Johnny Bench

“My dad owned a propane company in Oklahoma.”

“The most validating thing was when my picture was on my first bubble gum card. That was in '68 for me. I was finally on the Topps card.”

“I've seldom seen a horny player walk into a bar and not let out exactly what he did for a living.”

“I pulled cotton at 6 years old and worked on the peanut farm and paper route.”

“These guys were the best. They were the best at their positions and made playing the game easier. And at the same time it made it so much more enjoyable.”

“It was not me failing that I was scared of. It was failing those people back home who believe in you. They only delivered the newspaper once a week where I lived in Oklahoma, and those people lived and died with the box score of my games.”

“Slumps are like a soft bed. They're easy to get into and hard to get out of.”

“I played American Legion ball starting when I was 14. But I didn't catch until I was 17. I was 75-3 as a high school pitcher, but it was like everybody knew that I was supposed to be a catcher. When the scouts would come around, and I was pitching, they'd make me take infield practice so the scouts could watch me throw.”

“My biggest moment was winning the World Series because everyone in my town was able to feel he was a world champion.”

“There are three types of pitchers you have to deal with. Some, you just have to tell what town they're in, remind them where they are. Some, you remind them about mechanics, and some, you have to bust their tail. You have to make them your friend and have them trust you.”

“I spent every bit of my money to try and get a Mickey Mantle card, and I don't have one. Growing up in Oklahoma, Mickey Mantle was my idol. And here I am, and I'd go pick cotton to have enough money, and I'd buy all of these packs, and I'd chew all of the gum, and I'd never find a Mickey Mantle card.”

“You know, when you can play with the greatest players of that particular era, you look forward to going to the ballpark. I mean, you thought it was great to be there in the clubhouse. You thought it was great to be on the field.”

“Joe Morgan was the one guy that absolutely put our team really over the top. ... Then we had George Foster come in; Ken Griffey Sr. was as good a two-place hitter as there has ever been in the game, and Cesar Geronimo won four Gold Glove awards. I mean, how could you ask for a better team?”

“So, yeah, I can say I always set my expectations so high that I had a lot to live up to.”

“You have to be the one setting your own goals, trying to achieve those goals.”

“Well, you know, Pudge Rodriguez, obviously is as good as it gets.”

“I don't think you can set up a computer to do a strike zone on a guy who's 6-foot-5 and then a guy who's 5-8. Where does it draw the line? One guy stands tall, and another squats down, and it changes the lines. Nah. I still love the umpires; they do a great job. I don't have a problem with any of that.”

“That's the remarkable thing about baseball. The game has a way of having you scratch your head one minute and drive you crazy, and then the next, you're entertained beyond your wildest hopes. That's why it's the best game.”

“They're like sleeping in a soft bed. Easy to get into and hard to get out of.”

“I can throw out any man alive.”