On the blog today, we have my 1968 "dedicated rookie" for all-time legend Johnny Bench, who made an immediate splash in the Majors and became the game's greatest catcher:
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All
the man would do in his first full season at the age of 20 was catch a
staggering 154 games, hitting .275 with 15 homers and 82 RBIs, with 67
runs scored and 40 doubles, easily taking home the Rookie of the Year
Award.
Of course as we all know, he would go on to put together a career rarely
seen by ANY player, let alone a catcher: TWO N.L. MVP Awards, 14
all-star games, 10 Gold Gloves, two home run titles and three RBI
titles, all while donning the “tools of ignorance” for 17 seasons, all
with the Reds.
As a kid growing up in the 1970’s, this man was a mythic figure, a “god”, and he and the rest of his "Big Red Machine" teammates were steamrolling through the league towards two straight championships in 1975 & 1976, while appearing in two other series in 1970 and 1972.
As a kid growing up in the 1970’s, this man was a mythic figure, a “god”, and he and the rest of his "Big Red Machine" teammates were steamrolling through the league towards two straight championships in 1975 & 1976, while appearing in two other series in 1970 and 1972.
It still amazes me that they didn't win any other titles during the 1970's, especially after adding Tom Seaver in 1977.
Go figure...
