Johnny Bench is one of the greatest, classiest, players of all time. He's one of the reasons I got into, fell in love, and still love baseball, today!! BIG RED MACHINE FOREVER⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️
@thomasluby1754 Johnny was at a Reds Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony recently, and a Past Reds GM from the 1950's who was Jewish,and is Deceased, was one of the inductees, and His Daughter was there as His Representative!,This GM was known for Putting together a Pretty Good Ball Clubs during his tenure with Not Much Money,compared to other clubs around the league at that time!,and Johnny Bench said well of course he did,He was Jewish!!!,The Old Antisemitic Trope that All Jews are Penny pinchers and Mizers!!!,Pretty Sad,that John made that Antisemitic Remark,and Made this Ceremony all about him,because of it!!!
The Big Red Machine: 1B. Tony Perez 2B. Joe Morgan 3B. Pete Rose SS. Dave Concepcion LF. George Foster CF. Cesar Geronimo RF. Ken Griffey C. Johnny Bench What a time to be alive and watch baseball!!
Back then, it seemed like you couldn't flip on the TV in Sept. and October without seeing either the Reds or Dodgers - often playing one another - either in the NL playoffs, or one or the other in the World Series, probably playing the Oakland As.
The Reds and Dodgers never played each other in the playoffs in the 70's, they both dominated the NL west during the '70s but the Reds were the best team because they won the west 6 times and were world champs twice
Absolutely as a player. What he did was as a manager. He got banned but he already had his hof career as a player. Listen to Bench, he says he wouldve loved to have performance enhancing supps for recovery also. Its always been in the sport since the 20s. If you think players didnt use uppers after partying all night plus they had to travel by train.
Johnny Bench is The Greatest MLB Catcher of All Time!!!, but as a Person to just Regular Fans, He's always been a Real DICK!!!,and has always came across as He's Above Everyone Else!!!
Pete Rose was the best pure hitter baseball will ever see. .Jordan gambled...but I guess Pete's the wrong color to get a pass??? Idk,but it's cruel and absurd...
@waltersalas1791 juice boy was 40/40 year in and year out way b4 the juice rumors...always was good 4 40..50 homers..and his war is number 1 by alot...babe who??? In that category
With runners on 2nd & 3rd, Bench after the pitch would from his crouch throw to 2nd to attempt a pickoff. 2nd basemen & shortstops had to be ready. Bench lead & managed. One of the most (if not the most) confident players & men I had the the privilege to watch play & speak. Curt Gowdy said that about Ted Williams & also spoke that way of Bench saying often " At this young age, this man is polished"!
I visited Cooperstown and was surprised to see Pete Rose memorabilia along with mentions of his records and accomplishments. But he does not have a bust and is not officially a member of the HOF. An example of the hypocrisy of MLB, now partnering with and taking millions from betting sites, having it both ways.
The Hall of Fame is not just about the members. It's about the game history, and Pete Rose is a big part of it. The hall is not out to pretend otherwise.
Best catcher I've ever seen, got his autograph at Chain O Lakes ball park in Winter Haven FL.. Been aphillies fan all my life, and will never forget the big red machine and all those studs they had. Thanks mr. Bench for your many years of service to the game that we all love. Thanks again!!!!
Imagine the battering his body took over the years, catching all those games wore him down. I was a catcher and I played into my 30's in an unlimited league, well two total knee replacements later and I know catching all those games wore my knees out.
The Cubs scout wanted Bench but was over ruled by senior personnel director back then. Unfortunately…. Even with Bench they would not have gotten over the top in the late sixties early seventies.
C'mon, Joe Jackson was vindicated too. While many of these drugs were legal as far as the feds were concerned, they were against the rules of baseball. If we are going to put Bonds and Arod and a few others who blew up like blimps, then let's put in Pete Rose, too, and definitely Joe Jackson.
It wasn’t illegal in baseball then per the books, so let’s not use that argument anymore.but definitely Joe Jackson racist ass needs to be in the Hall. Charlie Hustle needs to be in the Hall as a player, he was caught betting as a manager, his playing career was over and solidified already. Reddit needs a forum to get these players in the hall!
@@Norf_1kGaming Joe Jackson is guilty. Jackson admitted in his testimony before the Grand Jury that he accepted a payment of 5K in his hotel room after Game 4 in Cincinnati. The transcript has been available online for more than two decades. Ask an adult to read it do you.
The FDA had not formally declared that THG was illegal, but they had declared that it was illegal to market it without FDA approval. So unless Bonds was making it himself in his basement...........
Compare Bonds with David Ortiz. Ortiz comes across as likeable and media friendly. The kind of guy that greets every fan who encounters him. Ortiz was also mentioned in the Mitchell Report. Bonds was never media friendly and came across (still does) as abrasive. Bonds pre or post steroid use was the fair superior player, yet Ortiz is in the Hall. Go figure.
There was a time if u threw a strike to Barry it was in the stands for mr he is without a doubt the greatest power hitter of all time. Curt Shilling is without a doubt the greatest big game pitcher of all time also. Maybe not enough wins but damn dude won every big game
From 2003 through his last game in 2016 Ortiz never tested positive for any drug. He went 14 seasons in his prime without failing one drug test. Yet people all say he was juiced. Why? Because he was clutch. For no other reason.
Being from and growing up in Cincinnati, I didn't understand the magnitude of witnessing Johnny Bench play the game of ⚾, like I do now, what a privilege it was...
Me too! My favorite sports memories are being at the Gardens watching Oscar Robertson play for the Royals and at Riverfront watching the Reds in the early to mid 70’s
In case you forgot, you paid for the privilege, even if it was having to sit through TV commercials; often a greater deficit than the price of a ticket. Unfortunately, even if you pay to watch the game, when you get there, the stadiums look like a NASCAR car. The citizens of my county own our stadium. Why do we let them plaster all that garbage over every square inch the current rules of the game allow? Sorry. With the amount of money being thrown around professional sports today, it's difficult to not be cynical.
A panel of 36 members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America voted Bench as the catcher for Major League Baseball's All-Time Team. I'd say that's about the highest recognition one could have.
pet rose bet on baseball specifically he bet on reds games when he was in a position to influence the outcome as the manager ! he will NEVER get in the hall even though his stats warrant his induction !
Bonds should only be added after Pete Rose is added. I saw an ad for a gambling venue located at the Reds' ballpark. If baseball is now profiting from gambling, Rose should be forgiven.
Rose flat-out lied for 15 years about betting on baseball, and when he finally admitted that the only bets he made were as a manager, evidence appeared that even that wasn't the complete truth. If he had publicly told the truth on day one, he would have been forgiven, and he'd probably be in the HOF today. He's a POS who deserves to be nowhere near Cooperstown.
The player's union, team owners, commissioner, trainers, and media were all complicit when it came to steroids in baseball. Everyone knew what was going on, but they looked the other way because everyone was making money hand over first. They needed something to regenerate interest in baseball after the '94 strike and cancellation of the World Series. Home runs were flying out of ballparks, and the steroid summer of '98 saved baseball. They've already let steroid cheats in like Pudge Rodriguez, Jeff Bagwell and David Ortiz in the Hall of Fame. It's time we let all time greats like Bonds, Clemens and A-Rod in.
When I was a limo driver, I had a HOF pitcher in my car and he basically said the same thing. The players were given things by the club and told to take it and they did.
People forget that genetics play a huge roll plus peds plus diet plus weight lifting program plus he was already #1 so people got hurt when he turned super human everybody was cheating for at least from 80s to early 2000s just stop
@@CharlesDawson-sx4jb Disagreed. "Proven" is sketchy at best and steroids are not legal in baseball. Enough proof in guys like Bonds and McGwire suddenly looking like the hulk. Bonds' head grew two sizes as well. You are free to believe that Bonds didn't do roids but I 100% believe he did.
@@jenkinsljenkinssquire9137the cheating saved your sorry sport. I don’t see any owners refunding money because these guys were “cheaters” face these guys your keeping out the hof saved baseball. Baseball fans are so corny 😂
@@Slyme1bigBaseball didn't need saving. It wasn't going anywhere and if at any point it was decided that more HRs were needed in the game then it would be the easiest thing to juice the baseballs a little.
For those of you who think these guys who juiced should be in the HOF, I am curious how you feel about Lance Armstrong. Should he be given back everything he lost? You have to draw an accountability line somewhere, even if you love the person.
@@William_J.83 Okay, but what about Pete Rose and his gambling problem and betting on his own team. That wasn't legal. People who have gambling addictions are more likely to gamble in a nefarious manner. As a player, he was great, but it stops there.
@@MikeyzFoodieLair You are correct, Lance Armstrong raised LOTS of money for cancer research and I applaud him for that. The question is whether or not it was justifiable to defraud everyone, including the other athletes who played by the rules. This was their life long dream to win a Tour de France. Secondly, do you really think Lance's sole motivation was raising money for cancer research or was it for fame and lining his own pockets? The motivation seems a little wobbly.
Johnny Bench is the…um…benchmark of former ballplayers who detest The Steroid Cheaters. He is the BEST at explaining the situation. And God Bless him for THAT!
Give Us a Break ! “ Pete Rose 🌹 “ should be in the “ Hall of Fame” MLB is in the gambling business and NFL, and NBA and all Professional Sports it’s a crock of bull shot players are paid obscene wages for illiteracy
I agree, Pete Rose should be in the HOF he's baseball's all time hits leader w 4,256 hits. If the HOF is gonna keep Rose out for all these years Then keep Barry out. Nobody will ever break Rose's all time hits record and that's a shame because he deserves to be in there. With that said they should just do away with the HOF because it's a JOKE...
@@raymondmontanez9284 precisely pound for pound would walk through “ hell “ in a gasoline ⛽️ suit just to play baseball ⚾️ MLB is rigged hypocrisy organization they have to submit the roster 10 minutes before game time at the MGM Grand I never watch it anymore
@@garymorris1856 I disagree Pete Rose is the hit king, the man has the record. Keeping Pete Rose out of the Hall of Fame just not right, it’s like voting for Biden not right
Not just amphetamines. Steroids were widely available in MLB clubhouses at least two decades before Barry Bonds, according to a government study cited in the Mitchell Report.
@@EddieTheHorrorAddict Pete Rose's numbers are real. All those hits were achieved without steroids. The same can't be said for Barry Bonds. Numbers matter for the HOF. If the numbers were cheated, it's definitely worse than betting on your team.
Barry Bonds had the best and tightest strike zone of all time. Daryl Strawberry, and Barry Bonds had the sweetest swings I have ever seen. I have followed baseball since I before I could read, I lived in Scottsdale, AZ, home of spring training every spring. The Giants replaced the Cubs at the Memorial about the time Barry was playing for ASU. He was amazing then, and only got better. Johnny Bench should only have 1 MVP if that, Billy Williams should have been the 1970 MVP for the Cubs, but, Johnny Bench was younger and more popular.
@@alexgary4124 Bob Gibson is my favorite. I just never got too see Gibson like I did Blue. I got the mumbs during the 1968 World Series and got to watch the games sipping ice tea, and my favorite memory of him is when Willie Horton kept walking slowly back and forth to the dugout to wipe his bat. Smiling as he went, taunting Bob Gibson as he stretched his at bat to get a the game called till the next day, and has to face somebodyelse. Gibson threw at his head the one time he got in the box. I swear Gibson was going to kill Horton, so cool.
@@alexgary4124 Billy Williams was a vacum cleaner in the outfield, had wheels on the pads, hit for power.....Bench played catch. Slow on the pads, and hitting was his best quality, a great one to have, but it's the MVP, and you get more value with Billy.
@@timmccafferty8949 In 1972 Billy Williams was 34 years old. If you look at WAR, he was a negative runner (-1) and one of the worst outfielders in baseball (-10). All he could do was hit at that point. In 1972, Bench was a negative runner (-2), but he was among the best defensive players in baseball (+13) and catcher, especially in the 1970s, is a far, far, far, far more important position than corner outfield. His overall WAR was 8.6 to Williams 7.2 - and the Reds won the pennant. So he was a better player on a better team.
Im a lifetime Astros fan since the 1970’s and Jonny Bench was my favorite player, I always had hoped he would be traded to the Astros but that never happened and I always had his baseball cards too as a child growing up
And you wouldn't be in the HOF due to your cheating. Bench looks uncomfortable talking about it. He doesn't want to slam on the players. Bonds ain't getting in because of his doping and lying about his doping. None of the cheaters are getting in. That includes many of my heroes. It's a tainted era of baseball that needs to be washed clean.
@@bigboxes How many cheaters do you think are in the Hall? Whitey Ford was a KNOWN and ADMITTED cheater. So were BOTH Niekro brothers. They may not have been juicing themselves but they were juicing the ball and that's CHEATING - you don't get to decide which cheating is worse. Cheating is cheating. So WHITEY and Niekro should be kicked out then by your logic. So should any of the guys in the fifties when AMPHETAMINE USE was RAMPANT and guys like Mays and Mantle were doped to the gills. You think, what basically amounts to coke, doesn't help you focus. ANYTHING that is NOT LEGAL and gives you an edge is CHEATING. You can't have one standard for these guys and another standard for others. Mantle and Mays, Ford and Niekro should either get kicked out or have asterisks by their names if it comes down to your logic.
He might have been trying to say he took a greenie (Amphetamines ) which are now banned so why judge players who took something before they were banned.
U weren't listening.He said it should bother Barry because of how good he was before he(allegedly)took PEDs and because of how many others took them.I agree with the guy that said he should be in the HOF and just put asterisks next to his stats the years he used illegal PEDs.He was definately the best hitter in the league for years.
But if you're going to put asterisks next the stats he used PEDs, then asterisks need to go also on other players who used them if they decide to let them in as well. Also pitchers juiced more than the players, but nobody cares about taking away their stats. Baseball should have put in testing in the 90's and they wouldn't be dealing with this situation. You wanna know why A-rod doesn't have 700 or 800 hrs, because there was testing in place and he failed two test therefore he was suspended twice. That's how you eliminate the asterisks talking points.
David Ortiz in the Hall and Bonds not invalidates every possible argument against Bonds. They are equally implicated with steroids, and Bonds' resume completely and utterly blows away Ortiz'. Ortiz couldn't carry his jockstrap.
O.J. Simpson was "vindicated" too. Commen sense still tells anyone with half a brain that they cheated. Pete Rose was never accused of gambling on baseball during his playing career when he became the all-time hits leader. He was never gonna be a HoF manager, but as a player, where's his vindication.
What Rose did was so wrong that I would erase him from the record books. Unless he can show that he bet the same amount each night and every night, that means there were games the manager cared more about than others. Did Rose make pitching changes to win or to save his bullpen for the next night? Did I pay for a ticket to a game where my team competed at the highest level? If you have to ask that question, Baseball becomes no different than WWE. This goes to the very core of what sport is. Rose's actions are unforgivable.
@curtismartin2866 I agree, Rose's actions as a manager were disgraceful, he should never be allowed to manage again. How exactly does his actions as manager effect what he accomplished as a player, where there were never any gambling allegations rendered against him in his playing days. People need to learn to separate the two VERY DIFFERENT careers.
@@pnelly5772 I do not separate them. I think that what he did as a manager obliterates what he did as a player. I would seriously remove all trace of Pete Rose from the record book. I realize I'm on the extreme end, but there can be zero tolerance for calling the very integrity of competition into question.
Pete Rose had (and probably still does) a gambling problem. Most individuals who are affected by that disease do it for the action more than the monetary results. And he doesn't appear to be the type of person who seeks help because that would be an admission he is weak. However, after saying that and understanding how professional sports have corrupted themselves by allowing open gambling on their sports, he should be vindicated and included in the Hall if he would come out and swear openly (or even take a lie detector test) that he never bet on the other team or did anything to disrupt managing a major league baseball team so that it could perform at the highest level of play possible. Personally, I don't like the guy but if he only bet on the Reds, then let him in.
@@RobertDeMartin No. If Pete bet $100 on the Reds to win on Friday and bet $250 on the Reds to win on Sunday, what happens on Saturday? Was Pete betting more on Sunday because he knew his Bullpen was rested? Or that he gave his Right Fielder the night off on Saturday so he'd be ready for Sunday? Unless he bet the exact same amount to win on each game, there are just too many questions. If I save up to take my family to our one trip to see the Reds that year, and we happen to go on Saturday, is the Manager sandbagging so he makes back his Friday losses with an all out effort on Sunday? Now we're messing with the very thing that sets sports apart from other forms of entertainment.
Baseball was trying to recover from the 94 Strike, next thing you know; fans are coming back because of the Homer's. Bench was the greatest catcher of all time!
I think Barry Bonds belongs in the Hall Of Fame because he had a great career as a player but if he cheated the game he deserves what he gets by not going in their and I think if he didn't take the drugs he would have been in their by now. And on a side note I have a you tube channel type in Russell Mills May 22, 2017 to find me.
Pete Rose already is in the Pro Wrestling hall of fame and maybe Mac,Bonds and Sosa should become pro Wreslers as well so that they would have a shot at joining Charlie Hussell in that hall of fame as they are built just like many of the current and former pro Wrestlers especialy Vince McMahon who loved and used steriods more than Mac,Bonds and Sosa ever did.
@@jamesdonahue4276 I disagree he put up the numbers whether you like him or not he is the hit king. Cobb, and other players, that were unliked made it Why not Pete. The Hall of fame is about the very best players. Rose had a gambling problem but his skills on the field were remarkable. They didn’t call him Charlie Hustle for nothing. Bonds was a great player one of the best, so was Rose.
Grew up a big red machine fan. Loved Bench. Best catcher I've ever seen. That said, amphetamines doesn't make a 30 HR a year guy a 70 HR a year guy....so no. He shouldn't be in the HOF because he's a cheat. And the outcry over Rose not being in the HOF is misdirected. The outcry should be why he wasn't put in jail for an inappropriate relationship with a minor.
Of course this guy should be in the Hall of Fame. I can't understand some of the things that have gone on in baseball. I was once our National Past Time, but certain people have destroyed this. This all started when Bart Giamatti stabbed Pete Rose in the back. The man who got the most hits, and the man who hit the most home runs - Both not in the Hall of Fame? This is insane!
Yes indeed and remember that when he came to bat most of the time he only got one pitch to hit. Pitchers would nibble at the strike zone and a good eye was the only way to hit, not drugs!
I doubt it. I believe he started using PEDs around 1990 or sooner. Only about 4 or 5 seasons into his career. Without the juice, he hits half the HRs and retires 10 years sooner.
@@TimCarter ..that was the talk of many reporters back in the day. His stats spoke for themselves but he got greedy and along with that an unusually Large Head.
Yes he does belong in HOF. I do not think BB took PED's until after McGwire and Sosa's single season HR chase because it was that same season when BB became the first to have 400 HR and 400 SB and got zero recognition for it. He was even quoted saying, "If homeruns is all people care about, then I will give homeruns."
@richardclifford003 he was a hall of famer before the roids and always will be. I think Pete Rose should be in the hall fame, too. Best wishes to you and yours.
@@richardclifford003What a remedial reply. I feel sorry that your kids have to be taught by someone who possesses no ability to understand basic comments.
@@michaelvstheworld3680 Cheating is like a lie to a polygraph machine. It never matters how small the lie is, the polygraph will never the less indicate Deception Indicated. That line of reasoning means anyone, like Roger Clemens, should be inducted as well. Neither cheated for the good of the game but for themselves. Since the Steroid Era, I have not watched a single MLB game. Same with the NFL and the kneeling for the National Anthem and the "hands up" movement in Ferguson, MO, I have not watched a single game. I guess truth, honesty, and patriotism means more to me than most people. For the record, I'm a 23 year veteran who WAS a baseball and NFL fan.
Put All those Guys in the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame. If They have to put a Asterisk ✳️ by Their Name, Because for the Era These Guys did Show Up Every Day, and Participated in Every Game and at Bats in All these Ballparks, their Accomplishments Speaks for itself.
Exactly! My gawd Bench has lots of opinions on lots of MLB topics...yeah Rose was gross but did his time and still was Charlie Hustle doesn't change his playing years nor these jacked batters...whatever it's part of the mix
@@krisscanlon4051 The question is why weren't any of those players banned? Pete Rose was banned for life in 1989 for gambling and is not in the Hall Of Fame. The deference is that the MLB profited greatly off those PED players. ticket sales went up, viewership went up, and baseball was at an all time high. So, for the simple fact that MLB allowed PED to happen and turned a blind eye because of the profits and didn't banned any players, then those players should be in the Hall Of Fame without an Asterisk because it was clear that MLB did not care
Johnny Bench in my opinion, is one of the greatest catchers of all time. He hitting was great, and he was superb behind the plate. For Bonds and Sosa and the others didn't need the steroids and other enhancing drugs. Again, Mr. Bench was great!
I think honesty and perspective is the antiseptic that sets the Hall of Fame free in this situation...In the "glory days" of baseball there were jars of Bennies/uppers/pep pills in every major league clubhouse.....The era of Mays and Mantle was not pure....Back then I'm sure some players did and some players did not use these substances to remain in the lineup...There are players right now in the Hall of Fame who made use of these performance enhancers...That is a verifiable fact...Major League Baseball does not want to have this discussion because then they'd have to admit that performance enhancing substances have always been a part of baseball.....If they would acknowledge this fact then Barry, Roger, Mark and the like would have to be allowed to enter The Hall based on their accomplishments between the lines......Baseball purists have been using the best of the best during their era entry into the HOF to protect a false narrative about the purity of baseball before the steroid era.....Baseball is played by human beings who break down during the course of a 162 game season....There have always been substances in the clubhouse to mitigate the breakdown of the human body....Roger, Barry and Mark are being used to hold the false narrative that is baseball history.together,,,,,The old adage baseball adage is "If you aren't cheating you aren't trying"....That statement didn't become an adage because it wasn't true...It is time to give these great players their due with entry into The Baseball Hall of Fame instead of scapegoating them to continue the false purity narrative of those who think they are protecting baseball.....Roger, Barry, Mark and as much as it pains me to say this even Alex Rodriguez deserve better.....Just my 2 cents.
Your are absolutely correct. Walked thru National League club house after game with player and ask him what are those things in the bowls on the tables. His answer pills to pep us up before the game and after. That is the truth. Was more than likely happening in every clubhouse.
MLB was dying after the strike in the mid 90’s. Canseco, McGwire, Sosa and Bonds saved their ass. People came to see the moon shots of these players and MLB ignored what was obvious all for the mighty dollar. MLB should be punished not the players.
2009, Lakers vs Kings in Sac. Barry arriving late and walking behind the baseline behind the hoop where Kobe's at the line shooting FTs. Laker fans chanting "M-V-P!" ... Barry assumes the chants are for him, smiles wide and starts waving to the crowd with both hand 🤣🤣🤣 He doesn't need the Hall; he has his own world.
We’re you there? You don’t know why he was waving & smiling. Someone/ people’s could have actually called his name out & cheered him on. So please stop reporting your fake news!
Yes, of course he does, as does Roger Clemens, Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose. The fans is who made these guys famous. And their incredible careers warrant it.
just remember when the media says that sports are about the fans, best to know they are lying through their teeth. if you ask just about any fan, they will tell you that Bonds deserves to be in the HOF, but the writers, who simply do not like Bonds as a person are keeping him out (and, not because he allegedly took steroids)!
Johnny Bench almost says what no other player wants to admit: players were using steroids during his playing days just as they were during the so-called steroid era. What he still doesn’t understand is how the muscle-building process works, because players mostly did not lift weights during his era. That was the change that revealed steroids in the game.
"almost says" - what does that even mean? Bench never mentioned, nor implied, steroid usage for his era. He mentioned amphetamines and "greenies". BIG difference. Amphetamines/greenies acted like drinking 12 cups of coffee...it helped you get back to your normal level of function. They didn't make you better. The allowed you to maintain your level of performance. Steroids make you bigger and stronger. They allow you to perform ABOVE your normal level of function. They ENHANCE your performance. As Canseco said, steroids will make a good player great, and a great player super-human. That's why players from the 60s and 70s didn't look like kaiju freaks at the end of their careers as opposed to how they looked at the beginning of their careers. Unlike the steroid users of the late 80s, 90s and 00s.
Johnny and the "Big Red Machine" are the reason I loved baseball in the 70's. Having said that, Barry Bonds was one of the best players in MLB history. Most of the league was taking stuff, that at the time was not illegal or being tested for. No era of the league has 100% clean hands. Before Barry ever went to San Francisco, he was already a multiple league MVP and the best player in the league. For me, the results on the field more than justify him being in. My opinion only.
I can't stand Bonds but there is no doubt he's a HOF. One of the best ever. Barry was a 30/30 guy constantly early in his career. That was a great answer by Bench. He's right about there are some players that people think used Roids that are in. Pudge, Piazza, Bagwell, and Frank to name a few.
Im no Bonds fan either but Bonds was having a Hall of Fame consideration career in Pittsburgh before he bulked up in SF and had those crazy numbers. The way I look at it is that Bonds would have had at least the seasons he had with Pittsburgh without the steroids in SF and those numbers would have gotten Bonds in the Hall
I agree with Johnny. You can be vindicated and keep your stats and salary from using, but the Hall of Fame is an all-time comparative standard of greatness. Bonds was on his way to getting there, but his use tainted that.
In his prime 20s, Bonds avg. 25 hrs a year; Pujols 40 a yr., Griffey 42 , Ruth 47. Bonds was a mid-level slugger. All players decline in power late 30s. Bonds medically altered his body to absurd levels. Roids gives eagle vision. Near 40, he increased hrs by 200%. If Pujols and Griffey did that, they'd hit 80-100 a year. Ruth, who hit more hrs than most teams, maybe 110. Bonds mocked the sport, ruined all statistics, and was toxic. Defensively, a liability for a decade; a negative dWar. Keep him out.
First reasonable thing I've read. I believe Bonds was taking some type of PEDs when he was still in Pittsburgh. He just started using stronger stuff in the later years.
If the hall of fame didn’t have these people to talk about perpetually, it would lose 99% of it’s marketing. They’re no longer a hall of fame, they’re a public relations firm.
Growing up in Dallas area we had no baseball until 70s. I loved the Reds. Followed them closely. These guys remind me of 2023 World Series Champs. Texas Rangers. I was in awe of Johnny Bench. He might go 0~4 but then hit one out in ninth to win. Definition of a Baseball hero. Even in retirement he is still a class act. I can’t imagine what he put his body thru to play so many games per year. Congrats Ohio, you guys have a legend. We had Pudge Rodriguez back about the time Bench retired. How can a team go all the way without a guy like this at catcher. I believe Reds are going to have a breakthrough season. They have assembled the talent. I felt same way last year about the Rangers and they broke thru. Hope to see Cincinnati fans next October in World Series, in Dallas Fort Worth.
I was listening to DP on radio the day they talked to Canseco about his upcoming book. DP begged Jose to keep quiet & let the public believe their Heroes were all clean. Sucks when the truth is Bad for Business.
If the chemicals didn't enhance their performance, they wouldn't have used them. If they used them, they shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame. You can't reward behavior that isn't permitted or no one will respect the rules and there aren't any standards. It's unfair to players who obeyed the rules and were sur- passed by those who didn't. That's who was truly wronged during this period in baseball history.
The thing that hurts the Hall of Fame candidacy of players like Rose, Bonds, Sosa, Clemens, et al is there is no public support for them. Not that the public is against them, but the public in general simply does not care. There is no outrage to support their cause. As long as that remains true, they will remain on the outside looking in.
Rose should be in the HOF. The problem is he is his own worst enemy. He was banned from all baseball activities for life at one point. That was later reduced and he was allowed to be a broadcaster on ESPN. He was not just bad, he was a jerk. He will most likely get in the Hall after he dies.
Andro that was used wasn’t illegal in Baseball but Illegal pretty well everywhere else, like the Olympics. It’s like MLB gave the players a loophole to take advantage of and they did.
@@geedubb-q1u I have my own opinion about Andro. I think the owners looked the other way on purpose because they knew it would eventually catch up to the players and it was used to publicly embarrass them later. I had a job working in baseball back in the 1990's. After the A's of the late 1980's got by with juicing, the Phillies in 1993 went all out. Len Dykstra went from being a4th outfielder to NL MVP in 3 short years after the Mets traded him. Several of those players on the Phillies later had cancer. Darren Daulton, John Kruk and Curt Schilling come to mind.
Johnny Bench is a legend! One of the best if not the BEST ever, but he was against Pete Rose being added to the Baseball HOF! My respect decreased totally because of this. Still a legend and totally respected, but he didn’t support his own teammate who set many records and these records should be recognized in the HOF. Hell, Babe Ruth was a criminal and still got in the HOF.
Bonds had 3 MVP’s before he’s believed to have used steroids. He’s the most dominant athlete of all time. Him not being in the HOF is an absolute joke.
If you believe his power output was natural, I've got some ocean front property in Arkansas for a good price. Pete Rose was denied because he was betting on the game but those who used drugs to enhance their play is cool. I don't understand your brainwaves.@@SarahGlass-hd6zp
He slugged .863 with 73 home runs in 2001. He was intentionally walked 120 times in 2004. I don’t think we will ever see those numbers again. I understand wanting to keep the integrity of the hall of fame, but Barry was truly on another level. Steroids or not, how many players can you name that are better than him?
PUT BARRY IN!!! He’s the Home Run King! PUT CLEMENS IN!!!! He’s the best pitcher this side of Nolan Ryan!! I’m iffy on McGuire because he was for sure doping in Oakland.
Jose Canseco the only one who spoke truth...and they kicked his ass out.
He "spoke truth" only after he was out and was broke and trying to sell a book and all his other crap
@@dennisw8026 His reasons may have been selfish but that really doesn't matter. He is the only one to tell the truth.
@@gerrypeet4861He's not in the HOF for 2 reasons, he's a rat, and he wasn't qualified, plain and simple.
Jason Giambi also admitted he roided. Drove him in my limo before and he was a great guy.
@@honus20 I actually heard he's a generous tipper.
Johnny Bench is one of the greatest, classiest, players of all time. He's one of the reasons I got into, fell in love, and still love baseball, today!!
BIG RED MACHINE FOREVER⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️
He literally just made an antisemitic comment lol
@@tacotom3492 Not "literally". You misuse that word every time you use it. What was the "antisemitic comment"?
@thomasluby1754 Johnny was at a Reds Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony recently, and a Past Reds GM from the 1950's who was Jewish,and is Deceased, was one of the inductees, and His Daughter was there as His Representative!,This GM was known for Putting together a Pretty Good Ball Clubs during his tenure with Not Much Money,compared to other clubs around the league at that time!,and Johnny Bench said well of course he did,He was Jewish!!!,The Old Antisemitic Trope that All Jews are Penny pinchers and Mizers!!!,Pretty Sad,that John made that Antisemitic Remark,and Made this Ceremony all about him,because of it!!!
He is kind of a jerk off to fans. JS.
@@tacotom3492 Does that effect his game at all? No? Then go fuckin cry about it.
The Big Red Machine:
1B. Tony Perez
2B. Joe Morgan
3B. Pete Rose
SS. Dave Concepcion
LF. George Foster
CF. Cesar Geronimo
RF. Ken Griffey
C. Johnny Bench
What a time to be alive and watch baseball!!
Back then, it seemed like you couldn't flip on the TV in Sept. and October without seeing either the Reds or Dodgers - often playing one another - either in the NL playoffs, or one or the other in the World Series, probably playing the Oakland As.
The Reds and Dodgers never played each other in the playoffs in the 70's, they both dominated the NL west during the '70s but the Reds were the best team because they won the west 6 times and were world champs twice
@@RogerDewey-u7v - Cue Steve Garvey grinding his teeth!
Dave Concepcion should be in the Hall of Fame…
@@ZMOA2006 No he shouldn't
If these guys get in so should Pete Rose!!
No
@@jayleon7348wrong Pete Rose does belong
Absolutely as a player. What he did was as a manager. He got banned but he already had his hof career as a player. Listen to Bench, he says he wouldve loved to have performance enhancing supps for recovery also. Its always been in the sport since the 20s. If you think players didnt use uppers after partying all night plus they had to travel by train.
@@makofett7404 the commissioner passed away before the final report,, bart giammati,,, you better believe he gambled his entire career
Pete Rose should not be in the HOF.
Johnny was, is and always will be my favorite player. A true legend.
YES!
He was my favorite player too growing up
Same.
Johnny Bench is The Greatest MLB Catcher of All Time!!!, but as a Person to just Regular Fans, He's always been a Real DICK!!!,and has always came across as He's Above Everyone Else!!!
I grew up watching Johnny play. He was great! One of my favorite players!
Pete Rose should be in the hall of fame before any of these candidates
ABSOLUTELY NO HALL OF FAME FOR JUICE BOY
Nope
Pete Rose was the best pure hitter baseball will ever see.
.Jordan gambled...but I guess Pete's the wrong color to get a pass??? Idk,but it's cruel and absurd...
@waltersalas1791 juice boy was 40/40 year in and year out way b4 the juice rumors...always was good 4 40..50 homers..and his war is number 1 by alot...babe who??? In that category
@@waltersalas1791wrong
With runners on 2nd & 3rd, Bench after the pitch would from his crouch throw to 2nd to attempt a pickoff. 2nd basemen & shortstops had to be ready. Bench lead & managed. One of the most (if not the most) confident players & men I had the the privilege to watch play & speak. Curt Gowdy said that about Ted Williams & also spoke that way of Bench saying often " At this young age, this man is polished"!
He'd throw a laser to second base.
@@bobma6342"Fire a laser. Fire a laser, Captain Kirk."
The great Johnny Bench! Super talented!
Bench is far from the best! Berra is better! Munson! Fisk! Berra had 3 MVP alone! Bench is way overrated
@@christorpher84 Berra 1. Munson? He was in fast decline
Wally schang is rated higher
Bench is not over rated
Johnny Bench was like Bobby Orr in that both of them were the best player in their sport the day they turned pro.
Greatest living player now that Willie is gone
@@christorpher84 You probably need to quit smoking crack, idiot!!!
I visited Cooperstown and was surprised to see Pete Rose memorabilia along with mentions of his records and accomplishments. But he does not have a bust and is not officially a member of the HOF. An example of the hypocrisy of MLB, now partnering with and taking millions from betting sites, having it both ways.
MLB= hypocrisy at its finest.
The Hall of Fame is not just about the members. It's about the game history, and Pete Rose is a big part of it. The hall is not out to pretend otherwise.
He should NEVER have a bust in the Hall, NEVER!
The only player I feel that should NOT be allowed. No betting is the most important and cardinal rule for baseball and rose broke it.
@@garymorris1856what difference would it make?
Best catcher I've ever seen, got his autograph at Chain O Lakes ball park in Winter Haven FL.. Been aphillies fan all my life, and will never forget the big red machine and all those studs they had. Thanks mr. Bench for your many years of service to the game that we all love. Thanks again!!!!
Bench was good all around but i feel jerry Grote was the best defensive catcher i've seen!
Pudge Rodriguez without a doubt!
@@healthyone100never pudge Rodriguez the best all time 13 gold gloves how do that. Nobody.
Imagine the battering his body took over the years, catching all those games wore him down. I was a catcher and I played into my 30's in an unlimited league, well two total knee replacements later and I know catching all those games wore my knees out.
@@snipersquat475813 gold gloves is awesome but I still believe that Johnny Bench is the best ever eventhough Carlton Fisk is my favorite
OMG Johnny Bench was great. No one better as a defensive catcher and hit with power. You just didn’t try steal on him. The master.
Yogi.
@@garymorris1856 Berra was awesome. Played with the mick and whitey ford. Great battles against koufax and Maury wills. And Drysdale too.
@@garymorris1856 Mickey Mantle could run with anyone til he got hurt. Dude was fast and switch hit with tremendous power.
@@jimbible5770 Yes, he holds the record for World Series wins with 10.
The Cubs scout wanted Bench but was over ruled by senior personnel director back then. Unfortunately…. Even with Bench they would not have gotten over the top in the late sixties early seventies.
C'mon, Joe Jackson was vindicated too. While many of these drugs were legal as far as the feds were concerned, they were against the rules of baseball. If we are going to put Bonds and Arod and a few others who blew up like blimps, then let's put in Pete Rose, too, and definitely Joe Jackson.
It wasn’t illegal in baseball then per the books, so let’s not use that argument anymore.but definitely Joe Jackson racist ass needs to be in the Hall. Charlie Hustle needs to be in the Hall as a player, he was caught betting as a manager, his playing career was over and solidified already. Reddit needs a forum to get these players in the hall!
@@Norf_1kGaming I'm sure he never placed a bet as a player
I agree with you.
@@Norf_1kGaming Joe Jackson is guilty. Jackson admitted in his testimony before the Grand Jury that he accepted a payment of 5K in his hotel room after Game 4 in Cincinnati. The transcript has been available online for more than two decades. Ask an adult to read it do you.
The FDA had not formally declared that THG was illegal, but they had declared that it was illegal to market it without FDA approval. So unless Bonds was making it himself in his basement...........
Compare Bonds with David Ortiz. Ortiz comes across as likeable and media friendly. The kind of guy that greets every fan who encounters him. Ortiz was also mentioned in the Mitchell Report. Bonds was never media friendly and came across (still does) as abrasive. Bonds pre or post steroid use was the fair superior player, yet Ortiz is in the Hall. Go figure.
Bonds is a prick, but being a prick isn't a HOF consideration. You're right. Everyone loved Papi. Bonds should be in
There was a time if u threw a strike to Barry it was in the stands for mr he is without a doubt the greatest power hitter of all time. Curt Shilling is without a doubt the greatest big game pitcher of all time also. Maybe not enough wins but damn dude won every big game
@@roymaez5876 Boston Centric opinion.
From 2003 through his last game in 2016 Ortiz never tested positive for any drug. He went 14 seasons in his prime without failing one drug test. Yet people all say he was juiced. Why? Because he was clutch. For no other reason.
@@buffalobraves9 lots of qualifiers there. The only reason you like Ortiz is because he played for Boston and he was a happy go Lucky guy.
A great catcher, a superb human...... a hero
Great player, NOT a superb human.
Got a weird choice for heroes
@@dougamundson6836 Based on what?
Being from and growing up in Cincinnati, I didn't understand the magnitude of witnessing Johnny Bench play the game of ⚾, like I do now, what a privilege it was...
Me too! My favorite sports memories are being at the Gardens watching Oscar Robertson play for the Royals and at Riverfront watching the Reds in the early to mid 70’s
@@thomashermann2785 I went to elementary school with two of Oscar Robertson's nephews...🙂
As a ny met fan and I hated the reds but loved them at the same time cause they weren't call the big red machine for nothing
@ricocastro6321 Your Mets spoiled the party in 1973, in the NLCS, hot pitching cooled the "Big Red Machine" bats...
In case you forgot, you paid for the privilege,
even if it was having to sit through TV commercials; often a greater deficit than the price of a ticket.
Unfortunately, even if you pay to watch the game, when you get there, the stadiums look like a NASCAR car. The citizens of my county own our stadium. Why do we let them plaster all that garbage over every square inch the current rules of the game allow?
Sorry. With the amount of money being thrown around professional sports today, it's difficult to not be cynical.
Put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame! Come on! Its 2023!
And as Johnny Bench says, “Then, go home & tell your kids there are no rules.”
Bench was one helluva catcher and now he`s a great interview
Has integrity.
bench was the best catcher i ever saw
compared to Pudge he was average. He wasnt the driving cog in the big red machine it was rose and Morgan
That's not the point of this interview
Smart guy.
Johnny Bench does not get the level of greatness he deserves...He was a outstanding player .I would love to have a signed ball by Mr.Bench
He's only in the HOF.
A panel of 36 members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America voted Bench as the catcher for Major League Baseball's All-Time Team. I'd say that's about the highest recognition one could have.
My favorite player of all time Johnny Bench
Mine too. The GOAT of catchers.
Agreed but he is not the greatest Living player. Willie Mays is that man.
They should have let Pete Rose in years ago and if they let Both Bonds and McGuire in Rose should be allowed in .
I enjoyed watching them all play, but none of the three deserve anything but shame for how they hurt the game.
pet rose bet on baseball specifically he bet on reds games when he was in a position to influence the outcome as the manager ! he will NEVER get in the hall even though his stats warrant his induction !
Bonds should only be added after Pete Rose is added. I saw an ad for a gambling venue located at the Reds' ballpark. If baseball is now profiting from gambling, Rose should be forgiven.
Rose flat-out lied for 15 years about betting on baseball, and when he finally admitted that the only bets he made were as a manager, evidence appeared that even that wasn't the complete truth. If he had publicly told the truth on day one, he would have been forgiven, and he'd probably be in the HOF today. He's a POS who deserves to be nowhere near Cooperstown.
Rose will get in posthumously, but not before so he can't exploit the recognition.. Too many people just don't like the guy.
Horse owners can bet.
Rose's ball park, pretty much every ballpark he ever played in, are no longer standing so the ad wasn't in Rose's ballpark.
Considering the NFL is now legally defined as entertainment and not a sport, BECAUSE of gambling I completely agree
The player's union, team owners, commissioner, trainers, and media were all complicit when it came to steroids in baseball. Everyone knew what was going on, but they looked the other way because everyone was making money hand over first. They needed something to regenerate interest in baseball after the '94 strike and cancellation of the World Series. Home runs were flying out of ballparks, and the steroid summer of '98 saved baseball. They've already let steroid cheats in like Pudge Rodriguez, Jeff Bagwell and David Ortiz in the Hall of Fame. It's time we let all time greats like Bonds, Clemens and A-Rod in.
Ortiz was 100% caught and they still let him in...
Yup. It's a personality thing. If they liked you, yiye forgiven. Pure hypocrisy.
Agree, double standard at times
Ridiculous..... To let Ortiz in after he took PEDs and only played half the game. He literally only did one thing and cheated to do that.
He played politics on da Boston Marathon. Where there's chaos, there's opportunity.. Right place right time
Tito?
No ! No juicers! Period.
juicers? kick out the nicotine addicts also then.
I love Johnny Bench. What a legend!!!!
When I was a limo driver, I had a HOF pitcher in my car and he basically said the same thing. The players were given things by the club and told to take it and they did.
Who was it?
@@jamiealexander7065 I'd prefer not to share his name but he played for Leo Durocher and Billy Martin and won 25 games a couple of times
@@thienvu8120 lol, so why'd you bring it up? And give hints 😆
@@thienvu8120 Ferguson Jenkins
@@wolfpac93901 fergie is full of it because he also had coke problem
Best name is baseball. Brilliant and down to earth man. If you played catcher back in the day you wanted to be Johnny Bench
I wanted to be Munson. But Bench is great.
Carlton Fisk, Gary Carter, and Steve Yeager were great catchers as well.
@docadams7099 Yes they were. Forgot about Yeager, blast from the past.
Old Dodger fan here, Johnny Bench best catcher I ever saw! Pete Rose belongs in the hall of fame
never saw pudge i gues s
@@dinkyb2000 or Yadia Molina
@@arky5610 true
@@dinkyb2000 Pudge not close, sorry
@@arky5610 Yadia, good not close
One thing peaple got to realize that there were more players using steroids that still sucked than the players that put up huge numbers
People forget that genetics play a huge roll plus peds plus diet plus weight lifting program plus he was already #1 so people got hurt when he turned super human everybody was cheating for at least from 80s to early 2000s just stop
Also, I could do steroids and lift and eat right and still not hit a Randy Johnson fastball 450 feet.
@lukelyons4099 exactly font discredit guys like bonds and his talents
@@lukelyons4099 exactly, I'm on AAS and could never hit a homer in the majors.
really? who? and how would you know ?
Don't understand why Bench is giving a pass to Mcguire, Bonds, Clemens and yet he still bashes Rose
Yup.
His point is those guys didn’t break any rules and were never proven thru testing but instead speculation. Rose specifically broke written rules.
@@CharlesDawson-sx4jb Disagreed. "Proven" is sketchy at best and steroids are not legal in baseball. Enough proof in guys like Bonds and McGwire suddenly looking like the hulk. Bonds' head grew two sizes as well. You are free to believe that Bonds didn't do roids but I 100% believe he did.
@@jenkinsljenkinssquire9137the cheating saved your sorry sport. I don’t see any owners refunding money because these guys were “cheaters” face these guys your keeping out the hof saved baseball. Baseball fans are so corny 😂
@@Slyme1bigBaseball didn't need saving. It wasn't going anywhere and if at any point it was decided that more HRs were needed in the game then it would be the easiest thing to juice the baseballs a little.
For those of you who think these guys who juiced should be in the HOF, I am curious how you feel about Lance Armstrong. Should he be given back everything he lost? You have to draw an accountability line somewhere, even if you love the person.
Alex and Barry were Hall of Famers before the accusations.
@@William_J.83 Okay, but what about Pete Rose and his gambling problem and betting on his own team. That wasn't legal. People who have gambling addictions are more likely to gamble in a nefarious manner. As a player, he was great, but it stops there.
Lance raised more money for cancer research than any other athlete
@@ranmangolfok but that wasn't his playing days.
@@MikeyzFoodieLair You are correct, Lance Armstrong raised LOTS of money for cancer research and I applaud him for that. The question is whether or not it was justifiable to defraud everyone, including the other athletes who played by the rules. This was their life long dream to win a Tour de France. Secondly, do you really think Lance's sole motivation was raising money for cancer research or was it for fame and lining his own pockets? The motivation seems a little wobbly.
Johnny Bench is the…um…benchmark of former ballplayers who detest The Steroid Cheaters.
He is the BEST at explaining the situation.
And God Bless him for THAT!
The realest talk about PEDs in baseball from one of the true legends of baseball.
My first baseball hero! Love Johnny Bench!!!!
Bonds relationship with media does not help his case to get in which should not be but life sadly ain't fair
Give Us a Break ! “ Pete Rose 🌹 “ should be in the “ Hall of Fame” MLB is in the gambling business and NFL, and NBA and all Professional Sports it’s a crock of bull shot players are paid obscene wages for illiteracy
I agree, Pete Rose should be in the HOF he's baseball's all time hits leader w 4,256 hits.
If the HOF is gonna keep Rose out for all these years
Then keep Barry out.
Nobody will ever break Rose's all time hits record
and that's a shame because he deserves to be in there.
With that said they should just do away with the HOF
because it's a JOKE...
@@raymondmontanez9284 precisely pound for pound would walk through “ hell “ in a gasoline ⛽️ suit just to play baseball ⚾️
MLB is rigged hypocrisy organization they have to submit the roster 10 minutes before game time at the MGM Grand I never watch it anymore
No! Rose broke the mast sacred rule in sports, and neither he or Joe Jackson should EVER be in!
@@garymorris1856 sacred rule My DICK ! MLB is incessantly in the gambling business what plant you living on Johnny Bench ? It’s preposterously comical
@@garymorris1856 I disagree Pete Rose is the hit king, the man has the record. Keeping Pete Rose out of the Hall of Fame just not right, it’s like voting for Biden not right
I love the high horse baseball takes on this stuff. They used to hand out amphetamines and tramadol freely.
Not to mention owner collusion.
Not just amphetamines. Steroids were widely available in MLB clubhouses at least two decades before Barry Bonds, according to a government study cited in the Mitchell Report.
Bench is still regarded as the BEST catcher to ever live!
Look I the revised MLB records a cather has highest batting average.
JOSH GIBSON
the last time Rose told the truth was when Pete was asked "when was the last time you told the truth?" & his answer was "i don't remember"
It ain't Sunday School. Pete should be in.
If Pete Rose is not in the HOF neither should Barry Bonds
Betting on the game is different than using steroids.
@@HankFinkle11using steroids is worse.🙄
@@mateo31that’s dumb. Pete rose bet on his own team. How is steroids worse when in comes to a team game lmao 🤦🏻♂️
@@EddieTheHorrorAddict No, your dumb. Pete Rose's number are real. He got all those hits without using PED's. Barry Bonds did not.
@@EddieTheHorrorAddict Pete Rose's numbers are real. All those hits were achieved without steroids. The same can't be said for Barry Bonds. Numbers matter for the HOF. If the numbers were cheated, it's definitely worse than betting on your team.
Barry Bonds had the best and tightest strike zone of all time. Daryl Strawberry, and Barry Bonds had the sweetest swings I have ever seen. I have followed baseball since I before I could read, I lived in Scottsdale, AZ, home of spring training every spring. The Giants replaced the Cubs at the Memorial about the time Barry was playing for ASU. He was amazing then, and only got better. Johnny Bench should only have 1 MVP if that, Billy Williams should have been the 1970 MVP for the Cubs, but, Johnny Bench was younger and more popular.
So did David Justice of the Atlanta Braves had a sweet swing
If you look at WAR, Billy Williams wasn't even top 10 in baseball. Bench was fifth. Bob Gibson was No. 1.
@@alexgary4124 Bob Gibson is my favorite. I just never got too see Gibson like I did Blue. I got the mumbs during the 1968 World Series and got to watch the games sipping ice tea, and my favorite memory of him is when Willie Horton kept walking slowly back and forth to the dugout to wipe his bat. Smiling as he went, taunting Bob Gibson as he stretched his at bat to get a the game called till the next day, and has to face somebodyelse. Gibson threw at his head the one time he got in the box. I swear Gibson was going to kill Horton, so cool.
@@alexgary4124 Billy Williams was a vacum cleaner in the outfield, had wheels on the pads, hit for power.....Bench played catch. Slow on the pads, and hitting was his best quality, a great one to have, but it's the MVP, and you get more value with Billy.
@@timmccafferty8949 In 1972 Billy Williams was 34 years old. If you look at WAR, he was a negative runner (-1) and one of the worst outfielders in baseball (-10). All he could do was hit at that point.
In 1972, Bench was a negative runner (-2), but he was among the best defensive players in baseball (+13) and catcher, especially in the 1970s, is a far, far, far, far more important position than corner outfield.
His overall WAR was 8.6 to Williams 7.2 - and the Reds won the pennant. So he was a better player on a better team.
Im a lifetime Astros fan since the 1970’s and Jonny Bench was my favorite player, I always had hoped he would be traded to the Astros but that never happened and I always had his baseball cards too as a child growing up
I love how honest Bench is about it. I would have done it too. I woulda been JACKED. 😂
And you wouldn't be in the HOF due to your cheating. Bench looks uncomfortable talking about it. He doesn't want to slam on the players. Bonds ain't getting in because of his doping and lying about his doping. None of the cheaters are getting in. That includes many of my heroes. It's a tainted era of baseball that needs to be washed clean.
Or double standards (e.g. Big Papi being a HOFer)@TheEsquireofSports.2.0
@@bigboxes How many cheaters do you think are in the Hall? Whitey Ford was a KNOWN and ADMITTED cheater. So were BOTH Niekro brothers. They may not have been juicing themselves but they were juicing the ball and that's CHEATING - you don't get to decide which cheating is worse. Cheating is cheating. So WHITEY and Niekro should be kicked out then by your logic. So should any of the guys in the fifties when AMPHETAMINE USE was RAMPANT and guys like Mays and Mantle were doped to the gills. You think, what basically amounts to coke, doesn't help you focus. ANYTHING that is NOT LEGAL and gives you an edge is CHEATING. You can't have one standard for these guys and another standard for others. Mantle and Mays, Ford and Niekro should either get kicked out or have asterisks by their names if it comes down to your logic.
Conseco said he would never have gotten past minor league without PEDS.I wish I could take them now and I'm 62.
@@bigboxeswhat about the era of greenies
Johnny Bench - class act. I grew up in Cincy and saw him play a lot of games. Best catcher ever
Bench was the best catcher.
I have no idea what position on Barry Bonds Johnny Bench was trying to take!
He's trying not to answer the question. Weak take.
He might have been trying to say he took a greenie (Amphetamines ) which are now banned so why judge players who took something before they were banned.
U weren't listening.He said it should bother Barry because of how good he was before he(allegedly)took PEDs and because of how many others took them.I agree with the guy that said he should be in the HOF and just put asterisks next to his stats the years he used illegal PEDs.He was definately the best hitter in the league for years.
But if you're going to put asterisks next the stats he used PEDs, then asterisks need to go also on other players who used them if they decide to let them in as well. Also pitchers juiced more than the players, but nobody cares about taking away their stats. Baseball should have put in testing in the 90's and they wouldn't be dealing with this situation. You wanna know why A-rod doesn't have 700 or 800 hrs, because there was testing in place and he failed two test therefore he was suspended twice. That's how you eliminate the asterisks talking points.
Correct!! Me too!! He’s so vague he looks silly!!
David Ortiz in the Hall and Bonds not invalidates every possible argument against Bonds. They are equally implicated with steroids, and Bonds' resume completely and utterly blows away Ortiz'. Ortiz couldn't carry his jockstrap.
O.J. Simpson was "vindicated" too. Commen sense still tells anyone with half a brain that they cheated. Pete Rose was never accused of gambling on baseball during his playing career when he became the all-time hits leader. He was never gonna be a HoF manager, but as a player, where's his vindication.
What Rose did was so wrong that I would erase him from the record books. Unless he can show that he bet the same amount each night and every night, that means there were games the manager cared more about than others. Did Rose make pitching changes to win or to save his bullpen for the next night? Did I pay for a ticket to a game where my team competed at the highest level? If you have to ask that question, Baseball becomes no different than WWE. This goes to the very core of what sport is. Rose's actions are unforgivable.
@curtismartin2866 I agree, Rose's actions as a manager were disgraceful, he should never be allowed to manage again. How exactly does his actions as manager effect what he accomplished as a player, where there were never any gambling allegations rendered against him in his playing days. People need to learn to separate the two VERY DIFFERENT careers.
@@pnelly5772 I do not separate them. I think that what he did as a manager obliterates what he did as a player. I would seriously remove all trace of Pete Rose from the record book. I realize I'm on the extreme end, but there can be zero tolerance for calling the very integrity of competition into question.
Pete Rose had (and probably still does) a gambling problem. Most individuals who are affected by that disease do it for the action more than the monetary results. And he doesn't appear to be the type of person who seeks help because that would be an admission he is weak. However, after saying that and understanding how professional sports have corrupted themselves by allowing open gambling on their sports, he should be vindicated and included in the Hall if he would come out and swear openly (or even take a lie detector test) that he never bet on the other team or did anything to disrupt managing a major league baseball team so that it could perform at the highest level of play possible.
Personally, I don't like the guy but if he only bet on the Reds, then let him in.
@@RobertDeMartin No. If Pete bet $100 on the Reds to win on Friday and bet $250 on the Reds to win on Sunday, what happens on Saturday? Was Pete betting more on Sunday because he knew his Bullpen was rested? Or that he gave his Right Fielder the night off on Saturday so he'd be ready for Sunday? Unless he bet the exact same amount to win on each game, there are just too many questions. If I save up to take my family to our one trip to see the Reds that year, and we happen to go on Saturday, is the Manager sandbagging so he makes back his Friday losses with an all out effort on Sunday? Now we're messing with the very thing that sets sports apart from other forms of entertainment.
Baseball was trying to recover from the 94 Strike, next thing you know; fans are coming back because of the Homer's. Bench was the greatest catcher of all time!
I think Barry Bonds belongs in the Hall Of Fame because he had a great career as a player but if he cheated the game he deserves what he gets by not going in their and I think if he didn't take the drugs he would have been in their by now. And on a side note I have a you tube channel type in Russell Mills May 22, 2017 to find me.
Pete Rose should be in the hall of fame that being said, if bonds gets in so should Mac and others.
Rose should never ever be in the Hall, sorry.
Pete is an admitted Pedophile under oath, sorry, no sympathy for him
Pete Rose already is in the Pro Wrestling hall of fame and maybe Mac,Bonds and Sosa should become pro Wreslers as well so that they would have a shot at joining Charlie Hussell in that hall of fame as they are built just like many of the current and former pro Wrestlers especialy Vince McMahon who loved and used steriods more than Mac,Bonds and Sosa ever did.
@@jamesdonahue4276 I disagree he put up the numbers whether you like him or not he is the hit king. Cobb, and other players, that were unliked made it
Why not Pete. The Hall of fame is about the very best players. Rose had a gambling problem but his skills on the field were remarkable. They didn’t call him Charlie Hustle for nothing. Bonds was a great player one of the best, so was Rose.
@@kentparker8613because Rose knew that was the unpardonable baseball sin. He absolutely should never be in the HOF.
Grew up a big red machine fan. Loved Bench. Best catcher I've ever seen. That said, amphetamines doesn't make a 30 HR a year guy a 70 HR a year guy....so no. He shouldn't be in the HOF because he's a cheat.
And the outcry over Rose not being in the HOF is misdirected. The outcry should be why he wasn't put in jail for an inappropriate relationship with a minor.
Steroids should not count.
How about blaming the players. I thought folks from back in the day were about personal responsibility.
Yeah...it's weird how with these guys Bench seems to almost excuse their behavior, but with Pete Rose its all about personal responsibility.
Mr. Johnny Bench looks like he is doing well. Greatest catcher of all time? Top 3 at least.
Greatest yogi close 2nd
@@Duck_Dodgers Honorable mention to Carlton Fisk.
Of course this guy should be in the Hall of Fame. I can't understand some of the things that have gone on in baseball. I was once our National Past Time, but certain people have destroyed this. This all started when Bart Giamatti stabbed Pete Rose in the back. The man who got the most hits, and the man who hit the most home runs - Both not in the Hall of Fame? This is insane!
Thank you so much Johnny!
Keeping it real Johnny!
Without Bonds and Pete Rose, it’s just a hall.
The thing with Bonds is, if he didn’t do anything at all (PED’s supposedly) he was going to the Hall anyway.
Yes indeed and remember that when he came to bat most of the time he only got one pitch to hit. Pitchers would nibble at the strike zone and a good eye was the only way to hit, not drugs!
I doubt it. I believe he started using PEDs around 1990 or sooner. Only about 4 or 5 seasons into his career. Without the juice, he hits half the HRs and retires 10 years sooner.
@@TimCarter sure thing pal.
@@TimCarter ..that was the talk of many reporters back in the day. His stats spoke for themselves but he got greedy and along with that an unusually Large Head.
@@TimCartertrue!
Yes he does belong in HOF. I do not think BB took PED's until after McGwire and Sosa's single season HR chase because it was that same season when BB became the first to have 400 HR and 400 SB and got zero recognition for it. He was even quoted saying, "If homeruns is all people care about, then I will give homeruns."
Bottom line: Cheating is OK in your opinion. I feel sorry for your kids.
@richardclifford003 he was a hall of famer before the roids and always will be. I think Pete Rose should be in the hall fame, too. Best wishes to you and yours.
@@richardclifford003What a remedial reply. I feel sorry that your kids have to be taught by someone who possesses no ability to understand basic comments.
@@michaelvstheworld3680 Cheating is like a lie to a polygraph machine. It never matters how small the lie is, the polygraph will never the less indicate Deception Indicated. That line of reasoning means anyone, like Roger Clemens, should be inducted as well. Neither cheated for the good of the game but for themselves. Since the Steroid Era, I have not watched a single MLB game. Same with the NFL and the kneeling for the National Anthem and the "hands up" movement in Ferguson, MO, I have not watched a single game. I guess truth, honesty, and patriotism means more to me than most people. For the record, I'm a 23 year veteran who WAS a baseball and NFL fan.
I thought the same. Too many folks waiting to insult. Ty
Put All those Guys in the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame. If They have to put a Asterisk ✳️ by Their Name, Because for the Era These Guys did Show Up Every Day, and Participated in Every Game and at Bats in All these Ballparks, their Accomplishments Speaks for itself.
if you do then your saying to the kids its ok to cheat
Agree…that includes Sandburg and Maddox
( everybody )
Just bc they weren’t jacked, doesn’t mean anything
Exactly! My gawd Bench has lots of opinions on lots of MLB topics...yeah Rose was gross but did his time and still was Charlie Hustle doesn't change his playing years nor these jacked batters...whatever it's part of the mix
Plenty of guys from that era got in the hall and didnt take PEDS to cheat.
@@krisscanlon4051 The question is why weren't any of those players banned? Pete Rose was banned for life in 1989 for gambling and is not in the Hall Of Fame. The deference is that the MLB profited greatly off those PED players. ticket sales went up, viewership went up, and baseball was at an all time high. So, for the simple fact that MLB allowed PED to happen and turned a blind eye because of the profits and didn't banned any players, then those players should be in the Hall Of Fame without an Asterisk because it was clear that MLB did not care
Baseball, on purpose, did not test.
Johnny Bench in my opinion, is one of the greatest catchers of all time. He hitting was great, and he was superb behind the plate. For Bonds and Sosa and the others didn't need the steroids and other enhancing drugs. Again, Mr. Bench was great!
I saw him play in the minors , my dad was the radio broadcaster for the peninsula grays for whom bench played one season
I think honesty and perspective is the antiseptic that sets the Hall of Fame free in this situation...In the "glory days" of baseball there were jars of Bennies/uppers/pep pills in every major league clubhouse.....The era of Mays and Mantle was not pure....Back then I'm sure some players did and some players did not use these substances to remain in the lineup...There are players right now in the Hall of Fame who made use of these performance enhancers...That is a verifiable fact...Major League Baseball does not want to have this discussion because then they'd have to admit that performance enhancing substances have always been a part of baseball.....If they would acknowledge this fact then Barry, Roger, Mark and the like would have to be allowed to enter The Hall based on their accomplishments between the lines......Baseball purists have been using the best of the best during their era entry into the HOF to protect a false narrative about the purity of baseball before the steroid era.....Baseball is played by human beings who break down during the course of a 162 game season....There have always been substances in the clubhouse to mitigate the breakdown of the human body....Roger, Barry and Mark are being used to hold the false narrative that is baseball history.together,,,,,The old adage baseball adage is "If you aren't cheating you aren't trying"....That statement didn't become an adage because it wasn't true...It is time to give these great players their due with entry into The Baseball Hall of Fame instead of scapegoating them to continue the false purity narrative of those who think they are protecting baseball.....Roger, Barry, Mark and as much as it pains me to say this even Alex Rodriguez deserve better.....Just my 2 cents.
Fuck all that. They got know Klan members in the HOF
Yeah Ivan Rodriguez, Pedro Martinez, and big Slopi all failed the anonymous steroid test and all got in first ballot....the voters are morons
Your are absolutely correct. Walked thru National League club house after game with player and ask him what are those things in the bowls on the tables. His answer pills to pep us up before the game and after. That is the truth. Was more than likely happening in every clubhouse.
MLB was dying after the strike in the mid 90’s. Canseco, McGwire, Sosa and Bonds saved their ass. People came to see the moon shots of these players and MLB ignored what was obvious all for the mighty dollar. MLB should be punished not the players.
2009, Lakers vs Kings in Sac. Barry arriving late and walking behind the baseline behind the hoop where Kobe's at the line shooting FTs. Laker fans chanting "M-V-P!" ... Barry assumes the chants are for him, smiles wide and starts waving to the crowd with both hand 🤣🤣🤣 He doesn't need the Hall; he has his own world.
We’re you there? You don’t know why he was waving & smiling. Someone/ people’s could have actually called his name out & cheered him on. So please stop reporting your fake news!
No HOF, No Ring.
@@foxyloxy6670 Yes, I was there, love... and he waved with both hands to the whole section. Get over it.
@@bobtransvaal144 rent free...
Yes, of course he does, as does Roger Clemens, Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose. The fans is who made these guys famous. And their incredible careers warrant it.
We will never see a better catcher ever. What a player
Yogi Berra… 10 rings as a player, 3 time MVP, 15 times All Star. mike drop. No disrespect to Johnny.
Ivan Rodriguez yadier Molina best ever catchers
just remember when the media says that sports are about the fans, best to know they are lying through their teeth. if you ask just about any fan, they will tell you that Bonds deserves to be in the HOF, but the writers, who simply do not like Bonds as a person are keeping him out (and, not because he allegedly took steroids)!
Johnny Bench almost says what no other player wants to admit: players were using steroids during his playing days just as they were during the so-called steroid era.
What he still doesn’t understand is how the muscle-building process works, because players mostly did not lift weights during his era. That was the change that revealed steroids in the game.
Push ups and booze.
"almost says" - what does that even mean?
Bench never mentioned, nor implied, steroid usage for his era. He mentioned amphetamines and "greenies". BIG difference.
Amphetamines/greenies acted like drinking 12 cups of coffee...it helped you get back to your normal level of function. They didn't make you better. The allowed you to maintain your level of performance.
Steroids make you bigger and stronger. They allow you to perform ABOVE your normal level of function. They ENHANCE your performance. As Canseco said, steroids will make a good player great, and a great player super-human.
That's why players from the 60s and 70s didn't look like kaiju freaks at the end of their careers as opposed to how they looked at the beginning of their careers. Unlike the steroid users of the late 80s, 90s and 00s.
Johnny and the "Big Red Machine" are the reason I loved baseball in the 70's. Having said that, Barry Bonds was one of the best players in MLB history. Most of the league was taking stuff, that at the time was not illegal or being tested for. No era of the league has 100% clean hands. Before Barry ever went to San Francisco, he was already a multiple league MVP and the best player in the league. For me, the results on the field more than justify him being in. My opinion only.
Their must be a standard, a single standard, by which all players are measured otherwise throw out the record books and bulldoze the HOF.
if they felt they were'nt doing anything wrong why did they hide it????????????? nobody admitted they were using steroids in those days??????????????
I can't stand Bonds but there is no doubt he's a HOF. One of the best ever. Barry was a 30/30 guy constantly early in his career.
That was a great answer by Bench. He's right about there are some players that people think used Roids that are in. Pudge, Piazza, Bagwell, and Frank to name a few.
They didn't get caught wahhaaa for you
Im no Bonds fan either but Bonds was having a Hall of Fame consideration career in Pittsburgh before he bulked up in SF and had those crazy numbers. The way I look at it is that Bonds would have had at least the seasons he had with Pittsburgh without the steroids in SF and those numbers would have gotten Bonds in the Hall
@@williamgullett5911 agreed
@@nate9798 that stolen base and power combination pre steroids was pretty impressive. Bonds not being likeable didn’t help him either
He was a 30/30 guy 5 times. I don't think that qualifies as constantly.
I agree with Johnny. You can be vindicated and keep your stats and salary from using, but the Hall of Fame is an all-time comparative standard of greatness. Bonds was on his way to getting there, but his use tainted that.
He NEVER tested positive or suspended
An interesting person to ask that question would be Pete Rose.
Baseball knew. That’s the frustrating part.
Baseball and anyone with two eyes and a functioning brain who watched it all as it happened.
Haaaaa…yep. Bulging biceps, helmet sizes and guys that hit 20 HRs suddenly crushing 50.
No flat out no!!!
NO TO CHEATERS! I was never a Redleg fan, but I always admired Bench #1 . . . . . the best ever!
In his prime 20s, Bonds avg. 25 hrs a year; Pujols 40 a yr., Griffey 42 , Ruth 47. Bonds was a mid-level slugger. All players decline in power late 30s. Bonds medically altered his body to absurd levels. Roids gives eagle vision. Near 40, he increased hrs by 200%. If Pujols and Griffey did that, they'd hit 80-100 a year. Ruth, who hit more hrs than most teams, maybe 110. Bonds mocked the sport, ruined all statistics, and was toxic. Defensively, a liability for a decade; a negative dWar. Keep him out.
First reasonable thing I've read. I believe Bonds was taking some type of PEDs when he was still in Pittsburgh. He just started using stronger stuff in the later years.
Absolutely he should be in HOF
FACTS !!!!!!
Barry Bonds may be The Greatest Player Ever.
If the hall of fame didn’t have these people to talk about perpetually, it would lose 99% of it’s marketing. They’re no longer a hall of fame, they’re a public relations firm.
Barry’s a shoe-in for the hall of shame!
Growing up in Dallas area we had no baseball until 70s. I loved the Reds. Followed them closely. These guys remind me of 2023 World Series Champs. Texas Rangers. I was in awe of Johnny Bench. He might go 0~4 but then hit one out in ninth to win. Definition of a Baseball hero. Even in retirement he is still a class act. I can’t imagine what he put his body thru to play so many games per year. Congrats Ohio, you guys have a legend. We had Pudge Rodriguez back about the time Bench retired. How can a team go all the way without a guy like this at catcher. I believe Reds are going to have a breakthrough season. They have assembled the talent. I felt same way last year about the Rangers and they broke thru. Hope to see Cincinnati fans next October in World Series, in Dallas Fort Worth.
I was listening to DP on radio the day they talked to Canseco about his upcoming book. DP begged Jose to keep quiet & let the public believe their Heroes were all clean. Sucks when the truth is Bad for Business.
ALL steroid users should not be in the HOF!
Bonds was found not guilty of perjury.
He admitted taken the cream and clear
All cheaters (including David Ortiz) should be disqualified by the Hall of Fame.
I agree.
then you gonna have to go back to the 1920s, you don’t know what they were doing. and from the 20s to mid 80s, the media hid that stuff
The great Henry Aaron is still homerun champ to this day!!!!!! Period
Agreed and Aaron Judge is the single season HR champ.
And Giancarlo Stanton is still the single season HR champ of the National League.
If the chemicals
didn't enhance their
performance, they
wouldn't have used
them.
If they used them,
they shouldn't be
in the Hall of Fame.
You can't reward
behavior that isn't
permitted or no one
will respect the rules
and there aren't any
standards.
It's unfair to players
who obeyed the rules and were sur-
passed by those who
didn't.
That's who was truly
wronged during this
period in baseball
history.
Truth
The thing that hurts the Hall of Fame candidacy of players like Rose, Bonds, Sosa, Clemens, et al is there is no public support for them. Not that the public is against them, but the public in general simply does not care. There is no outrage to support their cause. As long as that remains true, they will remain on the outside looking in.
Rose should be in the HOF. The problem is he is his own worst enemy. He was banned from all baseball activities for life at one point. That was later reduced and he was allowed to be a broadcaster on ESPN. He was not just bad, he was a jerk. He will most likely get in the Hall after he dies.
Andro that was used wasn’t illegal in Baseball but Illegal pretty well everywhere else, like the Olympics. It’s like MLB gave the players a loophole to take advantage of and they did.
@@geedubb-q1u I have my own opinion about Andro. I think the owners looked the other way on purpose because they knew it would eventually catch up to the players and it was used to publicly embarrass them later. I had a job working in baseball back in the 1990's. After the A's of the late 1980's got by with juicing, the Phillies in 1993 went all out. Len Dykstra went from being a4th outfielder to NL MVP in 3 short years after the Mets traded him. Several of those players on the Phillies later had cancer. Darren Daulton, John Kruk and Curt Schilling come to mind.
@@bajikimran2304 ..👍 well said. When the games in trouble it’s time to juice something, whether players or the ball.
@@tomsampson8084 Pete should def be in. A long time ago.
If Pete Rose is blackballed, so should Bonds.
Johnny Bench is a legend! One of the best if not the BEST ever, but he was against Pete Rose being added to the Baseball HOF! My respect decreased totally because of this. Still a legend and totally respected, but he didn’t support his own teammate who set many records and these records should be recognized in the HOF. Hell, Babe Ruth was a criminal and still got in the HOF.
I did not know that.
NO. If you have been caught cheating, you don't go in the Hall. We cannot award cheaters.
Bonds had 3 MVP’s before he’s believed to have used steroids. He’s the most dominant athlete of all time. Him not being in the HOF is an absolute joke.
If you believe his power output was natural, I've got some ocean front property in Arkansas for a good price. Pete Rose was denied because he was betting on the game but those who used drugs to enhance their play is cool. I don't understand your brainwaves.@@SarahGlass-hd6zp
No say it again you cheat your out barry big mac sammy jose simple your out
Wrong
Pete rose should be in barry bonds out
He slugged .863 with 73 home runs in 2001. He was intentionally walked 120 times in 2004. I don’t think we will ever see those numbers again. I understand wanting to keep the integrity of the hall of fame, but Barry was truly on another level. Steroids or not, how many players can you name that are better than him?
Zero. He's the best.
Just one: Bob Uecker
It's call steroids
@@bobma6342yes definitely lol
Rose deserves to be in the hall
Def NO
Bonds, McGwire, Clemens, Rodriguez, these guys do not belong in the Hall of Fame.
Pete Rose, and Shoeless Joe Jackson *do* belong in the Hall.
PUT BARRY IN!!! He’s the Home Run King! PUT CLEMENS IN!!!! He’s the best pitcher this side of Nolan Ryan!! I’m iffy on McGuire because he was for sure doping in Oakland.
I love Johnny and think all the blacklisted dudes should be in the HOF, but goddamn, Johnny didn’t say ANYTHING of substance here.
He thinks they should be in the Hall but doesn’t want to risk running afoul of MLB.
@@DJ-bj8ku Yeah I think you’re right. Seems odd though. Current HOF members should be the one group that can speak truth to power. .