Johnny Bench.

Johnny Bench. Johnny Bench, born in 1947, American baseball player, the most durable and dependable catcher of his era, who led the Cincinnati Reds to consecutive World Series championships in 1975 and 1976. Bench was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the June 1965 free-agent draft. He was promoted to the major leagues in 1967, and played catcher in 154 games in 1968, establishing himself as the Reds' starting catcher. Named National League (NL) rookie of the year for 1968, he also won the first of ten consecutive Gold Glove awards for his defensive skills. Bench led the NL in home runs in 1970 (45) and 1972 (40), and the NL named him its most valuable player both years. He also led the NL in runs batted in three times, in 1970 (148), 1972 (125), and 1974 (129). His extraordinary defensive skills were highlighted in 1976 when he led NL catchers in putouts (655) and fielding percentage (.997). Bench's power-hitting skills produced ten home runs in postseason competition, five in NL championship play and five in the World Series. His four home runs in the 1976 World Series earned him recognition as the series' most valuable player. Bench was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Contributed By: Thomas R. Heitz Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.