WEBVTT - Johnny Bench's Hall

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<v Speaker 1>Is this a great game or what our Cooperstown addition?

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<v Speaker 1>And today we bring you the greatest catcher of all time.

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<v Speaker 1>Johnny Bench is our interview for today.

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<v Speaker 2>Dad.

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<v Speaker 1>He is hysterical, he is amazing. He's the MC for

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<v Speaker 1>all of the Hall of Famers in Cooperstown and we

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<v Speaker 1>were there for the whole weekend.

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<v Speaker 3>What a great time we had with Johnny.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, well, we had a great time period. You cannot

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<v Speaker 2>have a bad time in Cooperstown.

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<v Speaker 4>It is a.

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<v Speaker 2>Ludicrously charming town in upstate New York. Everybody there is

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<v Speaker 2>so happy. There is a shared love for the game,

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<v Speaker 2>and that's what this podcast is all about, Jeff. It's

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<v Speaker 2>also a very emotional place. I've seen people weeping in

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<v Speaker 2>that town because of the joy of what baseball and

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<v Speaker 2>Cooperstown brings. And on Saturday night, the night before the induction,

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<v Speaker 2>I went to a Tigers party and Jim Leland, whose

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<v Speaker 2>number was retired by the Tigers, he got up and

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<v Speaker 2>spoke at the party before the induction and he just

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<v Speaker 2>broke down. Because that's what Cooperstown will do to you.

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<v Speaker 2>That's how important and powerful and beautiful that place is.

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<v Speaker 2>And Jeff, I believe that's where you got your start

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<v Speaker 2>as a radio guy and you were only ten years old.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I'll never forget it.

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<v Speaker 1>There was a line of media and w fu V

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<v Speaker 1>out of Fordham in New York City. Bob Aarons was

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<v Speaker 1>the program director there and Dad was doing radio row

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<v Speaker 1>and he moves on to the next radio station.

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<v Speaker 3>And there's me following behind as I always did.

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<v Speaker 1>And Bob Aaron sees me and says, well, do you

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<v Speaker 1>want to come on and talk about being a kid

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<v Speaker 1>at Cooperstown? And I did an interview with two student

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<v Speaker 1>radio broadcasters. And when I left that interview and Dad

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<v Speaker 1>and I finally got to meet again because he's still

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<v Speaker 1>doing radio row, and I'm sure you were on a

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<v Speaker 1>radio show next.

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<v Speaker 3>To us, being like, what's going on over there with

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<v Speaker 3>my son.

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<v Speaker 1>But when we finally were able to recap, I remember

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<v Speaker 1>it vividly, saying to you, that's what I want to do,

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<v Speaker 1>not be interviewed, but I wanted to be one of

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<v Speaker 1>those radio broadcasters that was interviewing me. And we actually

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<v Speaker 1>I feel like I'm on the tonight show.

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<v Speaker 3>We have a clip clip.

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<v Speaker 1>Here's a little bit of my interview I did with

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<v Speaker 1>WFUV at Cooperstown years ago.

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<v Speaker 2>Just a little while ago. You heard Sam Kirkshan, who

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<v Speaker 2>has a new book out, and we actually grabbed his

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<v Speaker 2>son from Jeff. How are you doing, buddy, I'm doing great.

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<v Speaker 2>Everything's going well. Yep.

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<v Speaker 5>The Hall of Fame is such a great place for

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<v Speaker 5>baseball and it's just so much fun, so many baseball fans,

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<v Speaker 5>so many great people.

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<v Speaker 3>You sound like your dad or right now.

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<v Speaker 1>Your dad said you want to do what he does

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<v Speaker 1>one day, and you're getting your shot today.

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<v Speaker 5>Yeah, it's great. I mean I always I like writing,

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<v Speaker 5>and I love baseball, and you know I like to talk. Well,

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<v Speaker 5>I guess I guess I can get somewhere.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, you sound like you're a booming Borough cast.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, and that was kind of the start. That's when

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<v Speaker 3>I knew. That's when the light bulb went off for me. Dad.

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<v Speaker 3>And I can't thank you enough for Bob.

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<v Speaker 1>Aaron's enough for bringing me on, but for you for

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<v Speaker 1>teaching me all I know and love about broadcasting and storytelling,

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<v Speaker 1>because I wouldn't have the career as a radio host

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<v Speaker 1>now in the Philadelphia area without that moment.

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<v Speaker 3>I firmly believe.

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<v Speaker 2>That, right, Jeff, that sounded like a clip from you

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<v Speaker 2>last week. Your voice hasn't changed that much. Really give

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<v Speaker 2>me a little more credit. There was a tiny bit

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<v Speaker 2>of puberty that hit me.

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<v Speaker 3>So Dad. What are your takeaways from our weekend in Cooper, Sam.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, Jeff, they're always the same. It's the speeches and

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<v Speaker 2>the people who were honored and inducted. Jerry Freeley won

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<v Speaker 2>the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Baseball Writers Association of America.

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<v Speaker 2>I've told you if I could put any beat writer

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<v Speaker 2>in charge of my baseball beat in all the years

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<v Speaker 2>that I covered, it would have been Jerry because I

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<v Speaker 2>know we're not gonna get beaten on a story as

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<v Speaker 2>long as he's there. And Joe Castiglione, who has done

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<v Speaker 2>the Red Sox games for forty two years, won the

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<v Speaker 2>Frick Award Most Deserved. He did it. He's done the

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<v Speaker 2>Red Sox for forty two years. Jeff, and I've told

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<v Speaker 2>you before, with play by play guys, it's like they're

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<v Speaker 2>a member of the family. They come into your living

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<v Speaker 2>room every night, and Joe is your dad, he's your grandfather.

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<v Speaker 2>He's your cuddly little uncle who teaches you about baseball.

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<v Speaker 2>Those guys were absolutely great at their job and honored

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<v Speaker 2>by the Hall of Fame. That was so cool. And then,

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<v Speaker 2>of course there are the players. So Todd Helton went

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<v Speaker 2>in first. He made a great speech. As we know,

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<v Speaker 2>Todd Helton is the greatest player in the history of

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<v Speaker 2>the Rockies. I told you once, Jeff, that one of

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<v Speaker 2>his former managers, Buddy Bell, told me that Todd Helton

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<v Speaker 2>understands the competition of the game better than anyone he

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<v Speaker 2>ever managed or played with, and that pretty much covers everything.

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<v Speaker 2>Adrian Beltray went in second. I will never forget the

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<v Speaker 2>face of joy that he showed every single day that

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<v Speaker 2>he played in the major leagues. And the story that

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<v Speaker 2>he told during his speech was that they put him

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<v Speaker 2>at second base as a ten year old because they said,

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<v Speaker 2>you're gonna be too short to play anywhere else. Well,

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<v Speaker 2>he got a whole lot bigger, unlike you and me.

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<v Speaker 2>But at age that same year they switched him to

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<v Speaker 2>third base. One kid said, I want to play second.

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<v Speaker 2>You switched to third. He's been playing third ever since.

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<v Speaker 2>He got more hits than any third baseman in the

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<v Speaker 2>history of the game over three thousand and As we

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<v Speaker 2>talked about before, Jeff, he's one of the five greatest

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<v Speaker 2>defensive third basemen. I've ever seen. And he did it

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<v Speaker 2>while never wearing a protective cup, which I told you.

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<v Speaker 2>I said, Adrian, how could you do that? Why didn't

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<v Speaker 2>you wear a cup? He put his hands up and said,

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<v Speaker 2>that's what these are for. So I told that story

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<v Speaker 2>to Ian Kinseler, who played second base next to him

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<v Speaker 2>or near him with the Rangers all those years, and

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<v Speaker 2>I told him that story and he goes, no, he

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<v Speaker 2>didn't wear a cup because he's crazy. And he meant that.

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<v Speaker 2>He meant that in the nicest way.

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<v Speaker 1>And did you see the moment on stage when David

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<v Speaker 1>Ortiz snuck up to touch Adriane Beltray's.

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<v Speaker 2>Head If you don't know, Adrian Beltray hated it if

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<v Speaker 2>anybody touched his head under any circumstances. Teammate, human beings, anybody, right.

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<v Speaker 2>So David Ortiz, also from the Dominican, right before Adrian

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<v Speaker 2>Beltra is to deliver the biggest speech of his entire life,

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<v Speaker 2>he jumps out of his seat in the Hall of

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<v Speaker 2>Fame group behind and goes and rubs Adrian Beltray's head.

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<v Speaker 2>It was just priceless, beautiful, And Jim Leland of course

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<v Speaker 2>went in as one of them as a manager and

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<v Speaker 2>He's one of the best managers I've ever seen. His connection,

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<v Speaker 2>his communication with players is virtually unprecedented. And I will

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<v Speaker 2>tell you, Jeff, this is a tiny bit self serving.

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<v Speaker 2>This spring he told me, he said, I'm working on

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<v Speaker 2>my speech. I'm thinking about using this line in my speech.

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<v Speaker 2>Do you think this would work? So he gives me

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<v Speaker 2>the line. This is in spring training. We're in Tampa.

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<v Speaker 2>I said, Jim, not only should you use that line,

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<v Speaker 2>you should lead with it. And he said that, And

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<v Speaker 2>he said during his speech that he said to his

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<v Speaker 2>wife Katie, Katie, in your wildest dreams, can you believe

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<v Speaker 2>that I'm going to the Hall of Fame? And his

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<v Speaker 2>wife Katie said, Jim, You're not in my wildest dreams,

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<v Speaker 2>which got this tremendous applause and laughter. And he did

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<v Speaker 2>exactly what we told him to do. He kind of

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<v Speaker 2>led with it. It was absolutely beautiful. Everyone was laughing and

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<v Speaker 2>on his side, as they always have been.

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<v Speaker 3>That is incredible.

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<v Speaker 1>I've only been married less than two years and I

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<v Speaker 1>already feel that from my own wife is amazing.

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<v Speaker 2>Join the club, bub We got it.

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<v Speaker 1>You got forty years with your mom, with your wife,

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<v Speaker 1>my mom's and it's all the same, all.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, So Joe Mauer went last. And Joe Mauer, Jeff

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<v Speaker 2>is the salt of the earth kind of guy, a

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<v Speaker 2>Saint Paul, Minnesota guy who grew up there, and he

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<v Speaker 2>played his entire career with the Twins. He's one of

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<v Speaker 2>the greatest hitting catchers of all time. He changed the

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<v Speaker 2>game with the offense that he brought from brought behind

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<v Speaker 2>the plate, and that's why he was a first ballot

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<v Speaker 2>Hall of Famer also. But Jeff, it was his connection

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<v Speaker 2>to Saint Paul. It was his connection to Twins fans

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<v Speaker 2>that was so obvious to me. Boy did those Twins

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<v Speaker 2>fans show up, as did fans from everywhere else. But

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<v Speaker 2>never forget, Jeff that the Twins when Joe Mauer played there,

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<v Speaker 2>every year they had a bowling tournament at the bowling

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<v Speaker 2>Alley behind the KFC in Fort Myers, not exactly the

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<v Speaker 2>greatest part of town, let's put it that way, and

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<v Speaker 2>people would pay money regular fans to go bowl with

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<v Speaker 2>the Twins players. Joe Mauer used to bring his own

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<v Speaker 2>bowling ball to the tournament. He would bring it on

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<v Speaker 2>the airplane to take it to spring training. That's how

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<v Speaker 2>much he cared about competing in the team bowling tournament

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<v Speaker 2>with the fans, and every time a fan would like

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<v Speaker 2>get a strike, they would get a high five from

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<v Speaker 2>Joe Mauer. To me, that just speaks to how much

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<v Speaker 2>he loves his city and the fans who live there.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, it's a perfect time to talk about who I

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<v Speaker 1>believe to be our game changers multiple of the week

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<v Speaker 1>this week, it's the fans. It's you, It's the people

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<v Speaker 1>we met while walking down the street on the Saturday

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<v Speaker 1>of Hall of Fame induction weekend in Cooperstown, New York.

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<v Speaker 1>We were at the Hall and if you've never been there,

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<v Speaker 1>it is the most magical street, not even just an

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<v Speaker 1>induction weekend. It has a certain childhood like amusement park

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<v Speaker 1>vibe that just glows. And Dad, you and I walked

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<v Speaker 1>all the way down from the National Baseball Hall of

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<v Speaker 1>Fame all the way to the bottom of the street

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<v Speaker 1>where our friends at Baseball as a Mark, and the

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<v Speaker 1>amount of people we met that are huge baseball fans

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<v Speaker 1>wanted to talk to you, And the coolest thing I

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<v Speaker 1>have to say about watching you interact with all of

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<v Speaker 1>these amazing baseball fans status it's not Hey, Tim, I

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<v Speaker 1>love your stuff, and you're like, hey, thank you. You

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<v Speaker 1>always ask them because you want to hear from the fans. Hey,

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<v Speaker 1>you're wearing this twins Jersey, tell me are you from

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<v Speaker 1>there originally?

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<v Speaker 3>Did you ever see Kirby Bucket? Did you ever see

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<v Speaker 3>Joe Mauer?

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<v Speaker 1>Tell us those stories of what you heard from the

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<v Speaker 1>fans in Cooper se.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, Jeff, that's the most interesting. That's where great stories

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<v Speaker 2>come from, when you actually speak to another human being

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<v Speaker 2>and say, tell me about you. So I saw an

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<v Speaker 2>elderly guy there. I said, is this your first time here?

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<v Speaker 2>He goes No. I came the year that my hero

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<v Speaker 2>Brooks Robinson was inducted.

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<v Speaker 4>Wow.

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<v Speaker 2>And I have come back every year and I will

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<v Speaker 2>come back every year until the day I die. That's

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<v Speaker 2>how intoxicating Coopersown is. Once you've been there, you have

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<v Speaker 2>to keep going back. It is that seductive. Of course,

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<v Speaker 2>I introduce you to my friend Chris. Chris I met

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<v Speaker 2>two years ago. Chris is the guy who's a young guys,

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<v Speaker 2>late twenties, and he went to Coopersown with his father

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<v Speaker 2>every year for like ten years, and this made me cry.

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<v Speaker 2>Two years ago his dad died, and when I saw

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<v Speaker 2>him two years ago the year I was honored, Chris

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<v Speaker 2>went by himself and it was the first induction he'd

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<v Speaker 2>ever been to by himself. And that's the kind of

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<v Speaker 2>stuff that really matters to me. And when I asked him,

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<v Speaker 2>I said, Chris, where do you stay while you're here?

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<v Speaker 2>He says, well, I rent this tiny little room. It's

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<v Speaker 2>just above a funeral parlor in Coopersoun, and it's just

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<v Speaker 2>the most priceless thing. This is what you do to

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<v Speaker 2>get there. So this year he didn't stay above the

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<v Speaker 2>funeral parlor. He stayed in almost as small a place,

0:12:27.640 --> 0:12:30.240
<v Speaker 2>and he had three buddies with him, and they brought

0:12:30.240 --> 0:12:33.720
<v Speaker 2>their cots and they slept just so they could sleep

0:12:34.000 --> 0:12:37.400
<v Speaker 2>in downtown Cooper's Oud on Main Street, so they could

0:12:37.400 --> 0:12:39.920
<v Speaker 2>wake up in the morning and be in the heart

0:12:40.080 --> 0:12:41.000
<v Speaker 2>of that little town.

0:12:42.360 --> 0:12:46.240
<v Speaker 1>There was one fan that I had an opportunity to

0:12:46.320 --> 0:12:49.800
<v Speaker 1>talk to, and I actually witnessed you talking to them

0:12:49.800 --> 0:12:52.680
<v Speaker 1>as well, and he kind of stopped you as you

0:12:52.679 --> 0:12:55.440
<v Speaker 1>were walking away from one fan. He says, Hi, excuse,

0:12:55.480 --> 0:12:58.079
<v Speaker 1>excuse me, And I thought I heard him call you something,

0:12:58.120 --> 0:13:00.319
<v Speaker 1>but I wasn't sure what it was. And he goes, hey,

0:13:00.320 --> 0:13:03.480
<v Speaker 1>do you still live in Minnesota? And uh, you know,

0:13:03.600 --> 0:13:07.240
<v Speaker 1>politely as you do. He said, I know, I've never

0:13:07.280 --> 0:13:10.679
<v Speaker 1>lived in Minnesota, and he goes, oh, really, well, did

0:13:10.720 --> 0:13:11.040
<v Speaker 1>you like.

0:13:11.040 --> 0:13:12.080
<v Speaker 3>Playing for the Twins?

0:13:14.760 --> 0:13:17.160
<v Speaker 2>Don't say? I had to tell him he never played

0:13:17.400 --> 0:13:21.480
<v Speaker 2>major league I said, uh, I'm not a baseball player.

0:13:21.520 --> 0:13:24.520
<v Speaker 2>I think that's pretty obvious. And he said, well, what

0:13:24.720 --> 0:13:28.760
<v Speaker 2>are you so? I'm a writer. He thought I was

0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:31.880
<v Speaker 2>a guy who played for the Twins. And I'm trying

0:13:31.920 --> 0:13:35.240
<v Speaker 2>to go back and find a Twins player who's roughly

0:13:35.360 --> 0:13:39.640
<v Speaker 2>my age who played for the Twins. Maybe Steve Lombardozi,

0:13:39.720 --> 0:13:41.920
<v Speaker 2>but he was the second baseman. But he's about eight

0:13:41.960 --> 0:13:44.280
<v Speaker 2>inches taller than me. It couldn't be me. That's the

0:13:44.360 --> 0:13:48.200
<v Speaker 2>first time I've ever gone to Cooperstown and been mistaken

0:13:48.920 --> 0:13:51.560
<v Speaker 2>for a major league player. I've been mistaken for others,

0:13:51.600 --> 0:13:54.440
<v Speaker 2>as we know, a guy who works at Applebee's. We

0:13:54.520 --> 0:13:57.840
<v Speaker 2>know all about that one. But yeah, this arm right,

0:13:57.960 --> 0:14:00.760
<v Speaker 2>this guy was a little bit confused us. He thought

0:14:00.800 --> 0:14:03.760
<v Speaker 2>I played for the Twins. I had to explain sadly

0:14:03.960 --> 0:14:05.360
<v Speaker 2>that I did. But Jeff, you.

0:14:05.280 --> 0:14:06.000
<v Speaker 3>Love the kicker.

0:14:06.160 --> 0:14:09.880
<v Speaker 1>The kicker dad is that he after you explained that

0:14:09.960 --> 0:14:13.560
<v Speaker 1>you are clearly not the person that he thinks you are,

0:14:13.640 --> 0:14:16.760
<v Speaker 1>and you are clearly not a former major league baseball player.

0:14:17.000 --> 0:14:21.360
<v Speaker 1>He still said, my wife wants me to get you

0:14:21.680 --> 0:14:27.360
<v Speaker 1>to sign this hat. You don't know who this guy is,

0:14:28.120 --> 0:14:30.520
<v Speaker 1>and you're gonna go back and tell your wife, Hey,

0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:32.800
<v Speaker 1>I had this guy that you wanted.

0:14:33.520 --> 0:14:36.160
<v Speaker 3>It blew in you. So of course you signed it

0:14:36.680 --> 0:14:37.520
<v Speaker 3>and walked away.

0:14:37.560 --> 0:14:39.720
<v Speaker 1>And there was there was one really great signature that

0:14:39.760 --> 0:14:42.080
<v Speaker 1>we have to bring up that you signed. And this

0:14:42.240 --> 0:14:47.160
<v Speaker 1>was really really cool because he is actually collecting signatures

0:14:47.320 --> 0:14:49.280
<v Speaker 1>on a Hall of Fame jersey. On the right side

0:14:49.360 --> 0:14:53.120
<v Speaker 1>is all of the baseball writers that have been enshrined

0:14:53.160 --> 0:14:54.680
<v Speaker 1>into the Baseball Hall of him and all of the

0:14:54.680 --> 0:14:57.880
<v Speaker 1>baseball broadcasters that are on You.

0:14:57.840 --> 0:15:00.520
<v Speaker 3>Remember signing that jersey? He had the signature all down

0:15:00.520 --> 0:15:00.920
<v Speaker 3>each side.

0:15:01.080 --> 0:15:03.560
<v Speaker 2>Yes, And it's the first I told him it's impossible

0:15:03.600 --> 0:15:06.080
<v Speaker 2>to sign a jersey properly. First, I have the worst

0:15:06.120 --> 0:15:09.280
<v Speaker 2>signature in the history signatures. But it's really hard to

0:15:09.360 --> 0:15:14.680
<v Speaker 2>sign something like what somebody's read. It's on somebody's back, right,

0:15:15.040 --> 0:15:17.640
<v Speaker 2>So you and he stretched it out so much and

0:15:17.680 --> 0:15:20.800
<v Speaker 2>then I signed it like right under Peter Gammon's my

0:15:20.920 --> 0:15:24.360
<v Speaker 2>all time baseball writer hero. So that was a thrill

0:15:24.440 --> 0:15:27.320
<v Speaker 2>for me to be on a jersey in which the

0:15:27.360 --> 0:15:30.520
<v Speaker 2>whole left side were Hall of Fame Baseball writers.

0:15:31.160 --> 0:15:34.520
<v Speaker 1>Well, let's get dad to the quark gins, because I

0:15:34.560 --> 0:15:36.800
<v Speaker 1>know I really want to get to Johnny Bench here

0:15:36.840 --> 0:15:39.720
<v Speaker 1>on the show, and I know people are graciously awaiting.

0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:42.440
<v Speaker 1>I know my good friend Joe Bell has been texting

0:15:42.440 --> 0:15:44.160
<v Speaker 1>me ever since the photo went out of me you

0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:47.080
<v Speaker 1>and Johnny saying when is the Johnny episode dropping? He

0:15:47.200 --> 0:15:49.080
<v Speaker 1>can't stop texting me about it. So we're gonna get

0:15:49.080 --> 0:15:50.320
<v Speaker 1>to it in a minute here. But what are your

0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:51.720
<v Speaker 1>quark gins for this book?

0:15:51.800 --> 0:15:53.800
<v Speaker 2>I've only got a few, because again, Jeff, we only

0:15:53.840 --> 0:15:56.600
<v Speaker 2>had Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to work with this week

0:15:56.680 --> 0:15:59.320
<v Speaker 2>because you know, of the All Star break. But I

0:15:59.360 --> 0:16:02.840
<v Speaker 2>found an interest saying that Corbin Burns started the All

0:16:02.880 --> 0:16:06.720
<v Speaker 2>Star Game for the American League, and then he started

0:16:06.760 --> 0:16:10.200
<v Speaker 2>the first game of the second half for his team,

0:16:10.520 --> 0:16:13.920
<v Speaker 2>and he started it in the same ballpark, in this case,

0:16:14.280 --> 0:16:18.640
<v Speaker 2>Globe Life Field. So since two thousand, since nineteen sixty nine,

0:16:18.680 --> 0:16:21.520
<v Speaker 2>I mean, the only pitcher that's ever done that is

0:16:21.600 --> 0:16:26.600
<v Speaker 2>Tim Linsecam. In two thousand and nine, Rowdy tells of

0:16:26.640 --> 0:16:31.320
<v Speaker 2>the Pirates against your Phillies had three sacrifice flies in

0:16:31.400 --> 0:16:35.840
<v Speaker 2>one game only. He's one of only three players to

0:16:35.960 --> 0:16:39.160
<v Speaker 2>do that since two thousand and His batting line, Jeff,

0:16:39.200 --> 0:16:40.760
<v Speaker 2>and you know how much I love them, is one

0:16:41.160 --> 0:16:45.680
<v Speaker 2>zero zero three. It just doesn't look right. Edgar Martinez

0:16:45.720 --> 0:16:48.760
<v Speaker 2>Hall of Famer two thousand and two is did this

0:16:48.800 --> 0:16:50.560
<v Speaker 2>in two thousand and two. Is the only other player

0:16:50.600 --> 0:16:55.760
<v Speaker 2>since two thousand to have a one zero zero three line.

0:16:56.000 --> 0:16:59.320
<v Speaker 2>So it's one at bat and three sacrifice flies. And last,

0:16:59.360 --> 0:17:01.840
<v Speaker 2>I'm just gonna test to you again on this, Jeff Jr.

0:17:01.920 --> 0:17:06.040
<v Speaker 2>Don Alvarez of the Astros hit for the cycle on Sunday.

0:17:06.480 --> 0:17:08.720
<v Speaker 2>Just give me the four guys that I keep telling

0:17:08.760 --> 0:17:11.680
<v Speaker 2>you about who never hit for the cycle and are

0:17:11.760 --> 0:17:13.240
<v Speaker 2>in the Hall of Fame, even though there are a

0:17:13.240 --> 0:17:14.159
<v Speaker 2>lot more than four.

0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:20.920
<v Speaker 1>Hank Aaron, Right, Baby, Ruth, Yes, Ted Williams, No, oh,

0:17:21.000 --> 0:17:24.640
<v Speaker 1>not Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Willie Mays.

0:17:24.200 --> 0:17:28.240
<v Speaker 2>And yes, sorry, here's how you remember it, Babe, Ruth,

0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:32.880
<v Speaker 2>Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, that's it all right,

0:17:33.080 --> 0:17:33.720
<v Speaker 2>Let's move on.

0:17:34.480 --> 0:17:37.760
<v Speaker 1>We've got our Kirchen quandary, and it's perfect because it's

0:17:37.800 --> 0:17:39.840
<v Speaker 1>about Babe Ruth this week, right, dare right.

0:17:39.680 --> 0:17:43.399
<v Speaker 2>And I spoke at the Babe Ruth Museum this week

0:17:43.600 --> 0:17:46.919
<v Speaker 2>in Baltimore. If you've never been to the Babe Ruth Museum,

0:17:47.680 --> 0:17:50.560
<v Speaker 2>it's where Babe Ruth grew up. And it's like two

0:17:50.640 --> 0:17:54.879
<v Speaker 2>hundred yards from where Camden Yards the ballpark is located.

0:17:55.000 --> 0:17:58.840
<v Speaker 2>Right now. So the question, our question, our quandary for

0:17:58.880 --> 0:18:02.639
<v Speaker 2>the day, Jeff is and again these there can be

0:18:02.680 --> 0:18:05.440
<v Speaker 2>no hate involved in this question. We will not put

0:18:05.520 --> 0:18:07.400
<v Speaker 2>up with it on a show like this. All right,

0:18:07.440 --> 0:18:10.800
<v Speaker 2>this is a Valentine for baseball fans. If we took

0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:15.040
<v Speaker 2>Babe Ruth in his physical prime nineteen twenty, let's say,

0:18:15.440 --> 0:18:20.320
<v Speaker 2>and we dropped him into today's game, and we gave him,

0:18:20.400 --> 0:18:23.879
<v Speaker 2>Jeff a full year to figure out how to hit

0:18:23.880 --> 0:18:26.960
<v Speaker 2>a slider, what bat to use, maybe to do some

0:18:27.119 --> 0:18:31.840
<v Speaker 2>strength and conditioning, maybe to get himself into even better shape. Okay,

0:18:32.200 --> 0:18:36.119
<v Speaker 2>and he was six two two fifteen, two twenty. What

0:18:36.320 --> 0:18:40.080
<v Speaker 2>would Babe Ruth do in today's game? What would he hit?

0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:42.159
<v Speaker 2>How many home runs would he hit? I'm going to

0:18:42.240 --> 0:18:44.200
<v Speaker 2>start with you on this and then I'm going to

0:18:44.280 --> 0:18:46.240
<v Speaker 2>tell you what I think. And I am so in

0:18:46.320 --> 0:18:48.240
<v Speaker 2>the minority, but you go ahead.

0:18:48.760 --> 0:18:51.000
<v Speaker 1>I don't actually know where you're gonna land with this,

0:18:51.440 --> 0:18:53.800
<v Speaker 1>So I feel like I might be in the minority

0:18:53.960 --> 0:18:57.440
<v Speaker 1>in saying I think he's going to be an average

0:18:57.640 --> 0:19:00.320
<v Speaker 1>baseball player. I think he's going to be a start harder.

0:19:01.680 --> 0:19:03.439
<v Speaker 1>I don't think he's going to be a bench player.

0:19:04.040 --> 0:19:06.439
<v Speaker 1>But I don't think he's going to be a Bryce

0:19:06.520 --> 0:19:10.439
<v Speaker 1>Harper level, a Sho Heo Tani level, because the game

0:19:11.119 --> 0:19:12.680
<v Speaker 1>was so different.

0:19:12.440 --> 0:19:15.159
<v Speaker 3>Back then than it is now.

0:19:15.560 --> 0:19:18.119
<v Speaker 1>I think that it's so easy to draw comparisons to

0:19:18.160 --> 0:19:21.040
<v Speaker 1>the NBA because you see the physicality of the NBA.

0:19:21.440 --> 0:19:24.480
<v Speaker 1>Back in the fifties and sixties, it was a different game.

0:19:25.040 --> 0:19:28.119
<v Speaker 1>Now it's completely different from then. But it's hard to

0:19:28.240 --> 0:19:33.159
<v Speaker 1>really understand how much faster balls are going from the

0:19:33.160 --> 0:19:36.680
<v Speaker 1>pitcher's arm because video is just not the same as

0:19:36.680 --> 0:19:40.080
<v Speaker 1>it used to be, and the difference between an eighty

0:19:40.119 --> 0:19:43.520
<v Speaker 1>eight eighty nine mile per hour fastball and one hundred

0:19:43.560 --> 0:19:47.720
<v Speaker 1>and two from Paul Skins now is an obscene difference.

0:19:47.760 --> 0:19:51.240
<v Speaker 1>So I say he plays major League baseball, but I

0:19:51.359 --> 0:19:55.240
<v Speaker 1>do not think that one year is a long enough

0:19:55.320 --> 0:19:57.560
<v Speaker 1>time for him to turn things around and learn how

0:19:57.560 --> 0:19:59.920
<v Speaker 1>to hit to the degree and level that he was

0:20:00.600 --> 0:20:01.120
<v Speaker 1>back in his.

0:20:01.160 --> 0:20:03.880
<v Speaker 2>Prime, right, Jeff, I know exactly where you're coming from

0:20:03.920 --> 0:20:07.040
<v Speaker 2>on this. I think you're in the vast majority of

0:20:07.119 --> 0:20:09.920
<v Speaker 2>people who think he could play but wouldn't be great.

0:20:10.040 --> 0:20:13.119
<v Speaker 2>I disagree. I think he would be great today. I

0:20:13.119 --> 0:20:16.080
<v Speaker 2>think he would hit over three hundred I think he

0:20:16.080 --> 0:20:19.560
<v Speaker 2>would hit forty home runs in multiple seasons. I think

0:20:19.600 --> 0:20:22.520
<v Speaker 2>he would drive in one hundred runs. Remember, he was

0:20:22.600 --> 0:20:27.400
<v Speaker 2>a great athlete in his day. He stole over one

0:20:27.520 --> 0:20:30.239
<v Speaker 2>hundred bases in his career. He had one hundred and

0:20:30.320 --> 0:20:34.159
<v Speaker 2>thirty six triples. He was a great basketball player. He

0:20:34.320 --> 0:20:37.159
<v Speaker 2>was six two, two twenty in his prime, and he

0:20:37.200 --> 0:20:41.119
<v Speaker 2>could run. Jeff, he hit tape measure shots, you know,

0:20:41.359 --> 0:20:46.000
<v Speaker 2>one hundred and fifteen years ago. That's how amazing Babe

0:20:46.080 --> 0:20:49.720
<v Speaker 2>ruth was in his prime. I think once he figures

0:20:49.720 --> 0:20:52.960
<v Speaker 2>out how to catch up to ninety eight miles an hour,

0:20:53.280 --> 0:20:55.399
<v Speaker 2>I think he would have figured it out. Now again,

0:20:55.440 --> 0:20:58.080
<v Speaker 2>we're going to leave this up to our listeners and

0:20:58.160 --> 0:21:01.000
<v Speaker 2>to our viewers on this. If you think I'm crazy,

0:21:01.080 --> 0:21:04.159
<v Speaker 2>go ahead, but just don't tell me that Babe Ruths

0:21:04.200 --> 0:21:08.720
<v Speaker 2>is some big, fat, unathletic guy, because that simply is wrong.

0:21:09.720 --> 0:21:11.439
<v Speaker 1>You can chime in right now, Great Game or what

0:21:11.560 --> 0:21:13.879
<v Speaker 1>dot com. You can also follow us on all the

0:21:13.920 --> 0:21:16.840
<v Speaker 1>socials you can do at Great Game or what on

0:21:17.160 --> 0:21:20.760
<v Speaker 1>x or Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Every week a best

0:21:20.800 --> 0:21:23.760
<v Speaker 1>of All tim And this week, Dad, you're gonna go

0:21:23.840 --> 0:21:26.960
<v Speaker 1>through the best Hall of Fame team. Now, keep in

0:21:26.960 --> 0:21:30.440
<v Speaker 1>mind that this arguably is the best players of all

0:21:30.440 --> 0:21:33.560
<v Speaker 1>time at each position, and that is up to debate

0:21:33.640 --> 0:21:35.600
<v Speaker 1>when it comes to your team. So if you want

0:21:35.600 --> 0:21:38.320
<v Speaker 1>to let us know what your best of all tim

0:21:38.359 --> 0:21:40.080
<v Speaker 1>All Hall of Fame team would be, you can do so,

0:21:40.240 --> 0:21:41.560
<v Speaker 1>Great Game or what dot Com?

0:21:41.680 --> 0:21:42.720
<v Speaker 3>Dad, what do you got?

0:21:42.920 --> 0:21:45.720
<v Speaker 2>Well? Again, this is my list. It's not the correct list.

0:21:45.760 --> 0:21:48.120
<v Speaker 2>It's not the only list. It's my list. Your list

0:21:48.160 --> 0:21:52.120
<v Speaker 2>should be different than mine. That's the beauty of this exercise.

0:21:52.640 --> 0:21:55.040
<v Speaker 2>My first baseman is lou gerrig He's the best of

0:21:55.080 --> 0:21:59.000
<v Speaker 2>all time at that position. Rogers Hornsby said second at

0:21:59.040 --> 0:22:02.960
<v Speaker 2>four hundred four a five year period. Jet Hannas Wagner

0:22:03.080 --> 0:22:07.359
<v Speaker 2>is the shortstop, the first superstar player, everyday player of

0:22:07.400 --> 0:22:11.639
<v Speaker 2>the twentieth century. Third base is Mike Schmidt. Ten homer

0:22:11.840 --> 0:22:15.960
<v Speaker 2>run titles. I'm sorry, Mike Schmidt, ten gold gloves, eight

0:22:16.040 --> 0:22:19.720
<v Speaker 2>home run titles. Ted Williams is my left fielder, second

0:22:19.720 --> 0:22:23.000
<v Speaker 2>greatest hitter ever for me. Willie Mays is the centerfielder,

0:22:23.119 --> 0:22:26.280
<v Speaker 2>second greatest player ever for me. Babe Ruth is the

0:22:26.359 --> 0:22:30.760
<v Speaker 2>right fielder, greatest player ever for me. Walter Johnson, and

0:22:30.800 --> 0:22:34.840
<v Speaker 2>I'm wearing my Walter Johnson sweatshirt here one of three. Hey,

0:22:35.000 --> 0:22:36.639
<v Speaker 2>did I ever tell you I went to Walter Johnson?

0:22:37.720 --> 0:22:38.639
<v Speaker 3>Do you goot high school?

0:22:38.680 --> 0:22:38.920
<v Speaker 4>There?

0:22:40.280 --> 0:22:43.720
<v Speaker 2>Lefty Grove is my left handed pitcher. Start the arguments

0:22:43.760 --> 0:22:48.240
<v Speaker 2>anytime you like. And Mariano River is my relief pitcher.

0:22:48.280 --> 0:22:51.800
<v Speaker 2>And catching all my pictures is of course Johnny Bench,

0:22:51.840 --> 0:22:54.720
<v Speaker 2>who I still believe is the greatest catcher of all time.

0:22:55.080 --> 0:22:58.000
<v Speaker 2>But now that Josh Gibson's numbers have been thrown in,

0:22:58.280 --> 0:23:01.960
<v Speaker 2>we're gonna have to reevaluate year. But Johnny Bench is

0:23:02.000 --> 0:23:05.760
<v Speaker 2>my greatest catcher of all time, and Jeff He's coming

0:23:05.880 --> 0:23:13.960
<v Speaker 2>up next. Welcome back to is this a great game

0:23:14.080 --> 0:23:17.639
<v Speaker 2>or what? We are joined by the greatest catcher of

0:23:17.720 --> 0:23:20.240
<v Speaker 2>all time, Johnny Bench. Thanks for being with us.

0:23:20.280 --> 0:23:22.280
<v Speaker 4>Johnny always a pleasure, my son.

0:23:22.200 --> 0:23:25.760
<v Speaker 2>Jeff, He's got my voice and my height. Unfortunately I

0:23:25.800 --> 0:23:26.879
<v Speaker 2>passed them both along.

0:23:27.480 --> 0:23:29.119
<v Speaker 4>Sometimes that works out. He ought to be in this

0:23:29.200 --> 0:23:32.280
<v Speaker 4>jock here at radio man or going into the pipes,

0:23:32.359 --> 0:23:34.000
<v Speaker 4>and all of a sudden you go under the radio

0:23:34.080 --> 0:23:37.280
<v Speaker 4>voice and when you start doing yeah, we can fake

0:23:37.320 --> 0:23:38.960
<v Speaker 4>it if we need to. But Jeff, nice to see you.

0:23:39.160 --> 0:23:41.160
<v Speaker 3>Johnny, thank you so much for joining the show.

0:23:41.200 --> 0:23:43.840
<v Speaker 1>You were the number one choice for guests when we

0:23:43.840 --> 0:23:45.199
<v Speaker 1>were going to have a chance to do this in

0:23:45.240 --> 0:23:47.359
<v Speaker 1>the Hall of Fame. And my dad has told this

0:23:47.400 --> 0:23:49.280
<v Speaker 1>story a number of times.

0:23:49.600 --> 0:23:51.320
<v Speaker 3>When he was asked to.

0:23:51.240 --> 0:23:53.560
<v Speaker 1>Be a member of the Hall of Fame under the

0:23:53.600 --> 0:23:57.199
<v Speaker 1>Baseball Writers. You gave him a call right after he

0:23:57.320 --> 0:23:59.080
<v Speaker 1>found out. Do you remember that phone call.

0:23:59.080 --> 0:24:02.000
<v Speaker 4>Of course, I call all the I mean it's not

0:24:02.080 --> 0:24:04.600
<v Speaker 4>particularly I mean it's not one one of a kind.

0:24:04.600 --> 0:24:06.760
<v Speaker 4>I mean, obviously I had my Tim and respected him

0:24:06.800 --> 0:24:10.119
<v Speaker 4>for so long and enjoy more than anybody. You know,

0:24:10.560 --> 0:24:12.720
<v Speaker 4>the way he treats the game, the way he broadcasts

0:24:12.720 --> 0:24:15.760
<v Speaker 4>the game and made funds of the game, how it

0:24:15.800 --> 0:24:19.280
<v Speaker 4>all evolves. But I call all the new inductees to

0:24:19.280 --> 0:24:23.280
<v Speaker 4>try to welcome them. I think it's important for me

0:24:23.320 --> 0:24:25.440
<v Speaker 4>to do. I don't do it for the Hall or

0:24:25.480 --> 0:24:27.040
<v Speaker 4>I don't do it. I just do it for myself.

0:24:27.480 --> 0:24:30.520
<v Speaker 2>Johnny you told me that day. You said, Tim, it's

0:24:30.640 --> 0:24:33.760
<v Speaker 2>moments like this that take you back to Little League.

0:24:33.880 --> 0:24:36.600
<v Speaker 2>And I was just about ready to cry again, and

0:24:36.680 --> 0:24:39.000
<v Speaker 2>you said, and let's face it, Tim, you can still

0:24:39.040 --> 0:24:42.040
<v Speaker 2>fit into a Little League uniform. Do you think that

0:24:42.200 --> 0:24:44.040
<v Speaker 2>was really necessary to tell me that?

0:24:44.400 --> 0:24:46.920
<v Speaker 4>Well, it was a Kurtchean thing. You know, there are

0:24:47.000 --> 0:24:49.560
<v Speaker 4>Kurchian things in our lives that everybody still. I know,

0:24:49.640 --> 0:24:51.639
<v Speaker 4>I get such a kick out of you when you

0:24:51.840 --> 0:24:54.960
<v Speaker 4>when the people emulate you, and I never could. I

0:24:54.960 --> 0:24:57.440
<v Speaker 4>don't have that kind of voice. But well, it's good

0:24:57.480 --> 0:24:59.800
<v Speaker 4>that you but you're you know, you're self deprecating and

0:24:59.840 --> 0:25:02.840
<v Speaker 4>so many ways you accepted you. That's what That's why

0:25:02.880 --> 0:25:04.919
<v Speaker 4>I'd admire and respect you, and that's why it was

0:25:04.960 --> 0:25:07.400
<v Speaker 4>easy to call you for the especially for your Hall

0:25:07.400 --> 0:25:08.880
<v Speaker 4>of Fame in selection and induction.

0:25:09.080 --> 0:25:12.359
<v Speaker 2>Right, Johnny, you came to my speech and I people

0:25:12.440 --> 0:25:14.800
<v Speaker 2>asked you, why are you going to Tim Kirchin's speech,

0:25:14.840 --> 0:25:16.720
<v Speaker 2>and you said, well, I need to see him cry?

0:25:17.240 --> 0:25:18.600
<v Speaker 2>And I came through did not?

0:25:18.760 --> 0:25:20.679
<v Speaker 4>You did? You did? And if you can't, I mean

0:25:20.720 --> 0:25:24.000
<v Speaker 4>there's no emotional feelings. I mean when you think how

0:25:24.040 --> 0:25:27.000
<v Speaker 4>many years back, you know, when you first had three

0:25:27.000 --> 0:25:28.639
<v Speaker 4>and a half years old, and I'm telling people I

0:25:28.680 --> 0:25:31.520
<v Speaker 4>want to be a major league baseball player, and you know,

0:25:32.480 --> 0:25:34.880
<v Speaker 4>and they do. And then the first grade, second grade,

0:25:34.920 --> 0:25:36.399
<v Speaker 4>Missus Rosser, asked what do you want to be in?

0:25:36.400 --> 0:25:38.080
<v Speaker 4>I said, I want to be a major league baseball player,

0:25:38.080 --> 0:25:41.040
<v Speaker 4>and all the kids laughed. In the eighth grade, they asked,

0:25:41.560 --> 0:25:42.879
<v Speaker 4>what do you want to be in? I want to

0:25:42.880 --> 0:25:46.399
<v Speaker 4>be a major league baseball player, and they laughed because

0:25:46.440 --> 0:25:48.160
<v Speaker 4>in the eighth grade, I got in school a year early.

0:25:48.240 --> 0:25:51.240
<v Speaker 4>So I was five foot two, same size hands, same

0:25:51.280 --> 0:25:55.480
<v Speaker 4>sized feed, same size head. So nobody so the only

0:25:55.480 --> 0:25:57.760
<v Speaker 4>people scouting me at that time was Barnum and Bailey.

0:25:57.880 --> 0:26:02.159
<v Speaker 4>I wasn't. I wasn't, so nobody believed it. Then I

0:26:02.200 --> 0:26:04.840
<v Speaker 4>grew nine inches the next two years and my junior year,

0:26:04.880 --> 0:26:05.920
<v Speaker 4>they didn't laugh so much.

0:26:06.160 --> 0:26:09.240
<v Speaker 2>Is that right? Yeah, let's just finish up with you.

0:26:09.440 --> 0:26:12.480
<v Speaker 2>Also came to our party that night. You were the

0:26:12.520 --> 0:26:14.320
<v Speaker 2>only player that came to our.

0:26:14.560 --> 0:26:15.480
<v Speaker 4>Nobody else likes you too.

0:26:15.560 --> 0:26:20.480
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Johnny, you stayed there for ninety minutes. It was unbelievable,

0:26:20.680 --> 0:26:22.960
<v Speaker 2>and all my friends met you was like the biggest

0:26:23.000 --> 0:26:24.200
<v Speaker 2>thrill that they've ever had.

0:26:24.200 --> 0:26:26.080
<v Speaker 4>But before well, the family was there. I mean, you

0:26:26.160 --> 0:26:27.400
<v Speaker 4>brought a whole family. It was cool.

0:26:27.480 --> 0:26:30.159
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, if you remember at the party the night before,

0:26:30.560 --> 0:26:32.960
<v Speaker 2>I go to Johnny so I can introduce him to

0:26:33.000 --> 0:26:35.639
<v Speaker 2>my two brothers, Matt and Annie, and I said, Johnny,

0:26:35.680 --> 0:26:38.680
<v Speaker 2>we want to get some pictures. Could could you help

0:26:38.760 --> 0:26:40.919
<v Speaker 2>us with some pictures? So we wanted to take a

0:26:40.960 --> 0:26:42.680
<v Speaker 2>picture with you instead.

0:26:42.800 --> 0:26:43.640
<v Speaker 3>What did you do?

0:26:43.800 --> 0:26:44.919
<v Speaker 4>I took the family?

0:26:45.960 --> 0:26:49.920
<v Speaker 1>Even better, He's dragging chairs across the venue to set.

0:26:50.080 --> 0:26:52.480
<v Speaker 3>Okay, you sit here, Matt, you're here, Tim, you're here.

0:26:53.640 --> 0:26:55.119
<v Speaker 3>It was it was beautiful.

0:26:55.119 --> 0:26:58.000
<v Speaker 2>And then finally after ten minutes, I say, Johnny, we

0:26:58.080 --> 0:27:01.320
<v Speaker 2>need a picture of you with the family. So he

0:27:01.520 --> 0:27:04.680
<v Speaker 2>hands his camera to this other gentleman and says, can

0:27:04.720 --> 0:27:07.600
<v Speaker 2>you take pictures of me with the Kirkchen family? And

0:27:07.640 --> 0:27:10.480
<v Speaker 2>you handed the camera to Paul Ballader, who had more

0:27:10.560 --> 0:27:13.800
<v Speaker 2>hits than the Willy Bays, which I mean one night

0:27:13.880 --> 0:27:14.919
<v Speaker 2>that was for us.

0:27:14.840 --> 0:27:16.359
<v Speaker 4>But we're all Hall of famers and that was a

0:27:16.440 --> 0:27:18.040
<v Speaker 4>fun part of it. Did the pictures turn out?

0:27:18.320 --> 0:27:21.080
<v Speaker 2>Oh? They were great. No, Johnny. I have a digital

0:27:21.240 --> 0:27:25.679
<v Speaker 2>photograph machine at my home which runs twenty four hours

0:27:25.680 --> 0:27:28.520
<v Speaker 2>a day, and you're in about ten of the pictures.

0:27:28.520 --> 0:27:32.480
<v Speaker 2>Like snapping pictures of us. It was absolutely priceless.

0:27:32.000 --> 0:27:33.200
<v Speaker 3>In spirit of this podcast.

0:27:33.280 --> 0:27:36.320
<v Speaker 1>It's just a digital frame, a digital photograph machine.

0:27:36.480 --> 0:27:38.200
<v Speaker 3>Sounds like something from nineteen sixty.

0:27:38.480 --> 0:27:42.520
<v Speaker 4>Leave us alone if you want to be smart, okay, fine,

0:27:42.520 --> 0:27:44.080
<v Speaker 4>but leave us alone at lone.

0:27:46.240 --> 0:27:49.280
<v Speaker 2>So, Johnny, I'm not sure you remember this. What happened

0:27:49.400 --> 0:27:51.560
<v Speaker 2>after the big party? Tell us jes So.

0:27:51.840 --> 0:27:54.680
<v Speaker 1>Dad has this great weekend in twenty twenty two, and

0:27:55.119 --> 0:27:58.120
<v Speaker 1>we had this party after his speech, and you were there,

0:27:58.160 --> 0:28:00.720
<v Speaker 1>as Dad mentioned, But I don't know if you realized

0:28:00.920 --> 0:28:03.879
<v Speaker 1>we had a bus coming. But you had gotten in

0:28:03.880 --> 0:28:06.280
<v Speaker 1>the car to head back towards the Oda Saga and

0:28:06.359 --> 0:28:09.760
<v Speaker 1>hitched a ride with my cousin, his niece.

0:28:09.880 --> 0:28:12.680
<v Speaker 3>That's right, and you sat do you remember, well, there were.

0:28:12.600 --> 0:28:14.639
<v Speaker 4>You couldn't you couldn't avoid getting in a car with

0:28:14.680 --> 0:28:17.000
<v Speaker 4>a kirch and everybody was in. Everybody in the family,

0:28:17.480 --> 0:28:20.160
<v Speaker 4>everybody in the state, everybody in the country were all there.

0:28:20.800 --> 0:28:23.200
<v Speaker 3>And you sat in the back of their mini van.

0:28:23.440 --> 0:28:25.200
<v Speaker 4>Oh my gosh, that's right, with their.

0:28:25.040 --> 0:28:28.919
<v Speaker 3>Two children under two and children, and you didn't just

0:28:28.960 --> 0:28:31.040
<v Speaker 3>sit there and squeeze and you were singing.

0:28:32.000 --> 0:28:33.440
<v Speaker 4>We had to do the stuff, we had to keep

0:28:33.480 --> 0:28:33.920
<v Speaker 4>them happy.

0:28:34.040 --> 0:28:36.760
<v Speaker 2>Johnny, You're the greatest catcher of all time? Why would you.

0:28:36.680 --> 0:28:39.040
<v Speaker 4>Do something like it? Was? I'm a used to was?

0:28:39.160 --> 0:28:43.040
<v Speaker 2>We were so Johnny. I told my niece Anna, I said,

0:28:43.200 --> 0:28:46.280
<v Speaker 2>do you know who? You who? You drove back to town.

0:28:46.400 --> 0:28:48.520
<v Speaker 4>You got to be fifty years old and even heard

0:28:48.560 --> 0:28:48.760
<v Speaker 4>of me.

0:28:49.120 --> 0:28:51.600
<v Speaker 2>I said, he's the greatest catcher ever. And she waid, what,

0:28:52.000 --> 0:28:55.640
<v Speaker 2>I had no idea. So we learned something. So, Johnny,

0:28:55.680 --> 0:29:00.720
<v Speaker 2>let's pivot to baseball. Your induction was in nineteen eighty nine.

0:29:00.880 --> 0:29:05.040
<v Speaker 2>You went in with Karl Streemsky, Al Barlck and Red SHANDEANSTI. Okay,

0:29:05.200 --> 0:29:08.440
<v Speaker 2>I did What was that day like for you?

0:29:09.360 --> 0:29:11.320
<v Speaker 4>Well, the thing I remember with most is that we

0:29:11.400 --> 0:29:13.440
<v Speaker 4>flew it. They flew us in from Cincinnati on a

0:29:13.520 --> 0:29:17.000
<v Speaker 4>charter and my mom and dad and we got the

0:29:17.040 --> 0:29:18.960
<v Speaker 4>limo picked us up. We drove to the front of

0:29:18.960 --> 0:29:21.680
<v Speaker 4>the hotel and I said, checked in. I said, I'm

0:29:21.680 --> 0:29:25.040
<v Speaker 4>going to go unpack. I went upstairs. I came out

0:29:25.040 --> 0:29:29.120
<v Speaker 4>of the room walking down the hall, and here's nas Slaughter. Hey,

0:29:29.160 --> 0:29:32.840
<v Speaker 4>I just met your dad. I get the elevator. Pee

0:29:33.040 --> 0:29:35.520
<v Speaker 4>Reese comes off the elevator. Hey, I just met your dad.

0:29:36.320 --> 0:29:38.400
<v Speaker 4>I get down in the lobby. Ted Williams said, Hey,

0:29:38.400 --> 0:29:42.080
<v Speaker 4>I just met your dad. My dad's got Roy Campanella

0:29:42.120 --> 0:29:45.240
<v Speaker 4>around the neck in the wheelchair talking to me. So

0:29:45.400 --> 0:29:49.320
<v Speaker 4>in my induction speech, I introduced the family except my dad,

0:29:49.320 --> 0:29:51.520
<v Speaker 4>and I said I would introduce my dad, but I'm

0:29:51.520 --> 0:29:53.920
<v Speaker 4>sure most of you have met him by now. So

0:29:54.240 --> 0:29:56.800
<v Speaker 4>my dad had wanted to be a major league catcher,

0:29:57.280 --> 0:30:00.520
<v Speaker 4>and the war came along. He served two hitches, so

0:30:00.600 --> 0:30:02.200
<v Speaker 4>when he came out it was too late. He had

0:30:02.240 --> 0:30:05.080
<v Speaker 4>the family, and so I always say I didn't go in,

0:30:05.240 --> 0:30:07.080
<v Speaker 4>my dad went in at first.

0:30:07.240 --> 0:30:11.200
<v Speaker 1>That's amazing, and that's what we this father son podcast.

0:30:11.240 --> 0:30:12.440
<v Speaker 3>It's the greatest thing in the world.

0:30:12.440 --> 0:30:14.920
<v Speaker 1>The relationship you've had with your father and that I

0:30:14.960 --> 0:30:16.240
<v Speaker 1>have with mine is incredible.

0:30:16.280 --> 0:30:18.920
<v Speaker 3>Now being a dad, I appreciate it even more.

0:30:19.200 --> 0:30:22.080
<v Speaker 2>Tell us about your first All Star Game in sixty eight.

0:30:22.360 --> 0:30:24.800
<v Speaker 4>Well, I was chosen as an ultranatet. You know, I

0:30:24.800 --> 0:30:31.080
<v Speaker 4>think it was Tom Haller and Jerry Grody or Rudney Hundley,

0:30:31.520 --> 0:30:34.520
<v Speaker 4>and I was chosen as a third catcher. And I'm

0:30:34.560 --> 0:30:39.200
<v Speaker 4>sitting in his locker in the astronome and I'm just watching,

0:30:39.480 --> 0:30:42.600
<v Speaker 4>you know, everybody go by. You know, here's Bob Gibson,

0:30:42.640 --> 0:30:45.840
<v Speaker 4>here's Willy McCovey here, and Willie is sitting straight across

0:30:45.840 --> 0:30:48.680
<v Speaker 4>from me in the locker room. I mean he right

0:30:48.680 --> 0:30:51.160
<v Speaker 4>over to that, and he got up and walked over

0:30:51.200 --> 0:30:53.600
<v Speaker 4>and said, you should have been to start and catch it.

0:30:55.240 --> 0:30:57.520
<v Speaker 4>I didn't need anything else in my life, right. That

0:30:58.080 --> 0:31:02.240
<v Speaker 4>meant everything to me. And they almost it was a

0:31:02.320 --> 0:31:07.240
<v Speaker 4>ninth inning and they're telling Red to put me in. Well,

0:31:07.240 --> 0:31:09.000
<v Speaker 4>I don't have any other catchers. He said, he's not

0:31:09.040 --> 0:31:12.040
<v Speaker 4>gonna get a hurt, punny man. So I caught the

0:31:12.120 --> 0:31:14.280
<v Speaker 4>ninth inning of that ballgame, and I you know, it

0:31:14.360 --> 0:31:18.480
<v Speaker 4>was a just unbelievable moment for me. But really from

0:31:18.480 --> 0:31:22.240
<v Speaker 4>that time on, and you know, I was even more

0:31:22.320 --> 0:31:25.400
<v Speaker 4>proud that he asked for me to present the Lifetime

0:31:25.440 --> 0:31:28.680
<v Speaker 4>Achievement and Gold Glove Awards to him on New York.

0:31:29.160 --> 0:31:34.800
<v Speaker 4>So we had a wonderful, wonderful history and I was thankful.

0:31:34.840 --> 0:31:38.360
<v Speaker 4>But you know, you don't you never you know, I

0:31:38.360 --> 0:31:40.840
<v Speaker 4>always learned him when I was young, and never expect

0:31:41.440 --> 0:31:43.959
<v Speaker 4>expect people to be impressed with who you are, what

0:31:44.000 --> 0:31:47.760
<v Speaker 4>you've done, because if you go through that, don't expect

0:31:47.840 --> 0:31:50.280
<v Speaker 4>it because it's you know, there are people out there.

0:31:50.320 --> 0:31:53.120
<v Speaker 4>Fifty thousand people go to a baseball game, twenty five

0:31:53.120 --> 0:31:56.160
<v Speaker 4>thousand leave happy, twenty five thousand leave upset, and they

0:31:56.160 --> 0:31:58.920
<v Speaker 4>saw the same thing. I go two for five, I

0:31:58.960 --> 0:32:01.479
<v Speaker 4>had two home runs, drive than five runs. I go

0:32:01.520 --> 0:32:04.920
<v Speaker 4>out to the restaurant after the game. Bar guy walks

0:32:04.960 --> 0:32:06.440
<v Speaker 4>up and says, hey, I saw you strike out and

0:32:06.440 --> 0:32:11.120
<v Speaker 4>pop up. So if you go out there and believe

0:32:11.160 --> 0:32:13.280
<v Speaker 4>everybody's supposed to be impressed with who you are, what

0:32:13.360 --> 0:32:15.640
<v Speaker 4>you've done, you know you're still you. You know, I

0:32:15.640 --> 0:32:17.360
<v Speaker 4>grew up in a town of six hundred and sixty

0:32:17.400 --> 0:32:20.320
<v Speaker 4>one people. We had to go look for a ninth

0:32:20.320 --> 0:32:24.240
<v Speaker 4>player some days just to finish Little league. And so

0:32:25.360 --> 0:32:28.720
<v Speaker 4>I grew up pulling cotton and chopping peanuts, or chopping peanuts,

0:32:28.720 --> 0:32:31.880
<v Speaker 4>combining peanuts, bailing. Hey, So I'm just I'm just the

0:32:31.880 --> 0:32:34.440
<v Speaker 4>same guy, and I'll always be my mom and dad's son.

0:32:35.200 --> 0:32:38.240
<v Speaker 2>So cool. Tell us more about your your dad, Johnny,

0:32:38.320 --> 0:32:41.880
<v Speaker 2>and tell us please the Bob Gibson story that you

0:32:42.040 --> 0:32:44.080
<v Speaker 2>told me, because if you don't tell it, I'm gonna

0:32:44.080 --> 0:32:44.400
<v Speaker 2>tell it.

0:32:45.320 --> 0:32:48.080
<v Speaker 4>Well, my dad, my dad served the two inches in

0:32:48.120 --> 0:32:49.760
<v Speaker 4>the war. He came back and we started. He started

0:32:49.760 --> 0:32:52.360
<v Speaker 4>working for his uncle who had a propane business. We

0:32:52.440 --> 0:32:55.479
<v Speaker 4>delivered propane to the houses and to the farms for

0:32:55.560 --> 0:32:58.320
<v Speaker 4>irrigations in the tanks and stuff. I did that when

0:32:58.320 --> 0:33:00.640
<v Speaker 4>I was fifteen. But my dad and I would watch

0:33:00.680 --> 0:33:03.280
<v Speaker 4>the Game of the week every Saturday with Geene Kirby,

0:33:03.280 --> 0:33:06.000
<v Speaker 4>Pee Wee Reesing and Dizzy Dean. But we would go

0:33:06.080 --> 0:33:08.520
<v Speaker 4>down to Helms Grocery. We'd get a half gallon neapolitan

0:33:08.560 --> 0:33:11.080
<v Speaker 4>ice cream. We'd fill our bowls up and we'd sit

0:33:11.120 --> 0:33:13.600
<v Speaker 4>there and eat it while we watched the game. Now, Dad,

0:33:14.080 --> 0:33:18.440
<v Speaker 4>he had actually batted against Satchel Page in little sandlot stuff.

0:33:18.440 --> 0:33:20.360
<v Speaker 4>After he did and I watched him playing. He could

0:33:20.360 --> 0:33:23.480
<v Speaker 4>do lots of stuff. But he'd sit there and like

0:33:23.560 --> 0:33:27.360
<v Speaker 4>all every fan you know, how and hell could he

0:33:27.520 --> 0:33:31.040
<v Speaker 4>watch it? How can he miss that? Hell? I can

0:33:31.200 --> 0:33:35.080
<v Speaker 4>hit that guy? Good hit him? Alchemy, Ralph thirty throwing Kirby,

0:33:35.200 --> 0:33:38.600
<v Speaker 4>Hell I can hit that guy. So it was embedded

0:33:38.640 --> 0:33:41.480
<v Speaker 4>to me. And so I get called up by the

0:33:41.520 --> 0:33:43.920
<v Speaker 4>Reds to Saint Louis, up to Cincinnati, and we go

0:33:44.000 --> 0:33:46.560
<v Speaker 4>to Saint Louis and I called Mom and Dad, I said,

0:33:46.560 --> 0:33:48.320
<v Speaker 4>I can get you tickets I'll get you a room,

0:33:48.680 --> 0:33:52.360
<v Speaker 4>come on up to Saint Louis and watch. So I said, okay,

0:33:52.400 --> 0:33:54.200
<v Speaker 4>So they up they come, and so at first night,

0:33:54.240 --> 0:33:55.880
<v Speaker 4>I'm going to really impress the hell out of them.

0:33:56.760 --> 0:33:58.360
<v Speaker 4>But we faced a picture of the name of Bob

0:33:58.400 --> 0:34:03.080
<v Speaker 4>Gibson that first time. And I don't know if the

0:34:03.160 --> 0:34:05.400
<v Speaker 4>dr was one one two that year or what, but

0:34:05.520 --> 0:34:07.560
<v Speaker 4>all of a sudden, I'm up there and I strike out,

0:34:08.200 --> 0:34:10.280
<v Speaker 4>and I go up the second time and I strike out,

0:34:10.680 --> 0:34:13.120
<v Speaker 4>and I go up the third time and I strike out.

0:34:14.160 --> 0:34:16.720
<v Speaker 4>And I'm coming back and I'm walking by the battery

0:34:16.800 --> 0:34:20.480
<v Speaker 4>on deck circle and just before I get to the

0:34:20.520 --> 0:34:23.040
<v Speaker 4>dug and our manager was Dave Bristol. Dave was kind

0:34:23.040 --> 0:34:26.120
<v Speaker 4>of like Sergeant Carter on Gomer Pyle USMC. You didn't

0:34:26.120 --> 0:34:29.200
<v Speaker 4>think of anything but baseball. There was nothing but baseball.

0:34:29.880 --> 0:34:32.680
<v Speaker 4>And I start to smile as I get to the

0:34:32.719 --> 0:34:35.240
<v Speaker 4>on deck circle. And by the time I reached the dugout,

0:34:35.239 --> 0:34:37.719
<v Speaker 4>I'm grinning and he's down here. It's took three or

0:34:37.719 --> 0:34:39.520
<v Speaker 4>four steps in, so you had to walk down around.

0:34:39.560 --> 0:34:42.359
<v Speaker 4>He looked up me and said, what hell, it's so funny.

0:34:43.760 --> 0:34:45.839
<v Speaker 4>I was just thinking, I don't think Dad can hit

0:34:45.840 --> 0:34:51.040
<v Speaker 4>this guy. That's what you do.

0:34:51.120 --> 0:34:54.440
<v Speaker 2>How great Bob gives. Yeah, even your dad good to

0:34:54.520 --> 0:34:54.719
<v Speaker 2>hit it?

0:34:55.000 --> 0:34:55.520
<v Speaker 4>Goodn't all?

0:34:55.560 --> 0:34:58.960
<v Speaker 2>I said, Johnny, you, over the years have become don't

0:34:58.960 --> 0:35:02.040
<v Speaker 2>be humble about this MC of the Hall of Fame.

0:35:02.080 --> 0:35:04.960
<v Speaker 2>When a new player comes in, you're always the first

0:35:05.000 --> 0:35:08.799
<v Speaker 2>one to welcome him. You are the ringleader. Where did

0:35:08.800 --> 0:35:11.720
<v Speaker 2>that come from? Did you take that mantle on yourself

0:35:11.800 --> 0:35:13.399
<v Speaker 2>or did someone pass it to you?

0:35:13.440 --> 0:35:16.319
<v Speaker 4>No, no, no, no, I'm just I'm a welcomer. I'm

0:35:16.360 --> 0:35:18.520
<v Speaker 4>just a guy who greets people and likes people and

0:35:18.880 --> 0:35:21.000
<v Speaker 4>befriends people. And I think they deserve a call. I

0:35:21.000 --> 0:35:23.239
<v Speaker 4>don't know if anybody else calls or not. I don't

0:35:23.239 --> 0:35:25.239
<v Speaker 4>worry about it. They don't ask me to do it.

0:35:25.800 --> 0:35:28.200
<v Speaker 4>That's just who Johnny is. You know, my mom and

0:35:28.239 --> 0:35:29.840
<v Speaker 4>daddy and all, we'd be proud of it. But I

0:35:30.400 --> 0:35:32.799
<v Speaker 4>I like to be personal. I like to be respectful.

0:35:33.160 --> 0:35:35.680
<v Speaker 4>I like to congratulate people on the awards that they win.

0:35:35.800 --> 0:35:38.120
<v Speaker 4>And so when I call them, I told them then

0:35:38.360 --> 0:35:43.000
<v Speaker 4>I give them my advice keep a diary right, and

0:35:43.080 --> 0:35:45.560
<v Speaker 4>I tell you you know after if it's the induction,

0:35:45.960 --> 0:35:48.000
<v Speaker 4>when the announcement is made, I tell him start now.

0:35:48.960 --> 0:35:52.160
<v Speaker 4>But I talked to all three last week and I said, now,

0:35:52.160 --> 0:35:53.799
<v Speaker 4>this is going to start, so I want you to

0:35:54.640 --> 0:35:56.359
<v Speaker 4>I want you to keep your diary, and I want

0:35:56.400 --> 0:35:58.480
<v Speaker 4>your wife to keep a diary because this is going

0:35:58.480 --> 0:36:00.920
<v Speaker 4>to buy so fast, and you're going to think on

0:36:00.960 --> 0:36:03.960
<v Speaker 4>Monday or Tuesday, what the heck happened? All three of

0:36:04.000 --> 0:36:05.359
<v Speaker 4>them say, come up to me, and I say, I'm

0:36:05.360 --> 0:36:05.960
<v Speaker 4>a diary going.

0:36:06.840 --> 0:36:08.040
<v Speaker 2>Did you keep a diary?

0:36:08.200 --> 0:36:10.040
<v Speaker 4>I didn't. That's why I wanted to learn.

0:36:10.400 --> 0:36:10.799
<v Speaker 2>I learned.

0:36:11.120 --> 0:36:11.680
<v Speaker 4>I learned.

0:36:12.080 --> 0:36:14.680
<v Speaker 1>So one of the highlights for my dad in back

0:36:14.719 --> 0:36:17.040
<v Speaker 1>in twenty twenty two when we were here was right

0:36:17.160 --> 0:36:20.799
<v Speaker 1>pretty much above us was the verandah and you pulled

0:36:20.880 --> 0:36:23.839
<v Speaker 1>him aside, and what advice did you give him on

0:36:23.920 --> 0:36:26.560
<v Speaker 1>his weekend joining this club.

0:36:28.040 --> 0:36:31.520
<v Speaker 4>Well, I'm not I have another ritual that I do afterwards.

0:36:31.560 --> 0:36:35.200
<v Speaker 4>But you know, to enjoy the moment, But you're going

0:36:35.239 --> 0:36:38.919
<v Speaker 4>to spend so much time trying to accommodate everybody else,

0:36:39.840 --> 0:36:42.080
<v Speaker 4>and you're going to forget the moment of what you achieved.

0:36:42.840 --> 0:36:45.680
<v Speaker 4>So you have to take a minute and think about

0:36:46.200 --> 0:36:48.759
<v Speaker 4>who you are and where you are. This isn't all

0:36:48.800 --> 0:36:53.719
<v Speaker 4>about them anymore. It's about me and so I hope

0:36:53.719 --> 0:36:55.000
<v Speaker 4>that's what I share.

0:36:55.040 --> 0:36:57.480
<v Speaker 2>Exactly what you did, Johnny, was the highlight of my

0:36:57.640 --> 0:37:00.000
<v Speaker 2>Hall of Fame weekend. That I sat on that varana

0:37:00.200 --> 0:37:02.279
<v Speaker 2>with the greatest catcher of all time. You told me

0:37:02.320 --> 0:37:04.120
<v Speaker 2>to look at that lake for one minute. I did

0:37:04.360 --> 0:37:07.080
<v Speaker 2>do not say a word, think about where you are,

0:37:07.360 --> 0:37:10.879
<v Speaker 2>how you got here, and how many people helped get

0:37:10.920 --> 0:37:14.319
<v Speaker 2>you here. And I'm sorry I teared up because it

0:37:14.400 --> 0:37:17.239
<v Speaker 2>was the most emotional moment of that weekend for me.

0:37:17.640 --> 0:37:20.520
<v Speaker 4>And I've done it for years, and you know, it

0:37:20.600 --> 0:37:23.960
<v Speaker 4>seemed odd to some of the guys. Right then I

0:37:23.960 --> 0:37:25.960
<v Speaker 4>had cal rippinkins, Can I get them? Can I help

0:37:26.000 --> 0:37:27.799
<v Speaker 4>you get them in their chair? I mean, it's like,

0:37:28.040 --> 0:37:31.279
<v Speaker 4>you know, you always think somebody's you know, oh it's

0:37:31.400 --> 0:37:34.600
<v Speaker 4>kind of corny and everything else. But and then I

0:37:34.680 --> 0:37:38.719
<v Speaker 4>have every almost year after year they said they come

0:37:38.760 --> 0:37:40.919
<v Speaker 4>to men said thank you for doing that. That meant

0:37:41.000 --> 0:37:44.160
<v Speaker 4>so much to me and the guys that you called

0:37:44.239 --> 0:37:47.480
<v Speaker 4>just to say, hey, congratulations, well deserved, you deserve to

0:37:47.520 --> 0:37:49.439
<v Speaker 4>be here. You're going to have a great week. We'll

0:37:49.480 --> 0:37:51.839
<v Speaker 4>welcome you in and do all this stuff. And when

0:37:51.840 --> 0:37:54.319
<v Speaker 4>they get here they say, thank you. That was a

0:37:54.360 --> 0:37:58.200
<v Speaker 4>great call, and it's not for my own glory. I

0:37:58.200 --> 0:38:01.480
<v Speaker 4>don't do it, but it's were there because I was.

0:38:01.760 --> 0:38:04.799
<v Speaker 4>I was the guy. And when Pee Wee Reese put

0:38:04.840 --> 0:38:08.879
<v Speaker 4>his arm around me after my speech, after I gave

0:38:09.000 --> 0:38:12.040
<v Speaker 4>my speech induction speech, he put his arm around me

0:38:12.440 --> 0:38:16.759
<v Speaker 4>and whispered in my ear that was great. You're a

0:38:16.800 --> 0:38:17.480
<v Speaker 4>Hall of Famer.

0:38:17.880 --> 0:38:20.480
<v Speaker 2>How'd you do on your speech, Johnny? Were you scared

0:38:20.480 --> 0:38:23.080
<v Speaker 2>to death before you went up there or being you?

0:38:23.280 --> 0:38:24.399
<v Speaker 2>Were you ready to go?

0:38:25.320 --> 0:38:27.560
<v Speaker 4>I did not. All I had was a few ideas

0:38:28.560 --> 0:38:30.920
<v Speaker 4>and then you kind of winged it from there. Well,

0:38:30.960 --> 0:38:35.280
<v Speaker 4>I didn't have any notes. No, no, no, I mean.

0:38:35.360 --> 0:38:38.439
<v Speaker 1>This man walked around the Harris Theater local grocery store

0:38:38.520 --> 0:38:40.919
<v Speaker 1>memorizing his ten page speech.

0:38:40.920 --> 0:38:43.600
<v Speaker 4>Is Ohidrin Beltray and he's got his folder, you know,

0:38:43.800 --> 0:38:46.719
<v Speaker 4>right under his arm. And I said, could I see that?

0:38:46.760 --> 0:38:49.320
<v Speaker 4>And he said, no, you can't see that. I already

0:38:49.320 --> 0:38:52.040
<v Speaker 4>heard about you because I took a couple of a

0:38:52.040 --> 0:38:54.400
<v Speaker 4>couple of money here. I took, you know, his notebook,

0:38:54.640 --> 0:38:56.200
<v Speaker 4>one of our inductees' notebooks.

0:38:56.800 --> 0:39:00.840
<v Speaker 2>Oh my gosh, wait, you took a notebook, the notes

0:39:00.840 --> 0:39:02.560
<v Speaker 2>away from a guy was going in the Hall of Fame.

0:39:02.920 --> 0:39:03.400
<v Speaker 2>And it was he.

0:39:03.719 --> 0:39:06.160
<v Speaker 4>Was going ready to go out for the speech, and

0:39:06.239 --> 0:39:08.879
<v Speaker 4>oh my god, he's good and we'd laugh when he's

0:39:08.920 --> 0:39:12.239
<v Speaker 4>walking around the room. And then first thing he says,

0:39:12.280 --> 0:39:14.839
<v Speaker 4>I heard about you guys. Come up. Now, I heard

0:39:14.840 --> 0:39:19.520
<v Speaker 4>about you. Stay away. Can't you imagine people who don't

0:39:19.600 --> 0:39:21.520
<v Speaker 4>like to talk to begin with. I mean, you know

0:39:21.560 --> 0:39:24.759
<v Speaker 4>how public speaking is for people. It's not doing it.

0:39:25.000 --> 0:39:28.520
<v Speaker 4>But no, I had it all. I didn't have anything, really,

0:39:28.840 --> 0:39:30.800
<v Speaker 4>I just got up. I was eighth grade. I was

0:39:30.880 --> 0:39:33.480
<v Speaker 4>Johnny Bench from the Binger four h club and for

0:39:33.680 --> 0:39:35.840
<v Speaker 4>my speech, I have chosen birds of the World. I

0:39:35.880 --> 0:39:38.560
<v Speaker 4>mean it was interesting because I just got a note

0:39:38.560 --> 0:39:42.880
<v Speaker 4>from a uh from back home. It was he's going

0:39:42.960 --> 0:39:45.520
<v Speaker 4>to be night Leland's going to be ninety six years old,

0:39:46.160 --> 0:39:48.840
<v Speaker 4>and he was the four age leader of Kato County

0:39:49.760 --> 0:39:52.600
<v Speaker 4>and back in those days. And I'll be forever grateful

0:39:52.640 --> 0:39:56.080
<v Speaker 4>that I learned to stand up and speak, you know,

0:39:56.400 --> 0:39:59.160
<v Speaker 4>and memorize. I never had a problem memorizing anything. I

0:39:59.200 --> 0:40:01.600
<v Speaker 4>could each would have a poem. I would do it

0:40:01.600 --> 0:40:02.600
<v Speaker 4>before class was over.

0:40:03.040 --> 0:40:04.719
<v Speaker 1>It sounds like if you didn't make it to the

0:40:04.760 --> 0:40:06.320
<v Speaker 1>ball field, you could have made it to the stage.

0:40:06.320 --> 0:40:08.600
<v Speaker 1>Because I've heard you have a great singing voice.

0:40:08.960 --> 0:40:11.480
<v Speaker 4>You know, I know the words and sometimes and you're

0:40:11.480 --> 0:40:15.320
<v Speaker 4>a performer. I sang with a symphony with Eric Knsel

0:40:15.360 --> 0:40:18.640
<v Speaker 4>in the Cincinnati Pops. I played professional golf. I played

0:40:18.719 --> 0:40:22.480
<v Speaker 4>nine senior Toure events. I bowled professionally. I used to

0:40:22.480 --> 0:40:25.239
<v Speaker 4>play tennis once a year and gave it up. It

0:40:25.440 --> 0:40:31.200
<v Speaker 4>just got to be too much work. So I love music,

0:40:31.719 --> 0:40:34.160
<v Speaker 4>you know, and I wish i'd had. I had a

0:40:34.160 --> 0:40:37.040
<v Speaker 4>thor ecotomy, which is a lung. I had lung surgery

0:40:37.560 --> 0:40:41.360
<v Speaker 4>four days after I turned twenty five. I had developed

0:40:41.360 --> 0:40:43.680
<v Speaker 4>a Cox City o yd micosis, which is called the

0:40:43.719 --> 0:40:46.880
<v Speaker 4>Valley fever. And so a lot of people, I know,

0:40:47.080 --> 0:40:49.839
<v Speaker 4>they are not aware of it. But four days after

0:40:49.920 --> 0:40:53.000
<v Speaker 4>the seventy two playoffs in the World Series, I went in.

0:40:53.160 --> 0:40:55.319
<v Speaker 4>They cut me from here all the way back to here,

0:40:56.360 --> 0:40:59.759
<v Speaker 4>and it was a brand new surgery. It was used

0:40:59.760 --> 0:41:01.959
<v Speaker 4>with taples that they had never done before because usually

0:41:02.000 --> 0:41:05.680
<v Speaker 4>they open up your back and my doctor Gonzalez was

0:41:05.719 --> 0:41:09.239
<v Speaker 4>trying to avoid that. And so you know, when you

0:41:09.320 --> 0:41:11.359
<v Speaker 4>tell people, how what do you think of your career?

0:41:11.360 --> 0:41:13.400
<v Speaker 4>And I said, well, it wasn't as good as it

0:41:13.719 --> 0:41:18.120
<v Speaker 4>would have been because the difference the difference in greatness

0:41:18.200 --> 0:41:21.920
<v Speaker 4>is about five to six inches because that's where you

0:41:22.000 --> 0:41:28.520
<v Speaker 4>hit the ball. So in my physical ability and I

0:41:28.560 --> 0:41:31.520
<v Speaker 4>had twenty five vision, I could actually get to the

0:41:31.560 --> 0:41:34.839
<v Speaker 4>ball out there. So hitting the ball out here as

0:41:34.840 --> 0:41:38.200
<v Speaker 4>opposed to hitting it there. You know, now things are slower.

0:41:39.080 --> 0:41:41.759
<v Speaker 4>I mean your reaction in a baseball you have a

0:41:41.800 --> 0:41:44.319
<v Speaker 4>ninety mile on hour base fastball, you have point four

0:41:44.320 --> 0:41:46.920
<v Speaker 4>to two seconds from the time it leaves the pitcher's

0:41:46.960 --> 0:41:49.920
<v Speaker 4>hand till it crosses home plate. Yeah, point one seven

0:41:50.120 --> 0:41:53.960
<v Speaker 4>seconds reaction time. So the brain the cameras are the

0:41:54.000 --> 0:41:56.799
<v Speaker 4>eyes the cameras. The brain sees the camera and so

0:41:56.880 --> 0:42:00.759
<v Speaker 4>it has to identify location, speed, spend and then send

0:42:00.760 --> 0:42:02.920
<v Speaker 4>them send the signal to the nerves and muscles and

0:42:02.960 --> 0:42:07.319
<v Speaker 4>they react. And that after they cut the nerves and

0:42:07.360 --> 0:42:10.160
<v Speaker 4>cut the bone and cut the muscle, then I was

0:42:10.680 --> 0:42:13.120
<v Speaker 4>I was down to probably a little less and I

0:42:13.200 --> 0:42:18.160
<v Speaker 4>so I never had the career that I think I

0:42:18.200 --> 0:42:18.799
<v Speaker 4>could have had.

0:42:19.400 --> 0:42:22.040
<v Speaker 2>Johnny, you don't play golf anymore? Is that correct?

0:42:22.400 --> 0:42:26.239
<v Speaker 4>Warranty ran out I had when I was eighteen, I

0:42:26.320 --> 0:42:29.160
<v Speaker 4>was driving back from I had broken my thumb in Buffalo,

0:42:29.800 --> 0:42:33.160
<v Speaker 4>and I went to I went back to Oklahoma City.

0:42:33.880 --> 0:42:37.160
<v Speaker 4>And when I drove up to Witchdall see my American

0:42:37.239 --> 0:42:40.879
<v Speaker 4>Legion teammates play. And I drove back to Oklahoma City,

0:42:40.960 --> 0:42:44.560
<v Speaker 4>stayed with my brother Orlan highway. Pulled out to pass

0:42:44.600 --> 0:42:47.000
<v Speaker 4>the bus. Here's the drunk driver on the wrong side.

0:42:47.520 --> 0:42:49.279
<v Speaker 4>I hit the brakes, hit me right in the door.

0:42:50.160 --> 0:42:53.360
<v Speaker 4>I didn't regain conscious. I gained conscious getting into the ambulance,

0:42:54.040 --> 0:42:56.640
<v Speaker 4>and then when I got I don't remember anything about it.

0:42:56.640 --> 0:42:58.120
<v Speaker 4>I think I remember the sort of going into the

0:42:58.120 --> 0:43:01.839
<v Speaker 4>emergency room, and then the doctor came in afterwards. He said, son,

0:43:01.880 --> 0:43:04.640
<v Speaker 4>you got the biggest bones I've ever seen in my life.

0:43:05.120 --> 0:43:07.040
<v Speaker 4>He said, nobody but you would walk out.

0:43:06.880 --> 0:43:09.560
<v Speaker 2>Of here by that build.

0:43:09.840 --> 0:43:12.640
<v Speaker 4>I had the thing and I and he said, but

0:43:12.840 --> 0:43:16.520
<v Speaker 4>you know, later on you'll have larth ryders, you'll have problems,

0:43:16.520 --> 0:43:18.000
<v Speaker 4>you'll have all the stuff. And so I've had both

0:43:18.040 --> 0:43:22.719
<v Speaker 4>hips replaced. These are still perfect shave, but the back,

0:43:22.800 --> 0:43:25.480
<v Speaker 4>the shoulders and all the stuff and everything else. It's

0:43:25.480 --> 0:43:27.280
<v Speaker 4>almost like being a catcher every day.

0:43:28.320 --> 0:43:30.560
<v Speaker 1>Well, it's worth noting the fifty percent of the hips

0:43:30.560 --> 0:43:32.560
<v Speaker 1>on this podcast right now have been replaced.

0:43:32.600 --> 0:43:34.160
<v Speaker 3>Dad has won two over there.

0:43:34.320 --> 0:43:36.800
<v Speaker 1>I still have the originals at age thirty, Thank goodness.

0:43:36.920 --> 0:43:39.560
<v Speaker 1>And speaking of golf, my dad wanted to play golf

0:43:39.640 --> 0:43:43.120
<v Speaker 1>at Leatherstocking for Father's Day last year, and we took

0:43:43.160 --> 0:43:46.359
<v Speaker 1>a picture on is it the the seventh hole right

0:43:46.800 --> 0:43:50.400
<v Speaker 1>right at your plaque? And Dad sent you the photo.

0:43:50.560 --> 0:43:53.120
<v Speaker 4>He did, right, and it was lying three or four.

0:43:53.160 --> 0:43:55.919
<v Speaker 1>I don't remem he laid up twice to get there

0:43:56.360 --> 0:43:58.520
<v Speaker 1>at three hundred and forty six yards. As little guys,

0:43:58.520 --> 0:44:00.799
<v Speaker 1>we're not getting there, maybe even too right.

0:44:01.120 --> 0:44:03.160
<v Speaker 2>Remember what you wrote to me when I sent you

0:44:03.239 --> 0:44:05.680
<v Speaker 2>the picture. Oh no, here's what you wrote.

0:44:05.680 --> 0:44:06.960
<v Speaker 4>How many foul balls did you take?

0:44:07.040 --> 0:44:07.160
<v Speaker 1>Him?

0:44:07.160 --> 0:44:09.080
<v Speaker 4>Ahead? You? I remember?

0:44:09.160 --> 0:44:11.640
<v Speaker 2>Actually you were kind for once you said you out

0:44:11.760 --> 0:44:15.120
<v Speaker 2>drove me again, And I wrote, and I hit a

0:44:15.120 --> 0:44:18.160
<v Speaker 2>three wood, Johnny, you hit a golf ball three hundred

0:44:18.200 --> 0:44:21.960
<v Speaker 2>and forty six yards in nineteen ninety two. That's impossible.

0:44:21.960 --> 0:44:24.160
<v Speaker 2>You can't do that, but you did well.

0:44:24.200 --> 0:44:26.239
<v Speaker 4>I drove. I drove a four hundred and three yard

0:44:26.239 --> 0:44:29.360
<v Speaker 4>part four in Vegas, and then I three put it.

0:44:29.520 --> 0:44:31.879
<v Speaker 4>I don't really I mean, but it was like there

0:44:31.880 --> 0:44:33.799
<v Speaker 4>was a plaque there at the Sarah Golf Yeah, at

0:44:33.800 --> 0:44:36.160
<v Speaker 4>the golf course at Sarah, and I had a plaque air,

0:44:36.200 --> 0:44:38.520
<v Speaker 4>So Johnny Bench drove this grain.

0:44:38.480 --> 0:44:43.320
<v Speaker 2>Johnny seven here on this diabolically difficult course, isn't uphill?

0:44:44.440 --> 0:44:47.280
<v Speaker 4>I hit it good, right, Johnson? I hit it good.

0:44:47.600 --> 0:44:50.160
<v Speaker 2>John Smolts told me on an airplay once he said,

0:44:50.280 --> 0:44:52.600
<v Speaker 2>Johnny Bench hit the cart path on that hole. I'm

0:44:52.600 --> 0:44:54.280
<v Speaker 2>sure of it. Have you heard that before?

0:44:54.600 --> 0:44:57.960
<v Speaker 4>Oh gosh, especially from Smoltzy, You can't. You know, he's

0:44:58.000 --> 0:45:01.239
<v Speaker 4>gotta be the greatest golf forever, and he's gonna He's

0:45:01.280 --> 0:45:03.600
<v Speaker 4>got that drive and his spirit and he just nobody

0:45:03.600 --> 0:45:04.640
<v Speaker 4>can hit it that far.

0:45:04.840 --> 0:45:07.600
<v Speaker 2>Right, Johnny, you talked about how big your hands were

0:45:07.719 --> 0:45:09.719
<v Speaker 2>even when you were five. Yeah, my dad was like,

0:45:09.960 --> 0:45:10.960
<v Speaker 2>where did they come from?

0:45:10.960 --> 0:45:13.520
<v Speaker 4>That dad? My dad was only five nine and his

0:45:13.760 --> 0:45:16.359
<v Speaker 4>was about that much shorter as all. It was, right,

0:45:16.640 --> 0:45:19.200
<v Speaker 4>And now we've you know, we've got I've got to

0:45:19.239 --> 0:45:20.359
<v Speaker 4>be known for something, right.

0:45:20.400 --> 0:45:22.160
<v Speaker 2>And we have a picture of you, of course, the

0:45:22.160 --> 0:45:26.000
<v Speaker 2>famous picture of you holding seven baseballs at one time. Yeah,

0:45:26.040 --> 0:45:28.440
<v Speaker 2>I was that you just messing around one day and

0:45:28.480 --> 0:45:29.160
<v Speaker 2>say I could do this.

0:45:29.239 --> 0:45:32.920
<v Speaker 4>You shag in the outfield when they're batting practice, and

0:45:32.960 --> 0:45:35.399
<v Speaker 4>so you pick up four balls and you just put them.

0:45:35.480 --> 0:45:37.080
<v Speaker 4>I could pick up four balls and put them in

0:45:37.120 --> 0:45:39.280
<v Speaker 4>the bucket because they take it up to the batting

0:45:39.320 --> 0:45:42.160
<v Speaker 4>practice picture and they said, now making to get I

0:45:42.200 --> 0:45:44.640
<v Speaker 4>saiding to get another one? I said, yeah, I think

0:45:44.680 --> 0:45:48.040
<v Speaker 4>I could got one. Then all of a sudden it

0:45:48.120 --> 0:45:51.080
<v Speaker 4>became six, and then it became seven, and then all

0:45:51.080 --> 0:45:53.000
<v Speaker 4>of a sudden it was like, we're you know you

0:45:53.239 --> 0:45:55.359
<v Speaker 4>like you do? You know you like today you'd send

0:45:55.440 --> 0:45:58.440
<v Speaker 4>it out on social media Johnny Ben's you know, grabbing

0:45:58.480 --> 0:46:01.759
<v Speaker 4>six baseballs or five baseball? There are seven baseballs and

0:46:01.920 --> 0:46:04.960
<v Speaker 4>all of a sudden it's for some reason people.

0:46:04.719 --> 0:46:06.960
<v Speaker 1>Love that it's a great photo and we're gonna we're

0:46:07.000 --> 0:46:09.000
<v Speaker 1>gonna pull it up on the YouTube channel so people

0:46:09.040 --> 0:46:11.400
<v Speaker 1>can see it as well. Joe Mauer is getting inducted

0:46:11.400 --> 0:46:13.840
<v Speaker 1>this year. Is there ever a special tie for you

0:46:13.960 --> 0:46:16.560
<v Speaker 1>when when a great catcher goes into the hall.

0:46:16.719 --> 0:46:19.319
<v Speaker 4>Well and catcher is the word. You know that that

0:46:19.560 --> 0:46:23.279
<v Speaker 4>was a question as to you know Joe Mauer. Yeah,

0:46:23.360 --> 0:46:25.160
<v Speaker 4>you know when I was in I was playing in

0:46:25.160 --> 0:46:29.880
<v Speaker 4>the senior event in Buffalo, I mean in Minnesota, in Blaine, Minnesota,

0:46:29.920 --> 0:46:33.719
<v Speaker 4>I was playing in the three senior championship and the

0:46:33.760 --> 0:46:36.880
<v Speaker 4>reporter came out and said, have you heard about this?

0:46:36.960 --> 0:46:40.200
<v Speaker 4>Kid Maer and I said, yeah, it's very, very impressive

0:46:40.280 --> 0:46:41.879
<v Speaker 4>right now. And he said, well, what do you think

0:46:41.960 --> 0:46:43.200
<v Speaker 4>is he going to be? They're going he's going to

0:46:43.200 --> 0:46:45.480
<v Speaker 4>be the next you. And I said, well, let's wait

0:46:45.560 --> 0:46:48.759
<v Speaker 4>six or seven years and then we'll see. You know,

0:46:48.840 --> 0:46:51.799
<v Speaker 4>can he maintain it? Can't he do it without getting hurt?

0:46:52.200 --> 0:46:56.120
<v Speaker 4>Can he? You know, it's just a how's your sustainability?

0:46:56.640 --> 0:46:58.920
<v Speaker 4>So he wound up, you know, seven years after that

0:46:58.960 --> 0:47:01.719
<v Speaker 4>he got the hamstring, he had to go to first base,

0:47:01.760 --> 0:47:04.080
<v Speaker 4>he had to do stuff and everything else. The batting

0:47:04.120 --> 0:47:06.560
<v Speaker 4>titles nicest kid you'll ever meet. I mean, just a

0:47:06.600 --> 0:47:11.720
<v Speaker 4>wonderful man, great catcher. But again, you know, you judge

0:47:11.760 --> 0:47:16.400
<v Speaker 4>someone for their hole, you know, their whole effort in baseball.

0:47:16.440 --> 0:47:20.239
<v Speaker 4>So the batting title's MVP and everything else carried him

0:47:20.239 --> 0:47:24.080
<v Speaker 4>through the catching I mean at seven years. I mean,

0:47:24.400 --> 0:47:27.680
<v Speaker 4>you guys know whatever HOI however, you're going to rate

0:47:27.760 --> 0:47:28.319
<v Speaker 4>them right?

0:47:29.120 --> 0:47:31.880
<v Speaker 2>And your knees are so okay after all.

0:47:31.680 --> 0:47:34.719
<v Speaker 4>These years, I got big bones, Tim, Can you.

0:47:34.640 --> 0:47:36.920
<v Speaker 2>Get down in a catcher's stance right now?

0:47:37.440 --> 0:47:37.760
<v Speaker 4>Why?

0:47:41.239 --> 0:47:42.560
<v Speaker 2>I'm not what you should do?

0:47:43.200 --> 0:47:44.839
<v Speaker 4>You want to show me? Can you?

0:47:45.000 --> 0:47:47.879
<v Speaker 2>I can? And it hurts and I'm only sixty seven

0:47:47.960 --> 0:47:50.360
<v Speaker 2>years old, and I never caught a day in my life,

0:47:50.440 --> 0:47:51.560
<v Speaker 2>and I still have trouble.

0:47:51.640 --> 0:47:53.239
<v Speaker 4>If you touch the stove and it was hot, you

0:47:53.280 --> 0:47:57.520
<v Speaker 4>didn't do it again, so you don't squat again, you know, No,

0:47:57.600 --> 0:48:00.560
<v Speaker 4>I don't. I don't have any need to go Yah.

0:48:00.520 --> 0:48:02.640
<v Speaker 2>Right, good, good for you. Do you watch a lot

0:48:02.680 --> 0:48:05.320
<v Speaker 2>of baseball these days? And do you like what you see?

0:48:06.040 --> 0:48:08.719
<v Speaker 4>I don't have the time to watch a whole game.

0:48:08.760 --> 0:48:11.440
<v Speaker 4>I'll watch certain games, I'll watch certain deals. I'm a

0:48:11.440 --> 0:48:13.560
<v Speaker 4>box score man. I've always been a box score man.

0:48:14.000 --> 0:48:17.920
<v Speaker 4>I can't wait for I got MLB app I go in.

0:48:17.960 --> 0:48:20.160
<v Speaker 4>I watch every back score. Look, I go through every

0:48:20.200 --> 0:48:23.200
<v Speaker 4>almost every team every day, every team, Yeah, every day.

0:48:23.400 --> 0:48:26.000
<v Speaker 1>Is there anything like My dad's a nut with box scores,

0:48:26.040 --> 0:48:27.799
<v Speaker 1>and I've become the same way. He's looking to see

0:48:27.800 --> 0:48:30.880
<v Speaker 1>if if a score line makes a phone number, or

0:48:30.960 --> 0:48:31.680
<v Speaker 1>looking for.

0:48:31.800 --> 0:48:34.520
<v Speaker 3>The you know, all of these little quirks. It is weird.

0:48:34.640 --> 0:48:36.320
<v Speaker 1>Is there anything that you like to see in a

0:48:36.360 --> 0:48:37.840
<v Speaker 1>box score that excites you?

0:48:37.840 --> 0:48:40.040
<v Speaker 4>No? We have the Johnny Bench Catchers Award, which is

0:48:40.040 --> 0:48:43.200
<v Speaker 4>the college Catcher of the Year. I've included now women

0:48:43.440 --> 0:48:45.839
<v Speaker 4>as softballs, so now we have the Women's Softball Player

0:48:45.880 --> 0:48:48.479
<v Speaker 4>of the Year. And we have four states around Red's

0:48:48.560 --> 0:48:53.759
<v Speaker 4>Country Kentucky, Ohiowa's, Virginia, Indiana, so we honor those kids. So,

0:48:53.800 --> 0:48:56.160
<v Speaker 4>I mean, we've got like fifteen twelve to fifteen guys

0:48:56.719 --> 0:48:59.200
<v Speaker 4>that have won the award or have been nominated for

0:48:59.200 --> 0:49:01.440
<v Speaker 4>the award that are in the major leagues. And so

0:49:01.520 --> 0:49:03.960
<v Speaker 4>I go in and see how they're doing. And Lattle Rushman,

0:49:04.360 --> 0:49:06.279
<v Speaker 4>you know, and then you got even Schober was a

0:49:06.320 --> 0:49:08.840
<v Speaker 4>nominee at the time. Then you had Garrett Stubbs, and

0:49:08.880 --> 0:49:11.040
<v Speaker 4>then you go to Suzuki and then you go But

0:49:11.239 --> 0:49:13.640
<v Speaker 4>I love to see how they're doing. I mean I

0:49:13.719 --> 0:49:15.759
<v Speaker 4>try to follow their careers and what they're up to

0:49:15.840 --> 0:49:18.040
<v Speaker 4>and all the stuff, like to see who the pictures

0:49:18.040 --> 0:49:20.360
<v Speaker 4>are winning pictures. I like to go and see the stats,

0:49:20.719 --> 0:49:23.839
<v Speaker 4>who's got the RBIs, who's doing stuff. I just I

0:49:23.920 --> 0:49:27.400
<v Speaker 4>just think it's it's really really fun for me. And

0:49:27.440 --> 0:49:29.120
<v Speaker 4>then I'll check the on the Reds and see and

0:49:29.560 --> 0:49:32.120
<v Speaker 4>what's the averages, what's all the stuff. So you know,

0:49:32.120 --> 0:49:34.120
<v Speaker 4>I try to stay involved. I mean, I still have

0:49:34.160 --> 0:49:35.200
<v Speaker 4>a connection.

0:49:35.440 --> 0:49:38.640
<v Speaker 2>That is so good. I just finished Johnny. When people

0:49:38.760 --> 0:49:42.600
<v Speaker 2>ask you, like, what is Cooper's Town like, especially on

0:49:42.640 --> 0:49:46.160
<v Speaker 2>a weekend like this, how do you describe what this

0:49:46.400 --> 0:49:46.680
<v Speaker 2>is like?

0:49:47.800 --> 0:49:50.480
<v Speaker 4>Well, first of all, it's Norman Rockwell you know, it's

0:49:50.640 --> 0:49:54.319
<v Speaker 4>it's a town that had a when I first came

0:49:54.360 --> 0:49:56.600
<v Speaker 4>here and now it's been inundated with a lot of

0:49:56.640 --> 0:49:59.719
<v Speaker 4>sports show, sports shops, everything else and used to be

0:49:59.719 --> 0:50:02.000
<v Speaker 4>a lot of mom and pops and stuff and everything else.

0:50:03.560 --> 0:50:06.640
<v Speaker 4>It's I don't know, it's it's a hallowed ground place

0:50:06.680 --> 0:50:10.440
<v Speaker 4>that you know, you in your imagination, you think about

0:50:10.480 --> 0:50:13.040
<v Speaker 4>where would you go, I mean into in the magical

0:50:13.520 --> 0:50:17.200
<v Speaker 4>and the Magical fairy Tales, you would go to Cooperstown

0:50:17.360 --> 0:50:20.640
<v Speaker 4>or what would it be like? And you can't imagine

0:50:20.719 --> 0:50:22.880
<v Speaker 4>driving into the town and then seeing how quaint it

0:50:23.000 --> 0:50:27.560
<v Speaker 4>is down the street it is the main street, little

0:50:27.600 --> 0:50:31.040
<v Speaker 4>tiny houses on the way, And then you think about

0:50:31.719 --> 0:50:33.680
<v Speaker 4>and you start it starts to grow on you. As

0:50:33.719 --> 0:50:38.919
<v Speaker 4>the fans start to come, and they come with this

0:50:40.800 --> 0:50:45.279
<v Speaker 4>full of emotion, full of excitement. You know, they've got

0:50:45.280 --> 0:50:48.200
<v Speaker 4>a player, they've got ten players that they've always followed

0:50:48.200 --> 0:50:50.799
<v Speaker 4>and known, and they want to see them. They want

0:50:50.800 --> 0:50:53.440
<v Speaker 4>to catch a glimpse of them. More than anything. They

0:50:53.480 --> 0:50:57.520
<v Speaker 4>want to share it with their child, their grandson say

0:50:57.560 --> 0:51:00.359
<v Speaker 4>you should have seen him. This guy was here, this

0:51:00.360 --> 0:51:02.480
<v Speaker 4>guy was there. I was in that stands when he

0:51:02.520 --> 0:51:04.960
<v Speaker 4>saw it. I did that. I saw it. I was there.

0:51:05.520 --> 0:51:08.720
<v Speaker 4>And they love to pass on their little midment for

0:51:08.719 --> 0:51:11.319
<v Speaker 4>for them, it doesn't have to be one. It's all,

0:51:11.840 --> 0:51:13.520
<v Speaker 4>you know. It's not like going to see one a

0:51:13.560 --> 0:51:17.239
<v Speaker 4>game and watch one particular player. You've got everybody here

0:51:17.640 --> 0:51:18.279
<v Speaker 4>and it's tope.

0:51:18.480 --> 0:51:21.600
<v Speaker 1>It is magical. And I think the fans everybody has

0:51:21.680 --> 0:51:24.439
<v Speaker 1>a childlike look in their eyes, no matter how old

0:51:24.480 --> 0:51:27.160
<v Speaker 1>they are, seeing their heroes. It's like you're transported back

0:51:27.200 --> 0:51:30.040
<v Speaker 1>to being eight years old eating a hot dog at

0:51:30.120 --> 0:51:33.319
<v Speaker 1>you know, Shay Stadium. For you, my dad's a three

0:51:33.400 --> 0:51:36.560
<v Speaker 1>time grandfather now and you just recently became a grandfather.

0:51:36.640 --> 0:51:40.040
<v Speaker 3>Congratulations, thank you. How is that for you? Is it

0:51:40.120 --> 0:51:42.040
<v Speaker 3>the most incredible thing like it is for my dad?

0:51:43.440 --> 0:51:46.359
<v Speaker 4>Well, I'm you know, I never thought my oldest son.

0:51:46.400 --> 0:51:48.480
<v Speaker 4>I wasn't sure he would get married, and then I

0:51:48.520 --> 0:51:51.040
<v Speaker 4>wasn't sure he'd ever want children and everything else. So

0:51:51.600 --> 0:51:53.520
<v Speaker 4>you know, to have that child for the first time

0:51:53.560 --> 0:51:56.440
<v Speaker 4>and hold it and everything else, and you say, you know,

0:51:56.480 --> 0:51:58.400
<v Speaker 4>and you know you're not going to be there for

0:51:58.520 --> 0:52:02.239
<v Speaker 4>his entire life. You know, how do we? You know?

0:52:02.800 --> 0:52:06.280
<v Speaker 4>And you and you think, Okay, they're gonna be great parents,

0:52:06.960 --> 0:52:09.439
<v Speaker 4>and they're gonna give them an education, and they'll they'll

0:52:09.480 --> 0:52:12.880
<v Speaker 4>be strict, probably too strict in some ways. Know, ain't

0:52:12.880 --> 0:52:16.680
<v Speaker 4>my son? And is it? But that's that's what discipline is,

0:52:16.719 --> 0:52:18.319
<v Speaker 4>and that's what you need and that's the way you

0:52:18.360 --> 0:52:21.080
<v Speaker 4>need to learn. So you know, it's the same thing.

0:52:21.680 --> 0:52:25.280
<v Speaker 4>Let me watch my children grow to see what they become. Lord,

0:52:25.320 --> 0:52:27.719
<v Speaker 4>don't let that cold wind blow till I'm too old

0:52:27.719 --> 0:52:30.640
<v Speaker 4>to die. Young and so I got a kid going

0:52:30.680 --> 0:52:34.160
<v Speaker 4>into college. You got a kid going into sophomore. That's

0:52:34.239 --> 0:52:36.640
<v Speaker 4>the love I just got married. I mean, my life

0:52:37.080 --> 0:52:39.960
<v Speaker 4>couldn't be better right now. And the top it off,

0:52:40.239 --> 0:52:44.879
<v Speaker 4>I get to be on the tim Kirchen, I mean,

0:52:44.920 --> 0:52:47.799
<v Speaker 4>how can it get any better than this? I'm talking

0:52:47.800 --> 0:52:52.320
<v Speaker 4>about the cherry on top. We gotta leave right there.

0:52:53.360 --> 0:53:00.800
<v Speaker 4>Watch my children grow to see what they become. Lord,

0:53:01.160 --> 0:53:05.520
<v Speaker 4>that cold wind blow till I'm too old to die.

0:53:06.800 --> 0:53:15.200
<v Speaker 3>Wow, I knew I could say, right Johnny Bench, thank

0:53:15.239 --> 0:53:15.560
<v Speaker 3>you for.

0:53:15.520 --> 0:53:19.440
<v Speaker 4>Joining always for Timmy anything YouTube. Jeff, nice to be

0:53:19.520 --> 0:53:22.160
<v Speaker 4>with you, and uh gosh, I hope this show goes.

0:53:22.200 --> 0:53:24.160
<v Speaker 4>I hope you make some money because this is because

0:53:24.200 --> 0:53:25.840
<v Speaker 4>I didn't get anything from where. I can tell you

0:53:25.960 --> 0:53:28.919
<v Speaker 4>that I didn't get a shirt a T shirt. It's

0:53:28.920 --> 0:53:31.160
<v Speaker 4>a hat or shirt. But maybe I'll get you to

0:53:31.160 --> 0:53:33.200
<v Speaker 4>sign a baseball later on. Nice try.

0:53:33.880 --> 0:53:35.040
<v Speaker 2>We didn't get paid either.

0:53:35.920 --> 0:53:38.160
<v Speaker 4>Oh yeah, yeah, I mean I love that. I'm gonna

0:53:38.200 --> 0:53:41.200
<v Speaker 4>believe that one too. Yeah, well you wrote think I

0:53:41.200 --> 0:53:42.560
<v Speaker 4>wrote in there with the head to let us.

0:53:43.120 --> 0:53:46.320
<v Speaker 1>Oh my god, our chief investor, my dad's wife, my mom,

0:53:46.719 --> 0:53:48.840
<v Speaker 1>she's we keep saying we need more money for travel.

0:53:48.960 --> 0:53:51.040
<v Speaker 4>Get your get your I'm trying to get in. Get

0:53:51.120 --> 0:53:52.960
<v Speaker 4>him an agent. I mean, my gosh, he wants to

0:53:53.000 --> 0:53:55.479
<v Speaker 4>go up to the shop and and help them out,

0:53:56.360 --> 0:53:58.759
<v Speaker 4>you know, let him pay you for being here. Now

0:53:58.800 --> 0:54:01.720
<v Speaker 4>you gotta pay for gas to get from Baltimore to Philadelphia.

0:54:01.800 --> 0:54:03.640
<v Speaker 4>I just really feel bad now. I feel like I

0:54:03.680 --> 0:54:05.839
<v Speaker 4>want to put something. If you'll leave a tip camp,

0:54:05.840 --> 0:54:08.759
<v Speaker 4>maybe I'll yeah, I'll put something in it for you.

0:54:08.800 --> 0:54:11.480
<v Speaker 4>I'm worried about you. I'll talk to Dan next to

0:54:11.560 --> 0:54:13.520
<v Speaker 4>if I ever see whoever's on this program.

0:54:13.680 --> 0:54:17.000
<v Speaker 1>Oh my god, thank you, welcome, it was, Thank you

0:54:17.160 --> 0:54:20.440
<v Speaker 1>thank you so much, Thank you to Johnny Bench. We

0:54:20.480 --> 0:54:23.719
<v Speaker 1>had so much fun for that in person interview. So

0:54:23.760 --> 0:54:26.200
<v Speaker 1>if you're listening right, make sure you subscribe and follow

0:54:26.239 --> 0:54:29.040
<v Speaker 1>wherever you're listening, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, all of that stuff.

0:54:29.120 --> 0:54:31.160
<v Speaker 1>But if you want to see it because we were

0:54:31.160 --> 0:54:33.160
<v Speaker 1>in person with Johnny Bench, which is so cool, you

0:54:33.160 --> 0:54:35.879
<v Speaker 1>can go to our YouTube channel Great Game or what Dad.

0:54:35.880 --> 0:54:38.880
<v Speaker 1>I think there's one thing that I wanted to thank

0:54:39.160 --> 0:54:42.160
<v Speaker 1>him during that interview that I didn't have the opportunity to.

0:54:43.120 --> 0:54:44.799
<v Speaker 1>For those who have listened to the podcast, you know

0:54:44.880 --> 0:54:47.799
<v Speaker 1>that my dad's brother, my uncle Matt, passed away from

0:54:47.800 --> 0:54:53.280
<v Speaker 1>ALS last year on Labor Day, and before his passing,

0:54:53.800 --> 0:54:56.799
<v Speaker 1>we were looking to do a charity event to bring

0:54:56.840 --> 0:55:01.600
<v Speaker 1>awareness to ALS, and I remember talking to my and

0:55:02.160 --> 0:55:05.840
<v Speaker 1>his first call was to Johnny Bench to do a

0:55:05.840 --> 0:55:08.319
<v Speaker 1>little bit of a fireside chat with you Dad on

0:55:08.400 --> 0:55:11.920
<v Speaker 1>a stage, sell tickets, and every.

0:55:11.719 --> 0:55:13.640
<v Speaker 3>Cent was going to go back to the cause.

0:55:14.400 --> 0:55:19.640
<v Speaker 1>He without hesitation said yes after him, I will absolutely

0:55:19.719 --> 0:55:22.640
<v Speaker 1>do that, And I think it speaks to the amazing

0:55:22.680 --> 0:55:26.400
<v Speaker 1>relationship that you've had with him, but also to his heart.

0:55:26.600 --> 0:55:29.759
<v Speaker 1>He has such a big part and unfortunately we weren't

0:55:29.800 --> 0:55:32.000
<v Speaker 1>able to put that event together in time.

0:55:32.040 --> 0:55:33.000
<v Speaker 3>Before his passing.

0:55:33.480 --> 0:55:36.080
<v Speaker 1>But I just want to say a big thank you

0:55:36.120 --> 0:55:39.880
<v Speaker 1>from the Kirchen family to Johnny for being so gung

0:55:39.920 --> 0:55:42.520
<v Speaker 1>ho and game to help out with this cause, and.

0:55:42.480 --> 0:55:43.600
<v Speaker 2>Thank you for bringing that up.

0:55:43.680 --> 0:55:44.000
<v Speaker 4>Jeff.

0:55:44.120 --> 0:55:47.280
<v Speaker 2>I remember calling Johnny about that and I got about

0:55:47.320 --> 0:55:50.560
<v Speaker 2>ten seconds into the discussion and he interrupted me and

0:55:50.600 --> 0:55:53.359
<v Speaker 2>he said, I'm in Just tell me when that's who

0:55:53.440 --> 0:55:54.239
<v Speaker 2>Johnny Bench is.

0:55:54.760 --> 0:55:57.520
<v Speaker 1>Thank you so much for listening. Thank you for enjoying

0:55:57.560 --> 0:55:59.520
<v Speaker 1>our interview with Johnny Bench. We had a great time

0:55:59.560 --> 0:56:01.839
<v Speaker 1>at Cooper Down, and we can't wait the brand new

0:56:01.840 --> 0:56:04.640
<v Speaker 1>episode next Tuesday on Is This a Great Game or what?

0:56:04.760 --> 0:56:05.040
<v Speaker 3>Follow?

0:56:05.120 --> 0:56:08.520
<v Speaker 1>Subscribe for free wherever you're listening right now, and as always,

0:56:08.560 --> 0:56:10.120
<v Speaker 1>thank you for being a part of our family.