Home› Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
Options

Entertaining story about Johnny Bench (short)

frankhardyfrankhardy Posts: 8,168 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
Taken from Baseball Almanac.

Fascinating accounts, stories, and even myths about how fast - or not so fast - a pitch has gone are common in the annals of the game. One such account allegedly took place during a Spring Training game in 1968. A rookie catcher named Johnny Bench was behind the plate and eight-year veteran Jim Maloney was on the mound. Bench continuously called for breaking balls and Maloney continuously shook him off. Frustrated, the two met at the mound where Bench bluntly said, "Your fastball's not popping." Maloney, also blunt, replied, "%*$@ you." The rookie returned to his position behind the plate and called for a curve, only to be shaken off again. Bench gave in to the veteran (who had recently strung together four consecutive seasons with 200+ strikeouts) and signaled for a fastball. Maloney delivered. Before the pitch reached the plate Bench dropped his glove and caught the ball bare-handed - or so the story goes.

Shane

Comments

  • RonBurgundyRonBurgundy Posts: 5,491 ✭✭✭
    I didn't think that was Maloney who was involved with that. According to Joe Posnanski's book "The Machine", it was someone else. Can't remember who but it wasn't Maloney.
    Ron Burgundy

    Buying Vintage, all sports.
    Buying Woody Hayes, Les Horvath, Vic Janowicz, and Jesse Owens autographed items
  • MooseDogMooseDog Posts: 1,947 ✭✭✭
    Doubt it Maloney too. He could bring it.
  • Nathaniel1960Nathaniel1960 Posts: 2,330 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Maybe it was one of the Baseball Bunch kids?

    Carter and Bench have the Chicken in a Run Down!!!!
    Kiss me once, shame on you.
    Kiss me twice.....let's party.
  • nam812nam812 Posts: 10,600 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I didn't think that was Maloney who was involved with that. According to Joe Posnanski's book "The Machine", it was someone else. Can't remember who but it wasn't Maloney. >>



    I keep thinking it was Gerry Arrigo for some reason. I could be wrong though.
  • stevekstevek Posts: 30,083 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Could be true or not, but in any event, it's not that big a deal to catch a fastball barehanded...it's catching the "second" one some minutes later after your hand swells up, is the one that it really takes gonads to catch. LOL
  • mcolney1mcolney1 Posts: 990 ✭✭✭
    In junior high I was a catcher and my buddy a pitcher with a good junior high fastball. I wasn't a very good catcher and he threw a heater wide to my right. Not being fast enough to get my glove over I bare handed his fastball, caught it and threw it back. My simple lack of quickness created a great reputation for me as being such a tough guy that I would bare hand a fastball, but my buddy was a little embarrassed that someone could bare hand his fastball.

    BTW, Bench was my hero growing up. Tony
    Collecting Topps, Philadelphia and Kellogg's from 1964-1989
  • billwaltonsbeardbillwaltonsbeard Posts: 3,748 ✭✭✭✭
    The pitcher should have checked with Johnny's son first.

    Get outta here, will ya???
    My cards on COMC
  • scooter729scooter729 Posts: 1,730 ✭✭✭
    I still chuckle from my entertaining story from Johnny Bench - that was already a year and a half ago??

    Pay up for the bat!
  • JohnnyDJohnnyD Posts: 521 ✭✭


    << <i>I still chuckle from my entertaining story from Johnny Bench - that was already a year and a half ago??

    Pay up for the bat! >>



    Every time I hear a Bench story I think of the original post of yours....
Sign In or Register to comment.