Card Corner--Johnny Bench

Johnny Bench--Topps Company--1973 (No. 380)

The 1973 All-Star Game was remarkably unmemorable. The National League dominated a one-sided affair, 7-1, continuing a seemingly endless string of supremacy against the older and less talented American League. Bobby Bonds came off the Nationals' bench to hit a double and two-run homer, earning MVP honors for his work as a substitute. The other National League home runs--both solo shots--emerged from the bats of Willie Davis (the subject of an earlier "Card Corner") and Johnny Bench, who started the game behind the plate and batted sixth in the NL lineup before giving way to Ted Simmons. Bench was one of 15 Hall of Famers to appear in the game that night at Royals Stadium.

In this 1973 Topps card, we see Bench in full action, near the climax of a hell-bent run toward the first-base dugout, as he attempts to finish off a two-handed basket catch of a foul ball. Due to the timing of the photo by the cameraman, we don't know for sure if Bench makes the catch, crashes into the enemy dugout (is it the Giants?), or both. Given Bench's athletic ability, I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to say that he makes the catch while remaining on his feet, frustrating yet another opposing batter with his gifts of soft hands and nimble agility.

Simply put, Bench is the best defensive catcher I've ever seen. (Keep in mind that I never saw Roger Bresnahan, Mickey Cochrane, or Jim Hegan play.) When you include Bench's offensive game--which encompassed power, the ability to draw walks, and above-average speed--he ranks as the best all-round catcher of my lifetime, too. I suppose strong arguments could be made for Josh Gibson as the greatest catcher of all time, but I never saw him play, and the Negro Leagues statistics are so lacking as to do him little justice. So I'll take Bench in that category, as well.

There's some irony to those assessments when you consider his name--"Johnny Bench." Think about that. It sounds like a putdown nickname for a young schoolboy who's not quite good enough to start. "Sit on the bench, Johnny. You're not that good. We'll call you 'Johnny Bench.' " I can just hear Hawk Harrelson exclaiming in an imaginary game between the White Sox and Reds, "Grab some bench, Johnny."

I wonder if Johnny Bench ever heard such putdowns. Kids can be cruel sometimes, so it wouldn't be shocking if he did. It didn't matter. Bench's talent and work ethic made up for any ill feelings that his neighborhood cohorts might have created.

What made Bench such a standout behind the plate? Any discussion of Bench's defensive prowess has to begin with his hands. Bench was actually nicknamed "Hands," largely because his hands approached the size of lion's paws. He could hold eight baseballs at one time in his two hands, a neat trick that became a staple for photographers of the sixties and seventies. His hands weren't just oven mitts either; they were soft enough to dig balls out of the dirt and keep wild pitches at a minimum. With such large tools at his disposal, Bench adopted a one-handed catching style; when no runners were on base, he held out only his mitt hand, keeping his bare hand behind his back so as to avoid hurting his fingers on foul tips. His success with the one-hand style, aided by the use of a hinged mitt, helped influence a baseball myth. For many years, Bench was falsely credited with being the first major league catcher to use the one-handed approach. The pioneer was actually the Cubs' Randy Hundley, but Bench followed shortly thereafter. Both were exceptional.

Bench's throwing arm teamed well with his hands. He pumped cannonshots to second base, displaying the kind of power arm that has been matched by only one man since (Ivan Rodriguez). Bench's arm served him well in an era in which the stolen base shared prominence with the home run.

Although Bench's 208-pound build made him look like a piece of rounded granite, he was amazingly agile. He moved smoothly in blocking pitches, handled pop-ups with speed and grace, and deftly snatched bunted balls.

In completing the picture of defensive perfection, Bench handled pitchers exceptionally well. Unlike Pudge Rodriguez, there were few criticisms that he signaled for more fastballs to improve his chances against basestealers. Bench called a solidly good game, even though the Reds lacked dominating pitchers for most of his years in Cincinnati.

Johnny Bench created a poetic portrait with the way he handled the position. Sometimes a baseball card catches the player just right.