Johnny Bench And The Hall Of Fame Class Of 1989

Johnny Bench And The Hall Of Fame Class Of 1989

One of the most obvious choices for first ballot entry into the Hall of Fame, Johnny Bench’s baseball resume looks like a blue-print for induction at Cooperstown.

A Rookie of the Year winner, multiple time All-Star, multiple time Gold Glove winner, 2-time MVP, and 2-time World Series Champion, Bench did it all during his remarkable 17-season major league career.

So, where does he rank in the voter’s eyes?

Good question, huh?  I’ll tell you where he ranks…  it’s right here!!!  Below is a chart that shows you the highest voting percentages for Hall of Fame induction in the history of the game…

Rank	Player	Year	Ballots	Votes	%	Position
1	Tom Seaver	1992	430	425	98.84%	P
2	Nolan Ryan	1999	497	491	98.79%	P
3	Cal Ripken, Jr.	2007	545	537	98.53%	SS
4	Ty Cobb	1936	226	222	98.23%	CF
5	George Brett	1999	497	488	98.19%	3B
6	Hank Aaron	1982	415	406	97.83%	RF
7	Tony Gwynn	2007	545	532	97.61%	RF
8	Mike Schmidt	1995	460	444	96.52%	3B
9	Johnny Bench	1989	447	431	96.42%	C
10	Steve Carlton	1994	455	436	95.82%	P
11	Babe Ruth	1936	226	215	95.13%	RF
11	Honus Wagner	1936	226	215	95.13%	SS
13	Willie Mays	1979	432	409	94.68%	CF
14	Carl Yastrzemski	1989	447	423	94.63%	LF
15	Bob Feller	1962	160	150	93.75%	P

So, now we know the answer to that question:  Johnny Bench Has The 9th Highest Percentage Of Votes For Hall Of Fame Induction!!!

Johnny Bench’s Fantastic Autograph

Johnny Bench’s Fantastic Autograph

If a player could teach a ‘How To Sign’ class, Johnny Bench could easily be the professor.

His signature is crisp, clear, and almost perfectly executed each time.  In fact, of all of the Bench signatures I have seen both in person and online, I have to say that I have never seen a bad one.

Written in a very clean script, his autograph is easy to read while offering just enough flare to bring a smile to the recipient’s face.

I once read that as a kid growing up, Bench used to practice his signature repeatedly so he got accustomed to the same look and feel each and every time he signed.  He took a lot of pride in his signature, and wanted the recipients to be pleased with what he offered.

I have two in my collection, and if I have my way, more will follow.

Here is just one example of the perfection that Bench offers up:

Johnny Bench And His 1975 & 1976 World Series Championships

Johnny Bench And His 1975 & 1976 World Series Championships

As the anchor of the mighty ‘Big Red Machine’, Bench helped take the Cincinnati Reds to the pinnacle of the sport during the post-seasons of 1975 and 1976.

And he did it in grand fashion…

In 1975, the Reds topped the Red Sox in 7 games  Bench rung up just a .207 batting average, but was responsible for driving in 4 crucial runs.  And in 1976, he dominated the Yankees.  In a 4-game sweep, he hit .533 while collecting 6 RBI, scoring 4 runs, and smashing 2 home runs.  His efforts in ’76 earned him the World Series MVP award.

Johnny Bench Captured 10 Gold Gloves During His Big League Career

Johnny Bench Captured 10 Gold Gloves During His Big League Career

Right at the start of his major league career, it was obvious that Johnny Bench was a supreme defender.

In his first full-time season, Bench captured the first of ten consecutive Gold Glove awards.  In his rookie season of 1968, Bench posted a fielding percentage of .991 while committing just nine errors in 154 games played.

He would go on to compile a career fielding percentage of .990 while committing just 97 errors in 1,742 games played.

Johnny Bench Was A 14-Time All-Star!!!

Johnny Bench Was A 14-Time All-Star!!!

Arguably the greatest catcher of all-time, Johnny Bench made the All-Star team in 14 of his 17 seasons as a major league baseball player.

A member of the Cincinnati Reds for the duration of his playing days, Bench was a fixture on the squad for a majority of the time that he played in the big leagues.

And while there was competition for the starting spot from a few worthy candidates in the National League during the time that Bench played, nobody could stack up to the ‘Little General’.

Johnny Bench’s Second MVP Season – 1972!

Johnny Bench’s Second MVP Season – 1972!

Bench was an unstoppable force during the 1972 baseball season.  Hitting .270 along with 40 home runs and 125 RBI, Bench solidified himself as the greatest hitting catcher in baseball history.  During that season, Bench earned his 5th consecutive Gold Glove as well as his 5th straight All-star game selection.  He also led the team into the 1972 World Series, losing in game 7 to the mighty Oakland A’s.

Johnny Bench’s First MVP Season – 1970!

Johnny Bench’s First MVP Season – 1970!

It would be very hard to argue if Johnny Bench was a better offensive player or defensive player.  This is a true testament to his amazing all-around game.  Bench’s skill level far exceeded any other catcher playing during his time, and for his incredible efforts he won baseball’s Most Valuable Player Award both in 1970.

Johnny Bench was so dominant and valuable to the Red’s roster that  he was often used as a outfileder and infielder just to keep his bat in the line-up.  In today’s game this is unheard of, but for Bench he actually played in 37 games in all three outfield positions as well as first and third base.

Johnny Bench & The 1968 Rookie Of The Year Award

Johnny Bench & The 1968 Rookie Of The Year Award

Johnny Bench appeared in 24 games as a 19-year old catcher in 1967.  And it didn’t take long for him to make an immediate impact with his team.

Just 1 season later, and 1 year older, Bench was putting up numbers that rivaled the best veterans around the league.

Appearing in 154 games, Bench collected 155 hits en route to a .275 batting average.  He also displayed flashes of power as he connected for 15 home runs while driving in 82.

Bench was named to the National League All-Star team in 1968.  He also won the Gold Glove that year, and most importantly he won the league’s Rookie of the Year award.

Johnny Bench’s 1968 season was a very solid start to one of the most successful and complete careers of any player to debut during the 1960’s.

Happy Birthday Johnny Bench!!!

Happy Birthday Johnny Bench!!!

Johnny Bench turns 67 years old today.  Regarded as the greatest catcher in the history of the game, I will give Mr. Bench the only thing that I can:

1 day of posts on this blog all pertaining to Johnny Bench and his incredible career!!!

Happy Birthday Mr. Bench!!!

CONTEST TIME: Who From The Expansion Era Ballot Gets Elected To The HOF???

CONTEST TIME: Who From The Expansion Era Ballot Gets Elected To The HOF???

The title of this post says it all.

And on Monday, December 9, we will know the answers to the question.

But, in the meantime, we can make our predictions and have a prize for the players that guess correctly, can’t we??  I think we can!!!

So, here is how this will work.  Review the 12 names on the ‘Expansion Era Ballot’ and submit your picks for who you think will be selected from this list and elected into the Baseball Hall Of Fame with the class of 2014.  You can pick as many players as you wish, or if you don’t think anyone will be chosen, you may state ‘none’.  Either way, if you get the picks correct, you can win.  Each correct selection will earn you 1 point.  UPDATED RULE SUBMIT AT 10:33PM – Be careful with your picks, because a wrong selection will deduct one point from your tally.  And if we have multiple players with the same number of points after the positives and negatives are counted, those names will be thrown into an online list randomizer and a winner be selected from that smaller group.

Sound like fun?

Sweet!  Here is the list of eligible entrants:

• Dave Concepcion
• Bobby Cox
• Steve Garvey
• Tommy John
• Tony LaRussa
• Billy Martin
• Marvin Miller
• Dave Parker
• Dan Quisenberry
• Ted Simmons
• George Steinbrenner
• Joe Torre

Ok, now get going and make your picks.  To be eligible for this contest, all picks must be submit as a comment on this post.  All picks must be posted by Sunday at 8:00PM and I will provide a list of all of the players and their selections on Monday morning.

Wanna see what you’re playing for??

How about a healthy stack of cards from the 2013 Topps Update set??

Yep, over 150 cards from the set – there are rookie cards, All-Star cards, and everything in between included.  And they can all be yours – so make your picks now!!!

Good Luck, everyone.