Sports broadcaster, author, philanthropist, and Emmy Award winner--not to mention one of the greatest Major League Baseball catcher in history--Johnny Bench is a symbol of winning through hard work and teamwork. He signed with the Cincinnati Reds in the 1965 draft and made the major league roster the next year. However, Bench is much more than just a ballplayer. This MVP continues to use his celebrity status to reach out to his community. Among the charitable organizations he supports are the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Association, the Kidney Foundation, the Cincinnati Symphony, the Museum of Science and Industry, and his own Johnny Bench Scholarship Fund, which aids Cincinnati-area college students.
Bench's honors include his election into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989, being named the National League Rookie of the Year (1968), being a 14-time All-Star, and winner of ten Gold Gloves. Also, Bench was named the 16th greatest player of all time by the Sporting News in 1998.
In addition to making regular appearances on ESPN and FOX Sports and hosting his daily in-season radio show on the Reds Radio Network, Bench has sung with the Cincinnati Pops, authored books, and hosted the Emmy-Award winning instructional show, "The Baseball Bunch".
Sports speaker Johnny Bench delivers a captivating how-to presentation on success, drawing parallels between the worlds of sports, entertainment, and civic involvement.
- The Vowels of Success
- Celebrity speaker Johnny Bench discusses what is necessary to be successful in anything you may desire or want to achieve. With methods for success represented by the five vowels, Bench shows that it is as easy as the ABC's to succeed at individual and group goals.