Bench Strength

About Johnny Bench

 If you missed Bench, you missed seeing a good one. Irod was great, so maybe was Posada, Fisk was super, but for my money, Bench was the best I ever saw, offensively and defensively.

Johnny Bench's 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 and signed in the 1965 amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds. 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.

Bench was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in January 1989, Bench is undoubtedly the greatest catcher ever as stated by the Sporting News in late 1998, in which Johnny was named the 16th greatest player of all time – His successes include National League Rookie of the Year (1968), National League Most Valuable Players (1970 & 1972), World Series MVP (1976), 14-time All-Star, and 10 Gold Gloves. In 1980, Bench set an endurance record by catching 100 or more games for 13 consecutive seasons. Then, in 1999 Johnny received baseball’s esteemed honor of selection to the All Century Team on October 24.
Over the years, Johnny has maintained a sense of balance by using his celebrity status to aid such worthy causes as the Heart Association, the American Cancer Society (as past National Chairman of Athletes vs. Cancer), the Kidney Foundation, Franciscan Sisters of Poor Health System, the American Lung Association, and the ‘Catch the Cure’ program of the Children’s Hospital of Cincinnati.



Johnny’s national broadcasting background includes nine years with CBS Radio broadcasting the National Game of the Week, the All-Star Game, the League Championship Series and the World Series as well as play-by-play on Reds’ television.

Try and find a catcher with the same power, RBI capability, and ability to throw our runners. Irod could throw, and not for average, but not in the same conversation in terms of home run sock.

Don't call me Dick, I'm Rich Allen.

Playing in Philadelphia in the mid 1960's was not the most pleasant environment for Richie Allen. His team found him hard to understand, Gene Mauch found him hard to explain, and the fans had a love hate relationship.


He struck out, they hated him, he homered, they loved him. Richie, Dick, whatever you called him, it seemed that it was always the wrong thing.  America was trying to deal with race riots, Martin Luther King, black ghettos, high unemployment in the black community.



When we look at Allen, you see he had excellant years, but there was the thought he was under achieving. That he had more to give, but why should he, the "man" didn't appreciate his talents, and the world was against him.


He moved on to St.Louis, Chicago and Oakland...ever trying to find a spot where tolerance, acceptance were not just preached, but a way of life.  He felt it sporadically, but never walked in a club house and felt comfortable.  He was always wearing tight shoes, and therefore never seemed happy, and therefore was an outsider in a club house of baseball players. Trying to blend in, but never accomplishing that goal.


Allen sometimes clashed with teammates, though his celebrated 1965 fight with slugger Frank Thomas appears to have been justified. After Thomas repeatedly called his African-American teammate Johnny Briggs “boy” and compared Allen to “Muhammad Clay” (a cutting reference to Muhammad Ali), Allen exchanged angry words with the veteran slugger. For this, Allen deserves applause, not ridicule. Later on, as the Phillies took batting practice, Allen and Thomas grappled near the batting cage, and Thomas hit Allen in the shoulder with his bat. Although his shoulder bothered him from time to time that season, Allen escaped serious injury.


Some of Allen’s problems were self-inflicted; others were created by a 1960s American culture that was still plagued by deep-seated racism and segregation. After signing with the Phillies, the youthful Richie Allen reported to the team’s minor-league affiliate in Little Rock, Ark. A number of fans greeted him by marching in a protest parade, furious that he was about to become the first black ballplayer in the city’s minor-league history. During the interview with Costas, Allen revealed that after one game he returned to his car to find that vandals had spray-painted the words “N**** Go Home” on the vehicle. Although he was treated by many citizens of Little Rock as an outcast (or less), he led the league in total bases and earned a fast promotion to the parent Phillies.


Sometimes history lessons are painful, sometimes it is no one's fault, but the American experience of white versus black was never more evident than with Rich, donèt call me Dick Allen.

We should remember Allen for being an exceptional player, but the colour barrier and they both Philly and he handled things leave us wondering.

MLB Draft 2012

A brief pause from what seems to be endless history lessons, to observe the 2012 MLB June draft began last night with young Puerto Rican shortstop Carlos Correa drafted numero uno by the houston Astros.

Astros see Correa as a potential Arod clone at short, and plan to leave him at that position. He has the size and tools to play either, but defense also his strong suit.

 

Correa will evenbtually be on display in  the American League, as Houston is moving to the American League in 2013, unless there are hang ups.

Jays 2012 1st pick DJ Davis

 Jays drafted a speedy outfielder, who might project a spot of extra base pop, when he matures.  A strong centre fielder, with an above average arm, Anthopolous contiues to stock pile raw talent at key positions. Jays went with a reliever with their next pick, choosing to home grow the next Sergio Santos.




Highlight of the draft was a back flip by Courtney Hawkins on the draft floor, certainly impressed the TV folks, perhaps not so GM Kenny Williams.

This kid should rise quickly, as opposed to Buxton in drafted outfielders. He already has the major league smile going for him. Start printing those baseball cards.

The Little General

If you think Ozzie was the the most acrobatic, if you saw Tony Fernandez sling the ball to first
In Venezuela, they refer to Luis Aparicio as the ``little general`. He barks out orders in Spanish, moves the second baseman and points out where he should be standing.


Then he smacks his glove 3 times, very superstitious he is, but when the ball is thrown, and the ball is hit, they all look back at Luis, and no their heads in acknowledgement.  He was right, it was a breaking ball, so of course the second baseman needed to playing deeper and towards short allowing the General to play closer to third.


Bill Rigney , then Twins manager turns to Oliva and Versailles and they shrug their shoulders, `he is the general and his moves his troops`says Tony Oliva to Zoilo Versailles, we have seen him in the Caribbean World Series do this for years




Following his debut in 1956, Luis Aparicio helped to redefine the role and expectations of Major League shortstops with agile fielding, spray-hitting and speedy base running. He took Rookie of the Year honors in 1956, collected nine Gold Glove Awards, led the American League in stolen bases nine seasons and was named to the All-Star squad 10 times. When he retired in 1973, he held the career record for shortstops for games played, double plays and assists.

Pete Rose - Part One

 ``Id walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball ``.

Sound vaguely familiar, Pete Rose would have played for free at one stage of his career, eventually all that changed.

In this two stage blog, let`s go back and get some perspective.

Charlie Hustle

Pete Rose was born and raised in Cincinnati, the town where he would become famous on the ball diamond. His father, Harry Rose, who once played semi-pro football, pushed his son into athletics at an early age. One day, the story goes, Harry went to the store to buy a pair of shoes for his daughter and came back with a pair of boxing gloves for Pete. From then on, sports dominated Pete's life.

In this two part blog, I need to show the many sides of one the games most interesting and controversial players. They say everyone has a dark side, and Pete Rose personifies the dual roles of good and evil.

After hustling his way through several sports in grade school and high school, Rose settled on baseball. Though he was not considered a top prospect, his hometown Cincinnati Reds signed him to a professional contract. Rose began his pro career in 1960 with the Geneva Red Legs of the New York-Penn League and spent several years laboring in the minors, cementing his reputation for energetic play. He was about to turn 22 when he got the nickname "Charlie Hustle" during spring training of 1963. New York Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford bestowed it on him after he saw Rose running out a base on balls. His hustle helped him make the Reds that year, and Rose immediately became the regular second baseman. He was named Rookie of the Year.   Huh, and I thought Mantle gave him that nick name.

Right away, Rose was a solid contributor. In 1965, Rose batted .312 and led the league in hits with 209. It was the first of 15 seasons in which he would hit at least .300, the first of 10 seasons with 200 or more hits (a major league record) and the first of five years leading the league in hits. In 1968, he won the first of his three batting championships, hitting for a .335 batting average, and the following year he recorded a career-high .348 average. Gee Mike, another hitter better than Ichiro......


Rose became the sparkplug of a young team that was developing many stars. In 1967, after four years at second base, Rose was switched to the outfield to make room for future Hall of Famer Joe Morgan. Never a spectacular fielder, Rose nonetheless was recognized with two Gold Gloves for fielding excellence as an outfielder, in 1969 and 1970. Rose spent eight seasons playing left field or right field before moving to third base in 1975.
Rose was an integral part of that decades most dominant National League franchise. The Reds, Pirate and Mets ruled that era.

In the first seven years of the 1970s, Cincinnati was the most successful team in the National League. Five times, the Reds won their division and four times-in 1970, 1972, 1975 and 1976-they made it to the World Series. Known as the "Big Red Machine," the Reds were led by such future Hall of Famers as Joe Morgan, catcher Johnny Bench, and first baseman Tony Perez. Rose was the backbone of the team and its spirited leader. He became known for his head first slides and for running out every single ball he hit. Though he had only average speed, he stole 198 bases in his career.

4192nd all time hit off Eric Show

 In 1972, Rose helped the Reds win Game Five of the World Series over the Oakland As, opening the game with a home run and driving in the winning run in the ninth inning with a single. Nevertheless, the Reds lost the series, as they had in 1970. In 1975, Rose was named the World Series Most Valuable Player for batting .370 and leading the Reds to a memorable victory over Boston in the seven-game series, considered by many to be the greatest of the modern era. In 1976, the Reds swept the Yankees in four games, but Rose batted only .188.

 

Rose patented head first lunge into third base, arms stretched out trying to beat the tag.

 

1976 World Series 4 game sweep of the Yankees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 1970 All Star game is forever marked by a memorable play, Rose`s home plate collision with Cleveland.  

 

This is when they played the All Star Game was a big deal, and they played it hard and for keeps

 

The kid from Commerce

The Kid

I saw the Mick play in 1964 in the World Series against the St.Louis Cardinals. My mother said for over a decade he was the best there ever was. She never saw The Babe, or Ted Williams, and for all I knew, at age 8, she was right.

Born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma, but known as that the kid form Commerce, he built a cult following that rivaled Ruth, Mays, DiMaggio, or Gehrig. He hit from both sides, and he could run faster. Duke Snider said, if his knees weren`t so bad, he could steal 50 bases each year. A little background on the greatest switch hitter to grace the game. Put on the Terry Cashman song, talkin baseball.

Mickey Charles Mantle was born on October 20, 1931, in Spavinaw, Oklahoma, to Elvin ("Mutt") and Lovell Richardson Mantle. A former semi-pro (professional but independent of Major League Baseball) baseball player, Mutt Mantle named his first child after Detroit Tigers catcher Mickey Cochrane. Mickey was barely out of diapers before he was practicing baseball with his father. Mutt taught his son to be a switch-hitter: Mickey would use his natural right-handed swing against his left-handed father and then turn around and bat left-handed against his right-handed grandfather. Teaching him to switch hit, at his age, imagine that.

Mantle played baseball, basketball, and football at his high school in Commerce, Oklahoma. During one game, however, he was kicked in the leg and developed osteomyelitis, a bone disease that would later affect his baseball career. Mantle attracted the attention of New York Yankee scout Tom Greenwade, who signed him to a contract of $140 a week with a $1,500 signing bonus. (US healthcare system is for the birds !)


Mantle reported to the Yankees' minor league team in Independence, Kansas, in 1949 as a switch-hitting shortstop. After two years in the minor leagues, the Yankees invited him to their major league spring training camp. He earned a place on the roster, and the New York media soon began comparing him to Babe Ruth and other past Yankee greats. Only 19 years old and two years out of high school, Mantle did not immediately live up to the public's high expectations. He started slowly in his new position--right field--and was sent back briefly to the minors. Mantle's first year in the majors was marred by inconsistent play and jeering from fans both in New York and around the league. His difficulties continued when, early in 1952, Mutt Mantle died of Hodgkin's disease at the age of 39. Mantle had been very close to his father, and he took the death hard.

Mantle was moved to center field when Joe DiMaggio retired from the Yankees following the 1951 season. He began to adjust to big-league play, and in 1952 batted .311 with 23 home runs and 87 runs batted in (RBIs). That season Mantle began to establish himself as one of baseball's premier power hitters. During one game against the Washington Senators, Mantle hit a ball completely out of Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. Measured at 565 feet, the home run is believed to be the longest ever hit. The New York Yankees won the American League pennant and World Series during each of Mantle's first three seasons, from 1951 to 1953. During the 1952 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Mantle batted .345 with two home runs. In the 1953 Series, again against the Dodgers, he batted only .208, but hit two more home runs.

In baseball`s greatest era`s ( the 1950`s ) , he was the greatest star.

Later in life he admitted that he should have taken better care of his body, but night clubbing with Billy Martin, and others likely cost him 5 more productive years. So would modern medicine, because those nagging knee injuries that caused him so much pain, could have better addressed with better procedures.

Countless American boys have since been named after him, or named sons after him, and his legend will live on.

History Lesson # 1 - The Christian Gentleman

I think that it is time for me to offer brief history lessons on players, and managers, and the game in general, in hopes that for the folks that read this blog will have a better understanding of the building blocks, and where the game has been.

The Christian Gentleman

So I thought for sometime about a point to start out on, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Pete Rose, who ?

I decided to let people in on a little known secret, about this guy who pitched in the dead ball era. His name was Christy Matheson, and he was better know in his day as the Christian Gentleman, and he pitched for the New York Giants. John McGraw's favourite player, he said, of all time.


Matheson was one pitcher, if was said, kept a book on many hitters, which was unheard of.  Cy Young of the Bostons, said  I just throw it hard, and I don't a damn who's at bat.  Matheson recorded what pitches that Honus Wagner handled easily, and he noted what arm angle, speed and follow through worked effectively. Wagner it was said did the same of pitchers, and so a constant battle raged, both players adjusting.

Christy reported through 8 different pitches, fade aways, drop balls, and rise balls, now commonly referred as fork balls, sliders and cut fastballs.  He had Greg Maddux's plate coverage, Saberhagen's change of speeds, and Koufax's ability to find " that extra spark " or giddy up.

Many of Matty's records stood in the National League for years. Walter Johnson held most American League, and what neither of them held, weren't worth holding, according to Ring Lardner.

I won't trivialize him with recanting his stats, I leave that to the geeks, and sabrmetricians of the world. Just let's say that for 20 years he was in National League without a peer. But for many a child growing in the 1900's he was their idol. 

Parents who hated their boys playing this game were pleased to let their sons comb their hair, eat the some food and pattern their baseball delivery after Matheson. His wife said he was a good man, but he was no goody goody.

He won 373 games, and finished up with a career ERA of 2.13. Admittedly the era ( 1910's ) was not a hitters era, but many parks had no fences, just roped off areas where fans would stand behind.

His final game was in 1916, and Christy entered World War I , and suffered from mustard gas in France, and he eventually died at 45 in 1925.  He was pretty bad shape in 25', and he told his wife that nothing can be done, so if you want to go out and have a cry, do not make it a long one.

Matheson was also credited as one of the whistle blowers of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. He was along side the reporters, and kept a note book of suspicious plays. He then wrote the commissioners office and sent in his notes, which were used in the trial.

He appeared in 4 World Series only winning once but limiting the opposition to a 0.97 earned run average.

He is to be remembered, and I gladly kick off this summer of baseball history.