Johnny's childhood dream was to become a major league baseball player and
his father counseled that the position of catcher was the most direct route
to that goal. Taking that advice, he was selected in the 1965 amateur draft
by the Cincinnati Reds and signed with them. After two seasons in the minors,
Bench made Cincinnati's Major League roster for the 1968 season. this marked
the beginning of one of the most successful careers in baseball history
and to Johnny's ascension as a celebrity.
Today Johnny enjoys a well-rounded, stellar career. By making the transition
from athletic superstar to successful broadcaster, he has proven himself
a winner in tow of the most popular areas in American culture: baseball
and the media.
Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in January, 1989 with the fourth highest
percentage of total votes cast, Bench is undoubtedly the greatest catcher
ever. His honors include National League Rookie of the Year (1968), National
League Most Valuable Player (1970 & 1972), World Series MVP (1976),
14-time All-Star, with 10 Gold Gloves. In 1980 Bench set and endurance
record by catching 100 or more games for 13 consecutive seasons.
He
maintains a sense of balance by using his celebrity status to aid worthy
causes, such as the Heart Association, the American Cancer society (as
National Chairman of “Athletes vs. Cancer”), the Kidney Foundation, Franciscan
Sisters of the Poor Health System and Muscular Dystrophy. He also supports
the Cincinnati Symphony, the Museum of Science and Industry, and his own
Johnny Bench Scholarship Fund which grants financial aid to Cincinnati
college students.
Bench has enjoyed maximum national visibility through his thousands of
hours of entertainment experiences and personal appearances. He has been
part of Bob Hope Christmas Shows in the Far East and Desert Storm, has
sung with the Cincinnati Pops, authored books, and hosted a wide range
of television programs, from his Emmy Award-winning instructional show
“The Baseball Bunch”, a 1984 PBS special “Billy Sunday” and various Baseball
oriented programs.
1993 marked Johnny's ninth year with CBS Radio broadcasting the National
Game of the Week, the All-Star Game, the League Championship Series and
the World Series. He has worked Reds baseball on television and continues
into his tenth year as a co-host of a daily in-season radio show focusing
on baseball.
Johnny's passion for golf has grown and spread into business opportunities
from hosting Mastering Golf and Golf in Paradise, two cable shows featuring
guests and golf tips, to the formation of Johnny Bench Golf, Inc. a golf
marketing company which covers a wide range of golf oriented products and
services.
Using a blend of sincerity, credibility and wit, Johnny Bench can move
easily from the world of sports and entertainment to civic involvement,
from culture to business. He is a symbol of winning through hard work as
outlined in his presentation featuring “The Bowels of Success” which highlights
easy to remember motivational tips.
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