Johnny Bench Signed Baseball and Stand

Bench played baseball and basketball and was class valedictorian at Binger-Oney High School in Binger, Oklahoma. He is one-eighth Choctaw. His father told him that the fastest route to becoming a major leaguer was as a catcher. Bench was drafted 36th overall by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the 1965 amateur draft, playing for the minor-league Buffalo Bisons in the 1966 and 1967 seasons before being called up to the Reds in August 1967. He hit only .163, but impressed many people with his defense and strong throwing arm, among them Hall of Famer Ted Williams. Williams signed a baseball for him and predicted that the young catcher would be "a Hall of Famer for sure!" Williams' prophecy became fact 22 years later in 1989 when Bench was elected to the Hall of Fame.

Bench is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Bench is also a 14-time All-Star selection and a two-time National League Most Valuable Player. He was a key member of the Big Red Machine that won six division titles, four National League pennants, and two consecutive World Series championships. ESPN has called him the greatest catcher in baseball history!

If you're a baseball fan, you NEED this baseball as a part of your collection!

• Company Name : Visiting Angels
  Name : Page Cole