Johnny Bench is a class act. It was 1974 and I was 16 volunteering at the Jackie Gleason Celebrity golf tournament in Fort Laud., working the main (manual) scoreboard while wearing a Cincinnati Reds Hat with the Big C and all. Johnny saw me, and said: Hey Kid, have you had lunch? I said no and proceeded to take me to the celebrity dining room where he introduced me to everyone we saw, including the late great Arnold Palmer. He didn't have to do that but he did.
@EBthere but Pete Rose was better at the management of a game. Johnny Bench was a great catcher, but that was all he was. PETE ROSE made everyone around him play better! The Reds tried to make Johnny Bench play first base after years of playing catcher, but Bench was only a catcher. Pete Rose was an allstar at at least 5 different positions!!!!!!!!!!@ And Pete Rose is still the hits leader!!!!!! Including first base as a Philly, and another world series ring!!!! And another allstar appearance as a first basemen. Nobody played the game of baseball harder than Pete Rose 🌹!!!!
Thank you Johnny Bench. You helped me with my sanity when I first returned from Vietnam. After 2 1/2 years there I needed something to hang onto.. After I was discharged from USMC on September 30 1969 I needed something to hold onto. My sister who was 11 years younger than me told me about you. The playoffs against the Pirates helped so much. You were her hero and became mine. It helped. Thank you again! 😊😊😊
JB was good, I lost a pro ball game to Nolan Ryan in 67 went back to my hotel found my draft papers and ended up in the VN jungle living in a hole. I was wounded sent back to the states tried to make a pro comeback in 69 but was released but I understand your view point
JB was good, I lost a pro ball game to Nolan Ryan in 67 went back to my hotel found my draft papers and ended up in the VN jungle living in a hole. I was wounded sent back to the states tried to make a pro comeback in 69 but was released but I understand your view point
They were both great, giant understatement……as a little boy in the 70’s I idolized Pete Rose, I wanted to hustle, just like Pete, I sprinted to 1st base on a walk, I tried to mimic his batting stance, and his eye on the ball----Pete was a good influence on me as a kid, and Pete also made some big mistakes, just like all of us. Rest in Peace, you were great and a Hall of Famer in my eyes.
Growing up as a boy in Southern Ohio I have many great memories of watching Pete, Johnny, and the many other exceptional Reds players. Johnny is my All-Time favorite player, and I still remember watching his Baseball Show on Saturday mornings as a kid. Great Memories.
Thank you Johnny for celebrating Pete but also holding him accountable for his faults. You will forever be my favorite Cincinnati Red for how you were on and off the field.
Dear Johnny, We still love you here in Cincinnati. We respect you, Pete, Tony, Joe, Sparky, and I could go on. Pete's problem was his, not yours. You didn't make Pete gamble. You didn't make him break the rules. We all miss Pete, but we all hope you're doing well. Same for Tony Perez, David, Cesar, Ken Griffey, George, and all the members of the Big Red Machine. I will never condemn Pete for his mistake, because I'm just as mistake-prone as he was. We all are capable of doing things we should not do. Rest in Peace Pete, Joe Morgan, Joe Nuxhall, Sparky, and Don. I trust we can all learn to forgive the bad and celebrate the good.
Johnny, you will always have a place in my heart, as Pete did. What upsets me now is you watch a game, and there is a commercial for gambling. Your right it is a disease to many people, but you can't at this point in all fairness. Keep some out out for something you condone. As we say in the Navy "Fair winds, and following seas" Johnny.
My father, now deceased, grew up with the Babe being his favorite player UNTIL later in life he discovered Pete Rose. Then Rose became his favorite of all time. He was very upset at Pete's battle with gambling and the MLB. I still have my old baseball cards of Pete that my dad told me never to get rid of. What a player. RIP Pete Rose.
Rose made the Phillies champions. Schmidt said that before Rose the Phillies would give each other a hard time if they messed up. Once Rose arrived that was the end of that. That’s part of why he won 1,972 games.
Johnny Bench the Greatest Catcher in baseball history period! I was so lucky to grow up in cincy in the 70's. On the field the Best player in history Pete Rose period! Bud Selig is in the hall of fame with zero hits. I have never bought a ticket to a game, turned on the radio or TV to listen to a game because of Bud Selig. I would listen to a game the radio instead of sleeping because of Pete. One man holds 19 Major League records & 11 National League records and he is not in the hall of fame, there is no Hall of fame without Pete Rose in it! Thank you Johnny and your fellow teammates for trying to help your friend. God's Speed Pete may you enter into heaven head first Amen! Major League records: Most career at-bats - 14,053 Most career plate appearances - 15,890 Most career hits - 4,256 Most career singles - 3,215 Most career times on base - 5,929 Most career outs - 10,328 Most career games played - 3,562 Most career winning games played - 1,972 Only player to play at least 500 games at five different positions - 1B (939), LF (671), 3B (634), 2B (628), RF (595) Most career runs by a switch hitter - 2,165 Most career doubles by a switch hitter - 746 Most career walks by a switch hitter - 1,566 Most career total bases by a switch hitter - 5,752 Most seasons of 200 or more hits - 10 (shared) Most consecutive seasons of 100 or more hits - 23 Most consecutive seasons with 600 or more at-bats - 13 (1968-1980) (shared) Most seasons with 600 at-bats - 17 Most seasons with 150 or more games played - 17 Most seasons with 100 or more games played - 23 National League records: Most years played - 24 Most consecutive years played - 24 Most career runs - 2,165 Most career doubles - 746 Most career games with 5 or more hits - 10 Modern (post-1900) NL record for longest consecutive-game hitting streak NL - 44 Modern record for most hitting streaks of 20 or more consecutive games - 7 Rose also accumulated 63 four-hit games in his MLB career.[110]
I was a kid back in that era that was some amazing baseball back then life itself in america was amazing who would have thought it would end up like now.....sad.
I watched both Bench and Rose when I was in highschool, had tremendous respect for both of them. Rose was made an example of, but in essence, it hasn't kept a lot of ball players from betting on the sports, but MLB made him the criminal. Bench was one of the best catchers to play the game, really loved watching him play!
I'm from The Baseball Bunch era -- this man was my hero because I always played catcher. I also grew up in Oklahoma and played an American Legion game on Johnny Bench Field in Binger, OK. He will always be the GOAT.
I grew up in the Bay Area and I was an Oakland A’s fan in their hay day and was definitely not a Reds fan, but how can you not respect the big red machine and the awesome players they had with Pete Rose, Johnny Bench Joe Morgan, Tony, Perez, George Foster, and so many others I can name. Met Pete in person and saw numerous other times at boxing matches. He was a big fan.
The Hall of fame will never be complete without Pete Rose. I have never cared what a player does after his career is over. The Hall of Fame should be about what the player did on the field as a player. Pete Rose should only be banned from being in the Hall of Fame as a coach because that is where he screwed up. Keeping the players accused of steroids out is also silly. They should be in the Hall of Fame as well. If they want to put an asterisk by their name noting that they played during the steroid era, fine. But to completely erase a players HOF level career over something that everyone was doing doesn't sit right with me. At the end of the day, it was MLBs fault for not having proper testing in place to being with. It wasn't the 1970's. Great interview with Mr. Bench.
my brother lost his radio station & his family mostly the track the betting the whole thing its a disease an addiction a destroyer well always miss you Pete one of the greats rip stellar player stellar man
THESE WIMPS TODAY COULD NOTTTTT HOLD A CANDLE TO PETE ROSE!!! HE WAS SOOOO MUCH BETTER THAN ANYONE IN THE GAME TODAY!!!! WE WILL MISS YOU CHARLIE HUSTLE!!!! 😢😢
I was a kid playing little leage ball when Pete and Johnny were tearing it up in Cincy, I was a catcher and watched everything Johnny did behind the plate trying to emulate him because he was the best. Then there was Pete, 110% every play, Charlie hustle, be it running out walks to first or sprinting out a home run, or his famous headfirst slides. I also tried to emulate the way Pete played the game, both had huge impacts on me and the way I approached athletics, and the ironic thing is I was a huge Baves fan. Johnny you are the best. RIP Pete, you will always be a hall of famer to me.
I'm sure Johnny bench is going to miss Pete Rose rest in peace Pete God bless you Johnny great memories together and always will be with you and your family and Johnny bench's family and Pete Rose's family prayers always going to be missed very much Pete buy a lot of fans
Johnny Bench is an honest, sincere person. Each of us has to help ourselves if we expect anything from others. Pete Rose does belong in the Hall of Fame. It’s a conundrum, but he hurt himself. It’s also true that he grew up with betting, the racetrack, etc. it was a big thing for his father.
Born in 1958. Grew up just north of Cincy in Fairfield Ohio. The Big Red Machine was a huge deal. Never have another group like that. Pete, R.I.P. Johnny Bench is Class Act.
Big fan of Bench but he for many years was basically the MLB player spokesman for keeping Rose out of the Hall. He did this over the years by adamantly claiming Pete should NOT be in the HOF whenever he was asked about it . I don't really blame Bench as he is a very principled man and I respect that. He just really never did Rose any favors regarding the subject.
@@charlesdoyle3630Obviously, you are one of the lucky ones that never experienced addiction. Addiction clouds your judgment and honesty. You need to learn that.
His BIGGEST mistake was not betting on baseball- it was his stubborn PRIDE in not admitting it when he should have. He would be in the Baseball HOF right now if he had just admitted he screwed up
Does Philadelphia win without Pete Rose NO DOES THE BIG RED MACHINE RUN WITHOUT PETE ROSE.. YES .BUT ,IT'S NOT THE SAME. THE MAN PLAYED FIVE DIFFERENT POSITIONS. HIS BASEBALL RECORD AS A PLAYER. STAN'DS ON ALL HIS MERITS. UNFORTUNATELY HE DID SOMETHING. AND HIS BIGGEST THING WAS HE DIDN'T FESS UP AND JUST SAY YEAH MAN I DID IT. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MADE BASEBALL SAY YOU KNOW SOMETHING IF YOU'RE NOT YOU WEREN'T A MAN ENOUGH TO ADMIT YOUR MISTAKE UNTIL 10:15 YEARS LATER. I'M PRETTY SURE IF PETE COULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN HE WOULD HAVE FACED UP AND PROBABLY GOT THIS FIASCO OVER WITH. BUT LORD KNOWS I LOVE CHARLIE HUSTLE AS A PLAYER, PLAY I BELIEVE IN MY HEART IF YOU PUT 8 PETE ROSES & 1 NOLAN RYAN ON THE MOUND. ONE GAME TO WIN. THEY WOULD NEVER FAIL. RIP PETE ROSE YOU WERE A ULTIMATE COMPETITOR. THERE ISN'T A PLAYER THAT PLAYED WITH HIM. THAT CAN YOU BECOME A BETTER PLAYER BY PLAYING WITH HIM. TO HIS FAMILY, TO THE BASEBALL COMMUNITY, HIS TEAMMATES,& HIS FANS AND I'M ONE OF THEM. GO PLAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS, ON OUR FATHER IN HEAVENS' GOLDEN DIAMOND IN THE SKY. PEACE 14# FOREVER.
I have a story about Pete Rose as an 10 year old kid I was in St Louis at a game trying to get a Pete Rose autograph. I spotted him walkiqng from the hotel and walked around the stadium with him. I kept asking for his autograph and he never once acknowledged me. I loved him till that day. He was my favorite player till that day. I couldn't stand him after that day. ?It was the 70's and he was starting to make money at card shows. What a shame, if he had just signed autographs for kids his image would have possibly helped his HOF eligibility. To his credit he was a tremendous player, just wish he had been better with kids in my era. God bless you and the family.
I was at the 1979 All Star Game, just a young TV tech, setting up pre-game on the field. I had a 13 year old friend who loved baseball. I went up to Pete, who was about to take BP, and told him about my friend and asked if he would sign a baseball for him. This was against all policies and protocols of being on a TV crew, and both Pete and I could have gotten into some trouble. But he took the pen and ball and signed it and went about his business. He didn't say a word, but didn't cause me any trouble, either. FWIW.
My father grew up on Chicago's South South during the Depression, a hell of a ball player and was befriended by Buck Weaver, a Blacksox who spent his entire life trying to clear his name while Shoeless Joe Jackson died in squalor. Pete Rose is a top 50 Lifetime Finalist...he deserves to be in Baseball's HOF. RIP Charlie Hustle...The HOF has no cred.
The Big Red Machine of the mid-1970s were exciting and inspiring. I'm not a Cincinnati fan generally, but I loved following the Reds' success. RIP Joe Morgan, RIP Pete Rose.
Pete Rose still deserves to be in the HOF. What he did outside in his personal life, whether he bet on baseball or the Reds or not, should be of no consequence. He was one of the greatest players to have played the game. Let's be honest, he wasn't the only one. RIP Pete
pete definitely did things on his own terms....he is gone now and what he achieved on the field will never be forgotten and the impact he had on those players around him, he made everyone play harder, teammates and opponents.
I don't know if there's ever been a catcher before or after him, that had all the tools and used them as effectively as Johnny Bench. I'd just like to add he is also a man of great integrity and applies that with loving humanity.
If I could cry I think I'd cry for Johnny and all the other Reds in the Big Red Machine and others who were big fans of baseball. Back when guys stayed on a team for most of their careers.
putting him in the hall now that he is gone is not what we wanted! the joy of being a part of seeing him get his reward for what he accomplished in his career has been taken from generations of baseball fans ! now it doesn't matter! Baseball has lost Charlie hustle and the opportunity to forgive and move on!
Cry me a river for what Pete Rose thought he was entitled to…Pete had numerous, numerous people around him since the events of 1989 unfolded trying to help him come out of this scandal a HOF’r. Yes, America is a forgiving society and loves to give second chances, especially to our high profile citizens. But, the FIRST step of forgiveness is stating what you did, owning what you did, admitting you were wrong to break the rules, say you were sorry, ask for forgiveness and then forgive yourself. Pete chose not to do that. If Pete had come out in front of this and apologized and done the hard and sincere work to admit what he did earlier, there is no doubt in my mind he would have been enshrined in the HOF the following year. Pete made his choices and he lived and died, just like the rest of us, with the results of those choices. Pete’s only failing in life was never getting over how mad he was at MLB for finding out he gambled, he gambled on baseball and he gambled on his teams.
The 1970 NLCS was the only league championship series between two teams that had changed home parks during the season. Both the Reds and the Pirates had moved into new parks in 1970. It was also the first LCS played on AstroTurf.
Johnny Bench is the GOAT catchers. Pete Rose should definitely be in the Hall but if not, he still was one of best ever. They can't take that away from him.
Beautiful words from Johnny Bench about his former teammate!!! I saw Pete in Cooperstown this summer signing autographs, and it really pisses me off that MLB are such hypocrites. They ban him for gambling, yet they advertise gambling in practically every MLB stadium. And now Pete is no longer alive to really enjoy his day.
i'm an almost 60 year old arrogantly conceited about my team, life long Red Sox fan and I can't deny Pete Rose is the best baseball player I ever saw play the game personally. I would bet my farm that man never bet against his team. If anyone should be in the Hall of Fame Pete Rose is IT. He's on my list as the greatest of all time, The guys competing for second place ain't even close.
It's simply shows the great hypocrisy of sports. They banned Pete Rose for gambling, but yet now gambling is the largest single advertiser on all major sports. There is no other entity that is a bigger sponsor of professional athletics than organized gambling. It was illegal when it was private bookies and it was small time. But now that billions of billions of dollars flow to the right corporations, it's completely legal and encouraged. But it was bad when Pete did it. Gotcha
For years nobody had a nice word about Pete Rose. Then he dies and everyone speaks highly of him…..Im 61 and remember both of these guys in their peak. When we played baseball we pretended to be our favorite player. My best friend started playing the position of catcher because of Johnny Bench. How many kids slid headfirst because Pete Rose did? I know I did…Pete Rose was one of a kind. He had his demons like we all do. I heard stories of him showing up at autograph signing events so drunk he could barely function…Is this true? Probably. But we all struggle with our issues.
Pete Rose was my all time favorite player, I really wanted to get out to Vegas to meet Pete and get a ball signed I regret I'll never get that chance. A much greater crime than gambling is that baseball kept him out of the hall of fame. RIP Pete!
I happenend to be in Cincinnati duringthis entire contovery. I talked to this guy who worked in the hotel and he said that "This is Pete Rose's Town." A lot of people there were angry towards Bench.
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RIP PETE ROSE. Thank you Johnny Bench. You and Pete were some of my childhood favorites.
100% agreement
God bless you Pete rest in peace thanks for the awesome memories.
Johnny Bench is a class act. It was 1974 and I was 16 volunteering at the Jackie Gleason Celebrity golf tournament in Fort Laud., working the main (manual) scoreboard while wearing a Cincinnati Reds Hat with the Big C and all. Johnny saw me, and said: Hey Kid, have you had lunch? I said no and proceeded to take me to the celebrity dining room where he introduced me to everyone we saw, including the late great Arnold Palmer. He didn't have to do that but he did.
I was born and raised in Indiana during the era of the 'Big Red Machine'. What a team with Pete and Johnny. RIP Pete!
It's always a pleasure to hear Johnny Bench talk. What kid or man wasn't in awe of him during his career.
Was a catcher as a kid and wore 5 even though wasn’t a Reds fan.
@@Downeaster-y3y That had to feel awesome.
@EBthere but Pete Rose was better at the management of a game. Johnny Bench was a great catcher, but that was all he was. PETE ROSE made everyone around him play better!
The Reds tried to make Johnny Bench play first base after years of playing catcher, but Bench was only a catcher. Pete Rose was an allstar at at least 5 different positions!!!!!!!!!!@
And Pete Rose is still the hits leader!!!!!!
Including first base as a Philly, and another world series ring!!!!
And another allstar appearance as a first basemen.
Nobody played the game of baseball harder than Pete Rose 🌹!!!!
Bench was not a good man.
The entire big red machine was amazing....I can still remember their starting lineup
Thank you Johnny Bench. You helped me with my sanity when I first returned from Vietnam. After 2 1/2 years there I needed something to hang onto.. After I was discharged from USMC on September 30 1969 I needed something to hold onto. My sister who was 11 years younger than me told me about you. The playoffs against the Pirates helped so much. You were her hero and became mine. It helped. Thank you again! 😊😊😊
JB was good, I lost a pro ball game to Nolan Ryan in 67 went back to my hotel found my draft papers and ended up in the VN jungle living in a hole. I was wounded sent back to the states tried to make a pro comeback in 69 but was released but I understand your view point
JB was good, I lost a pro ball game to Nolan Ryan in 67 went back to my hotel found my draft papers and ended up in the VN jungle living in a hole. I was wounded sent back to the states tried to make a pro comeback in 69 but was released but I understand your view point
Johnny Bench….total class, on and off the field
Bulshit
Especially when having an affair with a 15 year old girl.
If you look into his life he was kinda a schmuck. Not classy at all.
@@mikegrant5721ABSOLUTELY!! Bench has been jealous since the 70s. Anyone in Cincinnati in the 70s knows this!
@@mikegrant5721Why is this bullshit
They were both great, giant understatement……as a little boy in the 70’s I idolized Pete Rose, I wanted to hustle, just like Pete, I sprinted to 1st base on a walk, I tried to mimic his batting stance, and his eye on the ball----Pete was a good influence on me as a kid, and Pete also made some big mistakes, just like all of us. Rest in Peace, you were great and a Hall of Famer in my eyes.
Agreed! I feel like hall of fame eligibility should be based on one's performance in a given activity (baseball in this case).
Johnny Bench is a Good Guy. He is an All Time Great in Baseball .
Considered the greatest catcher of all time.
@@marcdewey1242 Yes I remember his rookie year and so on. Clutch Player
Johnny Bench has the best take on all of this, in my opinion. He is right on the money.
Growing up as a boy in Southern Ohio I have many great memories of watching Pete, Johnny, and the many other exceptional Reds players. Johnny is my All-Time favorite player, and I still remember watching his Baseball Show on Saturday mornings as a kid. Great Memories.
This was a nice retrospective by Johnny Bench.
Thank you Mr Cincinnati for all the memories!!
This was a great interview, Rest easy Pete.
Love you Mr. Bench. You signed my big brother's mitt in 1969 at a game in Pittsburgh. You have always been first class!
Glad to hear Johnny Bench’s perspective on this issue
Big Red Machine best team ever! Bench, Rose, Morgan, Perez
One of many great teams in baseball's history settle down
@@christopherstephans3383 Only the 27 Yankees may have been better. The Big Red Machine would be 162-0 if they played today.
was conceptione with them ?
they were the best 1 year, never lost
Nice to meet someone who knows thanx
Thank you Johnny for celebrating Pete but also holding him accountable for his faults. You will forever be my favorite Cincinnati Red for how you were on and off the field.
i dont know about you all but pete rose was one of the best players I ever saw and im appalled at the miniscule coverage of his passing ! R.I.P.
Heart-breaking. Johnny brought tears to my eyes.
Dear Johnny, We still love you here in Cincinnati. We respect you, Pete, Tony, Joe, Sparky, and I could go on. Pete's problem was his, not yours. You didn't make Pete gamble. You didn't make him break the rules. We all miss Pete, but we all hope you're doing well. Same for Tony Perez, David, Cesar, Ken Griffey, George, and all the members of the Big Red Machine. I will never condemn Pete for his mistake, because I'm just as mistake-prone as he was. We all are capable of doing things we should not do. Rest in Peace Pete, Joe Morgan, Joe Nuxhall, Sparky, and Don. I trust we can all learn to forgive the bad and celebrate the good.
Johnny Bench. Greatness on and off the field. Well done.
Johnny, you will always have a place in my heart, as Pete did. What upsets me now is you watch a game, and there is a commercial for gambling. Your right it is a disease to many people, but you can't at this point in all fairness. Keep some out out for something you condone. As we say in the Navy "Fair winds, and following seas" Johnny.
My father, now deceased, grew up with the Babe being his favorite player UNTIL later in life he discovered Pete Rose. Then Rose became his favorite of all time. He was very upset at Pete's battle with gambling and the MLB. I still have my old baseball cards of Pete that my dad told me never to get rid of. What a player. RIP Pete Rose.
Rose made the Phillies champions. Schmidt said that before Rose the Phillies would give each other a hard time if they messed up. Once Rose arrived that was the end of that. That’s part of why he won 1,972 games.
You learn from mistakes, but you put them where they belong: Outta here.
Say what you want, but Johnny is well spoken
Life sentence served.
Put him in the Hall of Fame already.
Nobody played the game better than Charlie Hustle.
Johnny Bench the Greatest Catcher in baseball history period! I was so lucky to grow up in cincy in the 70's. On the field the Best player in history Pete Rose period!
Bud Selig is in the hall of fame with zero hits. I have never bought a ticket to a game, turned on the radio or TV to listen to a game because of Bud Selig. I would listen to a game the radio instead of sleeping because of Pete.
One man holds 19 Major League records & 11 National League records and he is not in the hall of fame, there is no Hall of fame without Pete Rose in it! Thank you Johnny and your fellow teammates for trying to help your friend.
God's Speed Pete may you enter into heaven head first Amen!
Major League records:
Most career at-bats - 14,053
Most career plate appearances - 15,890
Most career hits - 4,256
Most career singles - 3,215
Most career times on base - 5,929
Most career outs - 10,328
Most career games played - 3,562
Most career winning games played - 1,972
Only player to play at least 500 games at five different positions - 1B (939), LF (671), 3B (634), 2B (628), RF (595)
Most career runs by a switch hitter - 2,165
Most career doubles by a switch hitter - 746
Most career walks by a switch hitter - 1,566
Most career total bases by a switch hitter - 5,752
Most seasons of 200 or more hits - 10 (shared)
Most consecutive seasons of 100 or more hits - 23
Most consecutive seasons with 600 or more at-bats - 13 (1968-1980) (shared)
Most seasons with 600 at-bats - 17
Most seasons with 150 or more games played - 17
Most seasons with 100 or more games played - 23
National League records:
Most years played - 24
Most consecutive years played - 24
Most career runs - 2,165
Most career doubles - 746
Most career games with 5 or more hits - 10
Modern (post-1900) NL record for longest consecutive-game hitting streak NL - 44
Modern record for most hitting streaks of 20 or more consecutive games - 7
Rose also accumulated 63 four-hit games in his MLB career.[110]
I concur, but Bench seems to be glad Rose is gone.
What and where is this heaven for unholy people?
@@THESUNIAM a lot of "good" people are going to bust Hell wide open, simply because they lacked a relationship with Jesus Christ
The requirements for acceptance into the HOF entail more than stats
I'm 60!, the 70s were great,
RIP Mr. Pete Rose.
Johnny Bench! The Man with the Platinum Arm! God Bless. 👍
4,256 hits, 17x All-Star, 3x World Series champ.
You forgot degenerate gambler😂
Hall of famer
100% absolute hall of famer.
I was a kid back in that era that was some amazing baseball back then life itself in america was amazing who would have thought it would end up like now.....sad.
I watched both Bench and Rose when I was in highschool, had tremendous respect for both of them. Rose was made an example of, but in essence, it hasn't kept a lot of ball players from betting on the sports, but MLB made him the criminal. Bench was one of the best catchers to play the game, really loved watching him play!
Love Johnny Bench, great catcher and human being
I'm from The Baseball Bunch era -- this man was my hero because I always played catcher. I also grew up in Oklahoma and played an American Legion game on Johnny Bench Field in Binger, OK. He will always be the GOAT.
Hall of Fame!!! He did his time. RIP Pete Rose my Hall Famer. Considering what sports players have done. Peace and Love MMLZZZ
Pete Rose is in my Hall of Fame. MLB cant take our memories away
I grew up in the Bay Area and I was an Oakland A’s fan in their hay day and was definitely not a Reds fan, but how can you not respect the big red machine and the awesome players they had with Pete Rose, Johnny Bench Joe Morgan, Tony, Perez, George Foster, and so many others I can name. Met Pete in person and saw numerous other times at boxing matches. He was a big fan.
The Hall of fame will never be complete without Pete Rose. I have never cared what a player does after his career is over. The Hall of Fame should be about what the player did on the field as a player. Pete Rose should only be banned from being in the Hall of Fame as a coach because that is where he screwed up. Keeping the players accused of steroids out is also silly. They should be in the Hall of Fame as well. If they want to put an asterisk by their name noting that they played during the steroid era, fine. But to completely erase a players HOF level career over something that everyone was doing doesn't sit right with me. At the end of the day, it was MLBs fault for not having proper testing in place to being with. It wasn't the 1970's.
Great interview with Mr. Bench.
Grew up listening to radio reds games with your whole crew Johnny. Thanks
I’m so sorry Uncle Johnny!!! I know you and him Had a special relationship!!! Many prayers 🙏🙏🙏❤️
My favorite show when I was young was the Baseball Bunch with Johnny Bench and the San Diego Chicken.
my brother lost his radio station & his family mostly the track the betting the whole thing its a disease an addiction a destroyer well always miss you Pete one of the greats rip stellar player stellar man
THESE WIMPS TODAY COULD NOTTTTT HOLD A CANDLE TO PETE ROSE!!! HE WAS SOOOO MUCH BETTER THAN ANYONE IN THE GAME TODAY!!!! WE WILL MISS YOU CHARLIE HUSTLE!!!! 😢😢
RIP #14
I really enjoyed this segment
Pete Rose will always be in the Hall of Fame of my heart.
I was a kid playing little leage ball when Pete and Johnny were tearing it up in Cincy, I was a catcher and watched everything Johnny did behind the plate trying to emulate him because he was the best. Then there was Pete, 110% every play, Charlie hustle, be it running out walks to first or sprinting out a home run, or his famous headfirst slides. I also tried to emulate the way Pete played the game, both had huge impacts on me and the way I approached athletics, and the ironic thing is I was a huge Baves fan. Johnny you are the best. RIP Pete, you will always be a hall of famer to me.
64 years old from Michigan love my tigers but the 70s reds were real close to my tigers, Pete Rose was awesome on the field one of the best
If you grew up in the 70's and in youth baseball and were a catcher, no matter where you lived, Johny was your man you wanted to be
Nah...Fisk !
I'm sure Johnny bench is going to miss Pete Rose rest in peace Pete God bless you Johnny great memories together and always will be with you and your family and Johnny bench's family and Pete Rose's family prayers always going to be missed very much Pete buy a lot of fans
Johnny was such a brutily honest friend a rare trait a true friend.
Johnny Bench is an honest, sincere person. Each of us has to help ourselves if we expect anything from others. Pete Rose does belong in the Hall of Fame. It’s a conundrum, but he hurt himself. It’s also true that he grew up with betting, the racetrack, etc. it was a big thing for his father.
Born in 1958. Grew up just north of Cincy in Fairfield Ohio. The Big Red Machine was a huge deal. Never have another group like that. Pete, R.I.P. Johnny Bench is Class Act.
Johnny!!! YOUVE BEEN MARRIED 5 TIMES!!! THINK THERES A PROBLEM THERE??? DONT THROW STONES..
STOP SMOKING CRACK and get the MENTAL COUNSELING you so OBVIOUSLY NEED
Not the topic.
Love Johny bench my child hood hero
Big fan of Bench but he for many years was basically the MLB player spokesman for keeping Rose out of the Hall. He did this over the years by adamantly claiming Pete should NOT be in the HOF whenever he was asked about it . I don't really blame Bench as he is a very principled man and I respect that. He just really never did Rose any favors regarding the subject.
Neither did Rose. Rose is not in because of his own actions and refusal to come clean and show some humility
@@charlesdoyle3630 You're correct but you're missing my point.
@@charlesdoyle3630Obviously, you are one of the lucky ones that never experienced addiction. Addiction clouds your judgment and honesty. You need to learn that.
Don’t lay blame at Bench’s feet. Put it where it belongs, Pete Rose.
@@John-pc3cx Never did such a thing
Pete Rose made a terrible mistake. But that doesn’t take away he was one of the most complete player of his era. Bench should let it go.
Let what go? His values?
Pete Rose fanboys still remain delusional to this day.
His BIGGEST mistake was not betting on baseball- it was his stubborn PRIDE in not admitting it when he should have. He would be in the Baseball HOF right now if he had just admitted he screwed up
And you should STOP SMOKING CRACK
Charlie Hussle....RIP. You were a gamer. 🙂❤️
Still talking about this narrative instead of how great a player he was.
Nobody would be talking about the narrative if he wasn’t a great player
You think Bench doesn’t know how great of a player he was? He played with him over 10 years.
STOP SMOKING CRACK
Uh, yeah. Is that surprising? A great player's legacy tainted by gambling will always be discussed.
Does Philadelphia win without Pete Rose NO
DOES THE BIG RED MACHINE RUN WITHOUT PETE ROSE..
YES .BUT ,IT'S NOT THE SAME. THE MAN PLAYED FIVE DIFFERENT POSITIONS. HIS BASEBALL RECORD AS A PLAYER. STAN'DS ON ALL HIS MERITS.
UNFORTUNATELY HE DID SOMETHING. AND HIS BIGGEST THING WAS HE DIDN'T FESS UP AND JUST SAY YEAH MAN I DID IT. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MADE BASEBALL SAY YOU KNOW SOMETHING IF YOU'RE NOT YOU WEREN'T A MAN ENOUGH TO ADMIT YOUR MISTAKE UNTIL 10:15 YEARS LATER. I'M PRETTY SURE IF PETE COULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN HE WOULD HAVE FACED UP AND PROBABLY GOT THIS FIASCO OVER WITH.
BUT LORD KNOWS I LOVE CHARLIE HUSTLE AS A PLAYER,
PLAY I BELIEVE IN MY HEART IF YOU PUT 8 PETE ROSES & 1 NOLAN RYAN ON THE MOUND. ONE GAME TO WIN.
THEY WOULD NEVER FAIL. RIP PETE ROSE
YOU WERE A ULTIMATE COMPETITOR.
THERE ISN'T A PLAYER THAT PLAYED WITH HIM.
THAT CAN YOU BECOME A BETTER PLAYER BY PLAYING WITH HIM. TO HIS FAMILY, TO THE BASEBALL COMMUNITY, HIS TEAMMATES,& HIS FANS AND I'M ONE OF THEM. GO PLAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS, ON OUR FATHER IN HEAVENS' GOLDEN DIAMOND IN THE SKY.
PEACE 14# FOREVER.
rip pete rose you were my favorite player growing up you are in my hall of fame your the best
I have a story about Pete Rose as an 10 year old kid I was in St Louis at a game trying to get a Pete Rose autograph. I spotted him walkiqng from the hotel and walked around the stadium with him. I kept asking for his autograph and he never once acknowledged me. I loved him till that day. He was my favorite player till that day. I couldn't stand him after that day. ?It was the 70's and he was starting to make money at card shows. What a shame, if he had just signed autographs for kids his image would have possibly helped his HOF eligibility. To his credit he was a tremendous player, just wish he had been better with kids in my era. God bless you and the family.
PETEY WAS A ''NAR '' !
I was at the 1979 All Star Game, just a young TV tech, setting up pre-game on the field. I had a 13 year old friend who loved baseball. I went up to Pete, who was about to take BP, and told him about my friend and asked if he would sign a baseball for him. This was against all policies and protocols of being on a TV crew, and both Pete and I could have gotten into some trouble. But he took the pen and ball and signed it and went about his business. He didn't say a word, but didn't cause me any trouble, either. FWIW.
Athletic ability doesn’t mean the person has a good heart.
He was a kid at that time but most baseball players then and now are pricks
The first time in my life I shed a tear for someone who passed that I never met and didn’t know . R.I.P.
Lol . WTF is wrong with you
My father grew up on Chicago's South South during the Depression, a hell of a ball player and was befriended by Buck Weaver, a Blacksox who spent his entire life trying to clear his name while Shoeless Joe Jackson died in squalor. Pete Rose is a top 50 Lifetime Finalist...he deserves to be in Baseball's HOF. RIP Charlie Hustle...The HOF has no cred.
Bench and Rose, two of my favorite Reds growing up in Ohio.
🙏🏼🌹Rest in Peace Pete .
As a avid Dodger fan, I thank you for the great memories ❤️
As a Dodger Fan, Johnny Bench is one of the GREATEST MLB CATCHERS OF ALL TIME!!!
The Big Red Machine of the mid-1970s were exciting and inspiring. I'm not a Cincinnati fan generally, but I loved following the Reds' success. RIP Joe Morgan, RIP Pete Rose.
Johnny Bench was my hero as a kid
Johnny Bench on Saturday Morning TV teaching little leaguers the game. Lifetime memories!
Pete.. should be in the Hall of Fame
Dam shame a blemish on the league.
Pete Rose still deserves to be in the HOF. What he did outside in his personal life, whether he bet on baseball or the Reds or not, should be of no consequence. He was one of the greatest players to have played the game. Let's be honest, he wasn't the only one. RIP Pete
Pete Rose belongs in the hall of fame ‼️
pete definitely did things on his own terms....he is gone now and what he achieved on the field will never be forgotten and the impact he had on those players around him, he made everyone play harder, teammates and opponents.
I don't know if there's ever been a catcher before or after him, that had all the tools and used them as effectively as Johnny Bench. I'd just like to add he is also a man of great integrity and applies that with loving humanity.
If I could cry I think I'd cry for Johnny and all the other Reds in the Big Red Machine and others who were big fans of baseball. Back when guys stayed on a team for most of their careers.
putting him in the hall now that he is gone is not what we wanted! the joy of being a part of seeing him get his reward for what he accomplished in his career has been taken from generations of baseball fans ! now it doesn't matter! Baseball has lost Charlie hustle and the opportunity to forgive and move on!
Actions have consequences. Some for better and some for worse.
Pete Rose for the HoF. Period
Cry me a river for what Pete Rose thought he was entitled to…Pete had numerous, numerous people around him since the events of 1989 unfolded trying to help him come out of this scandal a HOF’r. Yes, America is a forgiving society and loves to give second chances, especially to our high profile citizens. But, the FIRST step of forgiveness is stating what you did, owning what you did, admitting you were wrong to break the rules, say you were sorry, ask for forgiveness and then forgive yourself. Pete chose not to do that. If Pete had come out in front of this and apologized and done the hard and sincere work to admit what he did earlier, there is no doubt in my mind he would have been enshrined in the HOF the following year. Pete made his choices and he lived and died, just like the rest of us, with the results of those choices. Pete’s only failing in life was never getting over how mad he was at MLB for finding out he gambled, he gambled on baseball and he gambled on his teams.
Never forget watching Bench pick Maury Wills off first base twice in the same game. What an outstanding player and person. Really like Joe Morgan too.
One of the best talking about one of the best ever.
Thank Johnny great insight
I've never seen Bench being interviewed about being Johnny Bench. It's always what he says about Pete Rose.
The 1970 NLCS was the only league championship series between two teams that had changed home parks during the season. Both the Reds and the Pirates had moved into new parks in 1970. It was also the first LCS played on AstroTurf.
Johnny Bench is the GOAT catchers. Pete Rose should definitely be in the Hall but if not, he still was one of best ever. They can't take that away from him.
Baseball Bunch was my favorite show as a kid.
Beautiful words from Johnny Bench about his former teammate!!! I saw Pete in Cooperstown this summer signing autographs, and it really pisses me off that MLB are such hypocrites. They ban him for gambling, yet they advertise gambling in practically every MLB stadium. And now Pete is no longer alive to really enjoy his day.
Pete Rose should now be put into the Hall of Fame!! He was a unique player !!
i'm an almost 60 year old arrogantly conceited about my team, life long Red Sox fan and I can't deny Pete Rose is the best baseball player I ever saw play the game personally. I would bet my farm that man never bet against his team. If anyone should be in the Hall of Fame Pete Rose is IT. He's on my list as the greatest of all time, The guys competing for second place ain't even close.
It's simply shows the great hypocrisy of sports. They banned Pete Rose for gambling, but yet now gambling is the largest single advertiser on all major sports. There is no other entity that is a bigger sponsor of professional athletics than organized gambling. It was illegal when it was private bookies and it was small time. But now that billions of billions of dollars flow to the right corporations, it's completely legal and encouraged. But it was bad when Pete did it. Gotcha
Johnny Bench is the man! Old time stoic, the rules are the rules.
Red machine, one of the very best teams ever assembled, with Bench, Concepcion, Morgan and Geronimo up the middle, outstanding defense.
It a good thing that johnny love pete
and I lived through those days....great baseball
Pete’s record speaks for itself.
For years nobody had a nice word about Pete Rose. Then he dies and everyone speaks highly of him…..Im 61 and remember both of these guys in their peak. When we played baseball we pretended to be our favorite player. My best friend started playing the position of catcher because of Johnny Bench. How many kids slid headfirst because Pete Rose did? I know I did…Pete Rose was one of a kind. He had his demons like we all do. I heard stories of him showing up at autograph signing events so drunk he could barely function…Is this true? Probably. But we all struggle with our issues.
Pete Rose was my all time favorite player, I really wanted to get out to Vegas to meet Pete and get a ball signed I regret I'll never get that chance. A much greater crime than gambling is that baseball kept him out of the hall of fame. RIP Pete!
Mr. Hustle .......… Hall of famer ............
One of the greatest players of all time...... We all know hes a HALL of FAMER........
It DID NOT take away from how great he was on the field. Shame on you Johnny for not supporting Pete.
I happenend to be in Cincinnati duringthis entire contovery. I talked to this guy who worked in the hotel and he said that "This is Pete Rose's Town." A lot of people there were angry towards Bench.