Collected Wisdom: Johnny Bench
Collected Wisdom: Johnny Bench

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By Berry Tramel

Published: September 7, 2008

Bench went from tiny Binger High School in Caddo County to being one of the greatest catchers in baseball history and a cornerstone of the Big Red Machine, the Reds teams of the '70s that lay as much claim as any to the greatest team of all time.

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Oklahoma's been so good to me. I'm in the Hall of Fame. The Sports Hall of Fame. I got to be part of the Centennial. I've got the (Bricktown) statue. Now we've got the museum in Binger.

I'm immortalized right across the street (in Bricktown). We drove around the ballpark, and people were standing around the statue, taking pictures.. You can't get better than that.

I'm strictly bi-partisan. Anything to do with Oklahoma, I'm pulling for. Tulsa, Oral Roberts, anybody that plays in this state has got my backing. Everybody says, "I'm from Ohio.” I say, "well, I'm from Oklahoma.” I'll always be an Okie.

What do I remember most about Binger? Probably the bicycle I had to ride around. We went to the state finals in basketball, won the state championship in baseball in fall. Growing up with a bunch of kids.

It was a great time. A simple life. We got to play baseball every day. We worked when it was time to work and we played when it was time to play. Life was good.

Oologah beat us in the state basketball finals. I'm still upset about that. Nobody remembers what a great basketball team we had. In baseball, I was 6-0. I pitched more than I caught.

I was going to be a baseball player. I never doubted it. I hit every rock out of the driveway. Twice. I played home run derby.

The one thing that was really the whole key, the whole reason it happened, I was always in against better competition. I was nine years old, I played with 11- and 12-year-olds. When I was 11, I was playing with 13- and 14-year-olds. When I was 14, I was playing Legion. So I never got overmatched. I wasn't intimidated.

The one thing that knocks you down is when somebody just slaps you upside the head and you don't get back up. I never faced that.

My arm was so good at a young age. I was expected to throw everybody out and throw 100 mph. I could do that. I had a reputation to begin with.

I grew up to be this. I was going to be this. I always had an inner conceit about being better than the situation. I always felt like I had to make it. I wasn't going to settle for anything outside this.

I remember Richie Farmer was (state) player of the year. He was like a 6-3, 6-4 stud. Looked good. Everything he did was so natural. I said, "Wow, man, I wish I could look like that.”

It's like pulling cotton or working in the peanut field, you've got to get up and do your job. Catchers, that's your job. You don't have time to worry about what you look like or anything else. You've got a responsibility on the field.

The best coach I ever had was Spud Hanna. Or Larry Speer. Larry Speer coached me up until my freshman year, then he got a job over here in Washington. He was climbing up on top of a house and hit a live wire with an antenna. One of those guys that laughed a lot, had fun with the game. Everything was good. He really liked coaching. Really liked the kids.

I had lung surgery four days after I turned 25. I never was Johnny Bench after that. I still had an edge, but I wasn't that much further ahead.

Randy Hundley was starting to catch one-handed. Elston Howard. I got credit for it. My style has always been different, because that's the way my body worked. Once I became that, I got credit for it.

My favorite teammate was probably Tony Perez. I just don't think there was a better team player, and as good a clutch hitter as there ever was. He was such a needler. He would start stuff and go hide.

The Big Red Machine elevated me up. That was such a great time in our life, with Pete (Rose) and Joe (Morgan). We were the Big Four. And the other four were pretty good, too.

Cincinnati, they want to take credit as a great baseball town. They like to say they are. They come for Opening Day. It's such a family-oriented town. Like during school, they don't want to come to the games.