups,and the Little Blue Wagon wasn't too shabby either.I really enoyed this interview
@@fredwright5954 steve garvey
Loved him as a kid. He was and still is my baseball sports Hero. i wept when they said he had lung cancer but thank God it turned out to be o.k. Love ya Mr. Bench and thanks for all the great memories!
Back in the late sixties when I was about 13 I had a little,transistor radio that I listened to a couple of local fm stations on. Well in the evening on the AM side i could get various distant stations and the one that came in clear carried the Cincinnati Reds games. They hadn’t attained their greatness at that time but I became a fan. All us boys in the eighth grade had our teams and mine was the reds. Well long story short, as we got older they became great and I was a wizard to be a fan. They were magical. Every single one of them. And being from Oklahoma, Johnny Bench came close to being my goat to The Commerce Comet. I was lucky.
now that was a great interview.
They used to have a fans photo day at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Fans could go down on the field before the game and shake the players hands and take photos. Not sure what year it was, but this was back in the 70s. Before a Reds-Cardinals game. Fans were behind a roped off area in the outfield and the players walked by. Bench was my favorite player and I got to shake his hand, what a great thrill for me. A memory that I'll never forget.
I can imagine how thrilled you were ❤
Best catcher. Better person.
That is how he was brought up. He never forgot where he came from, Binger, Oklahoma.
that means he's better than the best person omg
Growing up a Mets fan, I always admired Johnny Bench; a great storyteller too. I'm glad he gave a shout out to Mets' catcher Jerry Grote here.
Johnny Bench, as usual, is frighteningly articulate. He was never one to mince his words. I cannot find fault or disagree with anything he has said. All Rose had to do is apologize and admit guilt. But he didn't.
Yes, Johnny is a smart man - baseball smart and school smart. Valedictorian in his high school. I've always liked listening to him. Rose should have followed his and other's advice and come clean.
Rose couldn't do it. That would go against the image he had of himself. At the end of the day, Pete Rose thought he was bigger than the game of baseball.
@@jeremyebert3309 Yes. An analogous situation is that of Ben Johnson who was stripped of his gold medal in Seoul. Had Ben come clean and admitted taking steroids, then I believe the public would have forgiven him after a period of time. Why? The sporting public and the public in general knows it is a dirty sport and others were doing the same. When the evidence is clear and incontrovertible, do you go around and claim ignorance as Johnson did, or outright deny betting on baseball in the case of Rose? Rose got good, sound advice and ignored it. He was complete delusional. You can be a terrible human being, but the worst thing you can do as an athlete (in the public's mind) is throwing a game, betting on a game, or quitting/not giving your best in a game.I don't feel sorry for either. Sad, really.
Pete never threw a game. 4256 hits will never be seen again. I agree there are rules and Pete has admitted his mistakes. Why is everyone so forgiving of steroids. Those are rules as well.
@@swinn848 Nobody ever said Pete threw a game. He placed bets on the game and there are rules against that. Betting on baseball strikes at the integrity of the game. If betting is left unchecked, the public will question whether the players and managers are giving their best effort in order to win games. The fans will think the outcomes are predetermined, they'll stop going to games and the sport will eventually die. That's not the case with steroids. Although some fans may stay away if they think players are on the juice, they (fans) won't question whether the players are giving maximum effort in order to win games. That's the distinction I would make between gambling and steroids. I personally want steroids completely out of sports. I don't think everyone is so forgiving of steroids. Bonds and Clemens are not in the Hall because of steroids, and may never get in.
I grew up a Dodger fan but in Johnny bench and the big red were a great team . He was and still very cool !!
Huge Big Red Machine fan. Love hearing from Johnny Bench.
I'm not, but I love hearing from them! I also like the clips I've heard from Pete Rose, the man knows his stuff!
I love when Patrick asks Johnny's wife's name and Johnny says 'Plaintiff!' Johnny rocks!
Didn't blink an eye either. This dude rocks.
always loved Bench but didn't know how articulate and entertaining he is
Martin Hyizna he is a valedictorian I found out so he is a smart fellow and would have been successful without baseball!
Every guy on that team had personality and wit.
Back then we had two newspapers, The Enquirer and the Post.
And every morning, all you'd read was the banter going on.. And Perez was the leader of it all. Just talking off the top.. They'd talk about the next team coming in, and they'd openly say how bad they was going to beat them... "We love playing in Atlanta, probably score 15 runs off Capra, Neikro might hold us to 7...blah blah blah.
Reds lose Tom Seaver for rest of season in 1978...Joe Morgan says, all that means is we win division by 10 instead of 20...mind you, they're in 2nd place at the time... Just the most confident and open teammates in history.
Johnny is one of my all-time favorites - and he never disappoints. Loved the Niekro story with Sparky - Bob Uecker used to say the only way to catch a knuckle ball was to just wait until it rolled to a stop. :-)
Great memory with years and names and games. One if my all time favorites! Great storyteller!
Nice to see Johnny Bench. Saturday morning ⚾ baseball as a kid was the best !
could listen to Bench for hours. What a great player and person.
duder mcdude you're Clueless Johnny Bench was a great player but he's an a****** in life a prick
That was an incredible interview! Thank you Mr. Bench for your awesomeness!
Still love ya number 5! You were my hero of the BRM. Like every other kid in NKY I wanted to catch.
Johnny Bench is a hoot. I love when these guys reminisce with their stories about baseball's icons...brings back memories of the good old days.
I know that's right ❤
Love JB! Glad to hear the talk about Aaron. Aaron doesn't get the credit for being the all around great player he was.
Aaron was a fabulous all around player! Especially early in his career. Hit for average, power, good arm, had speed, good defense... really really good!
Great interview. Bench is an all timer.
Greatest catcher of my generation and there where some good players in the 60's till now btw a funny guy too
The Great John Bench. I’ve never seen anyone make a devastating snap throw to first base FROM THE CROUCH to catch a runner sleeping like he did. And you better have a good lead and a good jump or forget stealing second.
Mark, fwiw I was thinking the exact, same thing. I never saw that happen before Johnny Bench. I cannot recall seeing it happen afterward. What an arm! And that's just one of the amazing feats this all time great performed. Great player. Class act.
My all-time favorite baseball player. And a damn good interview.
This interview is gold!!
Johnny Bench And Thurmon Munson were like Ali And Frazier in their prime. Can’t get much better than that.
Gavan Hillebold
I Love how The Yanks still have his locker saved exactly how he left it.
ThA MAN C MAcK That’s awesome 😎
Gavan Hillebold have you ever heard of Bill freehan look up his statistics he was the best catcher in baseball in the 60s
Desert Dogg thanks for sharing, looked him up and he’s got impressive stats, especially put outs, he even threw out Lou Brock stealing haha caught some great pitchers like Lolich & Denny McLain 1968 (31-6)
We need to see more of Johnny B...
Johnny is a joy to listen to. Am I dreaming or did I once see Bench pick Maury Wills off first base twice in one game..
It's great to hear first hand story's from a living legend!
Johnny Bench was the best guy, I loved the big red machine when I was a kid. I still think Pete deserves to be in the HOF.
Thanks for the full interview!
Incredible interview.
Johnny Bench is the best catcher I ever saw!
Bench was smart and a team leader. Oh ! yes, and he was Sparky's boy.
Johnny Bench had an awesome career and was definitely the best. And man was he tough. Great competitor and best game manager as well. Love Johnny
Bench is the greatest catcher ever. What a thrill to watch him
He used to kill my favorite pitcher Steve lefty Carlton.
I thought hard about this one, and I agree.. Bench is the best I’ve seen in 50 years of watching baseball.. #2 is a bit tougher to iron out.. Fisk is a good choice, but Ivan Rodriguez has to be considered... And I’d even give Sandy Alomar Jr some consideration..
Jacob Jones pudge was very likely a steroid user so gotta give it to Fisk. If Thurman Munson didn’t die he’d be in the hall too
Just ran into this.wow, great interview, great guest.Thank you Dan Patrick.
Great impression! Listen to Johnny as he imitates Willie Mays' voice, almost perfect! LOL
Johnny Bench is always an entertaining interview...
Johnny Bench: greatest catcher of all time.
I am, was, and always will be a Pirates fan. Went to see the Big Red Machine in Pittsburgh whenever I could. Johnny Bench was terrific. Glad he gives kudos to those Buc teams. Class act all the way.
Wow! What a storyteller, I enjoyed.
Still in awe of him us Cincinnatians we're so lucky didn't realize what we had super team super people miss those days. Thank you BIg RED MACHINE
Johnny bench and tony perez, hittng back to back homeruns into the Red seats at riverfront. Killin' those pirates and making them like it.
Oh how great it feels. Even still today 😊
Just from being a sports fan perspective, Johnny Bench is about the best pro athlete star to listen to. He is funny and interesting. Can't think of anyone better. Maybe Muhammed Ali was close.
Simply the Best.
I Loved watching Johnny on The Baseball Bunch on Saturdays right before Mel Allen on This Week In Baseball then the NBC Game Of The Week.
This one of the great interviews of all time - we need more old timer guests.
Total legend! Great ambassador for baseball!
Thanks for the memories John!!
It was a pure pleasure watching you as I grew up!
He is so great. I could listen to Johnny Bench tell stories all day!
Terrific interview John! Thank you for sharing a part of your life.
Hey, Johnny Bench, I used to work with your brother Ted in Houston. He was a DARN GOOD MAN. Lost contact after I was retired from Williams Cos. In 02. He talked about going to Oklahoma to retire. FYI.👍👍👍
Johnny Bench was the absolute best.
Cincinnati guy here, I saw the Big Red Machine play in Crowley and Riverfront. Saw Rose’s Record breaking hit.
Broke my heart when the Machine was traded off. Watched them on our first Colored TV great time to watch when they had about 4 guys hitting 300 and 1 or 2 with a potential 40 home runs.
i'm 56 and when i caught in little league i pattern my style after him with using only one hand I consider him the greatest defensive catcher evet
Carlton "Pudge" Fisk?
@jesusisnotallright s she blew me three times. Always made me pay though.
I remember when you caught
jesusisnotallright s I always thought that was Klu’s favorite BAT
jesusisnotallright s Ruppert deserves 2 hummers, just for stealing Babe Ruth from the Saawwwxxxx!
Pete Rose was my idol for some time growing up but Johnny, Pudge (Fisk), and Thurman were tops behind the plate that I ever saw.
Real gamers!
Johnny is a great guy and a great story teller.
One of the best... love Johnny, first glove I ever owned was a Bench catchers mitt... growing up watching the baseball bunch etc... love em
"Do I look 70?"
"No, but you used to..."
He is so much fun to listen to. Great stories.
Best most entertaining interview Patrick has ever done
The Mantle story was the funniest.
beakt That was hilarious!
The Mick was a character.
Bench never homered off Ryan. 4 for 29 with a double. Slashed 138/161/172 off Nolan. (Greatest catcher ever, just sayin'...)
WOW - a reference to a Minor League legend in my
hometown of Tyler, TX, Billy Capps @2:45
If I am a kid in a mlb locker room you bet dam right I want bench’s gloves dude Johnny your a legend on a team with 4 or 5 hall of famers
Bench is hilarious, great interview! Rose is hilarious too
GOAT. Saw almost every game he ever played in my hometown of Cincinnati.
What a great interview.
Awesome. I LOVE baseball stories from the veterans. Unbelievably entertaining.
Incredible player! Him and Yogi were the best catchers of all time! Remember Yogi won MVP 3 times playing with DiMaggio, Maris, Mickey and the rest of the Yankees! But what I’ll never forget my 8 year old son running up to him in the Angel parking lot, just him. I’m standing 30 ft away and I remember my son asking “Mr Bench” can I have your autograph Please! And Bench telling him no! It took everything I had to not to tell the bastard off. But instead I told my son he must have been in a hurry! It was a all star weekend and Bench was retired for some years but my kid loved the reds and knew who Bench was!
I loved my Johnny Bench Batterup. Best catcher! I agree.
Best Ever. NO ARGUMENTS!!!
Seriously you need to get Johnny back on. This was one of the best interviews Dan has ever done....and that's saying something.
The first MLB game I ever attended was in the Houston Astrodome with the Big Red Machine. Johnny hit a 2-run homer and a grand slam. My dad grew up loving Mickey Mantle, but I grew up LOVING Johnny Bench. I still have his rookie card.