1971 SPECIAL- THE GREAT JOHNNY BENCH TAKES OVER THE BASEBALL WORLD

Today’s blog post has a card I just had to create once I came across this classic photo of all-time legend Johnny Bench. Take a look-see:

I’ve always been in awe of the man, and his historic 1970 season made for a perfect 1971 “special” celebrating his explosion onto Major League stardom, on his way to the Hall of Fame and all-time greatest catcher status.
Just think, at the age of only 22 he was already a Rookie of the Year and a Most Valuable Player, and was already in discussion as one of the great back-stops the game ever saw.
And why not when you consider he was coming off a 1970 season that saw him hit .293 with a league-leading 45 home runs and 148 runs batted in.
Oh yes, and he already took home the third of what would be ten Gold Gloves for his amazing defensive efforts while making his third All-Star team in three full seasons.
As a kid growing up in the 1970’s, the name “Johnny Bench” was just God-like.
Hope you enjoy these “specials”, because I love creating them!