Johnny Bench Biography

Fast Facts

• Set an endurance record in 1980 by catching in 100 or more games in 13 consecutive seasons
• Was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in January 1989
• Is a supporter of several non-profit organizations, including the American Cancer Society, and founded the Johnny Bench Scholarship Fund to help college students in the Cincinnati area
• Dreamed of becoming a major league baseball player as a child, and under his father's guidance, trained to be a catcher
• Was signed to the Cincinnati Reds during the amateur draft in 1965 and spent two season in the minor league before joining the team's Major League roster in 1968
• Since retiring from baseball, he has worked as a sportscaster for CBS Radio and has made several appearances on ESPN and Fox Sports
• Best known as a former professional baseball catcher for the Cincinnati Reds
• Started playing professional gold in the 1990s on the Senior PGA Tour and the Champions Tour
• A fan of baseball cards as a child, he continued collecting them as an adult
• Was the first backstop in baseball to wear a helmet while he was behind the plate