If you’re a true blue, die-hard baseball fan, then the name Johnny Bench is sure to mean something for you, especially if you’re from Cincinnati, Ohio. Johnny Bench was known as a key member of “The Big Red Machine”, which was a popular fan moniker for the Reds Team during his time that snapped up awards and championships left and right. Among their awards, they garnered six Division titles, two World Series Championships and four National League pennants. Today, he is known as one of the greatest catchers of all time. Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in December 7, 1947, Bench was sports-inclined even from a young age. He spent his childhood playing basketball and baseball; however, his father further groomed his passion for the sport by teaching his son to aim for the major leagues. Their father and son perseverance paid off in 1965 when Bench was picked as 36th overall amateur draft. He spent a few years playing in minor leagues for the Buffalo Bisons before, in 1967, he was finally called to the big leagues. He started playing in 1968, and was named the National League Rookie of the Year for that same year. It was actually future Hall of Famer Ted Williams who saw and recognized Bench’s talent. He gave Bench two things as he was just starting out: a signed baseball, and a prediction that one day, Johnny Bench was going to join the annals of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Williams’ prediction came true in 1989 when Bench was indicted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. However, before he made a name for himself, Bench went through a lot of grueling practice sessions and games with the Cincinnati Reds. He would practice his pitching everyday, and eventually reached an average speed of 90 mph on his fastballs. Johnny Bench wasn’t just a pitcher and catcher; he was also a hitter with a good batting average as well. At the end of his career, he finished with 2048 hits at bat, with an astounding 389 homeruns. By the end of his glowing baseball career, Bench had gathered dozens of awards. He had been awarded the All-Star Award 14 times from 1968 to 1983. He took home the World Series Champion two times, and was a ten time Golden Glove Winner. Upon his retirement, Bench didn’t stop garnering awards. In 1991, after he was indicted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989, his team, in honor of Bench’s achievements, retired his jersey. In 1986, he had already been indicted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. In 1999, he was named number 16 on the 100 Greatest Baseball Players of all time List. In 2000, there was even an award named after him! The Johnny Bench Award is an award that is given to the best collegiate catcher. Bench was recently undergone a hip replacement surgery in 2004. Due to the wear and tear given to him in his years of play, his hips became arthritic, and painful to move. Once his surgery was over and he had recovered, Bench became a spokesman for the Stryker company, the company responsible for his hip replacement.