Johnny Bench Statue

This statue commemorates Cincinnati Reds Hall-of-Fame catcher Johnny Bench (1947-). Born in Oklahoma, he spent his entire seventeen-year big league career with the organization. During that time, Bench made a case for being one of the greatest catchers to ever play the game. He won ten consecutive Gold Glove Awards, and led the National League in caught stealing percentage three times and putouts twice. No slouch at the plate, Bench also led the league in RBIs three times and home runs twice. Along with teammates Pete Rose and Joe Morgan, he helped power Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” to four National League pennants and two World Series titles in the 1970s. Along the way, Bench collected two National League Most Valuable Player Awards and a World Series Most Valuable Player Award. Following the 1983 season, the fourteen-time All-Star retired, finishing his playing career with 389 home runs, 1,376 RBIs, 2,048 hits, and a .267 batting average. In 1989, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America elected him to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. On September 17, 2011, the twenty-eighth anniversary of the final home run of Bench’s career, the Reds unveiled a statue of him in front of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum just outside Great American Ball Park. Designed by Cincinnati-based artist and University of Cincinnati alumnus Tom Tsuchiya, the life-sized bronze sculpture depicts Bench in action on the field. Dressed in his catcher’s gear, he stands behind home plate in the middle of his throwing motion, presumably attempting to throw out a runner trying to steal second base.

Johnny Lee Bench was born the third of four children to Ted and Kathy Bench on December 7, 1947 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. When he was five years old, the family settled in Binger, Oklahoma, a tiny town roughly sixty miles west of Oklahoma City. His father Ted, a truck driver who played baseball in high school and the Army, introduced him and his brothers to America’s pastime in their early years. Following his father’s advice, Bench took to catching early, playing the position as well as pitcher during his years in Little League and American Legion. Later, he attended Binger High School, where he excelled in both academics and athletics. Bench starred on the school’s baseball and basketball teams, earning All-Star honors in both. An excellent student, he was also valedictorian of his graduating class in 1965.

Desirous of becoming a professional baseball player since a young age, Bench turned down several scholarship offers to sign a contract with the Cincinnati Reds, who drafted him in the second round of the 1965 MLB Draft. After signing, he spent nearly three years in their minor league system before receiving a call-up to the majors late in the 1967 season. In all, Bench spent his entire seventeen-year big league career with the Reds. During that time, he made a case for being one of the greatest catchers to ever play the game. Bench won ten consecutive Gold Glove Awards, and led the National League in caught stealing percentage three times and putouts twice. No slouch at the plate, he also led the league in RBIs three times and home runs twice. Along with teammates Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, and Tony Pérez, Bench helped power Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” to four National League pennants and two World Series titles in the 1970s. Along the way, he collected two National League Most Valuable Player Awards and a World Series Most Valuable Player Award. Following the 1983 season, the fourteen-time All-Star retired, finishing his playing career with 389 home runs, 1,376 RBIs, 2,048 hits, and a .267 batting average. In 1989, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America elected him to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

On September 17, 2011, the twenty-eighth anniversary of the final home run of Bench’s career, the Reds unveiled a statue of him in front of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum just outside Great American Ball Park. Designed by Cincinnati-based artist and University of Cincinnati alumnus Tom Tsuchiya, the life-sized bronze sculpture depicts Bench in action on the field. Dressed in his catcher’s gear, he stands behind home plate in the middle of his throwing motion, presumably attempting to throw out a runner trying to steal second base. In addition to Bench’s bronze likeness, Tsuchiya also sculpted the statues of Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, and Tony Pérez, as well as those of Joe Nuxhall, Ernie Lombardi, Ted Klususki, and Frank Robinson, a group of pieces collectively known as Reds Legends of Crosley Field, all of which reside just outside Great American Ball Park. 

Armour, Mark. "Johnny Bench." sabr.org. Society for American Baseball Research. Web. 1 July 2021 <https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/johnny-bench/>.

Goldsmith, Ethan. "Johnny Bench immortalized in statue in front go GABP." FOX19, September 18, 2011 <https://www.fox19.com/story/15488309/johnny-bench-immortilized-in-statue-in-front-of-gabp/>.

Goldsmith, Ethan. "Statue of Johnny Bench to be unveiled in September." FOX19, February 27, 2011 <https://www.fox19.com/story/14148661/statue-of-johnny-bench-to-be-unveiled-later-this-year/>.

"Johnny Bench." baseballhall.org. National Baseball Hall of Fame. Web. 1 July 2021 <https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/bench-johnny>.

"Johnny Bench." Encyclopædia Britannica. Web. 1 July 2021 <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Johnny-Bench>.