Bench speaks at SMU Athletic Forum

The SMU Athletic Forum came to an end Wednesday, right after arguably the greatest catcher in baseball history spoke to thousands of middle-aged men that grew up watching the “Big Red Machine.”

Johnny Bench, the good ole boy from Binger, Okla., told stories of success on the baseball field, the Rangers’ All-Star catcher Pudge Rodriguez and former teammate Pete Rose. The Daily Campus sat down with Bench.

The Daily Campus: What do you think of Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, and what he has done during his baseball career so far?

Johnny Bench: He understands the game of catching. You can’t play the game until you understand it. There are prices you have to pay. I have had six broken bones in each foot, a broken ankle, a hurt shoulder and six broken cups. If I smash my thumb with a hammer, people ask me if it hurts. I tell them it hurts, but so did catching all those balls. Pudge has some of the greatest feet I have ever seen. He loves the idea of picking runners off. It is the heart and desire that separates other catchers. He has also become a great hitter. This is why he is above and beyond any other catcher in the league.

DC: After talking about your injuries, do you think Rodriguez should be worried about his own health and ability to keep playing baseball?

Bench: I think any catcher should worry. I have herniated disks, and even had lung surgery two days after my 25th birthday. So, it is always a concern, but today’s medicine is so advanced they can play much longer. Twenty-five years ago I would have said something different. He could always go to another position, but playing another position is boring as hell. The catcher gets to run the baseball game. You know the catcher can throw out runners, call a good game for the pitcher, get a base hit and block guys at home plate.

DC: Do you think Pete Rose should be in the hall of fame?

Bench: This is a 13-year-old question. Do you believe he should be? There is only one rule in the game of baseball. If you go home and tell your kids there are no rules, then what? Pete had the right to get in there, but now all he has done is brought this question to us for the past 13 years.

DC: What do you think of Jose Rijo’s comeback?

Bench: This is amazing to me. He has worked hard every year. I ask him why he is doing it, and he tells me he loves playing the game. For him to come back and be the exact same pitcher he was when I caught for him is incredible.

DC: Did you think about coming back to baseball?

Bench: Yeah, I thought about coming back, but I pulled a muscle … vacuuming.

DC: Have your injuries limited your ability to do everyday activities?

Bench: With the herniated disks and broken bones, some things are different. I do get to play catch with my 12-year-old son, and even get to play golf. My golf game is not what it should be though. I just feel lucky to do so many things that others have not been able to do.

DC: The New York Yankees have had a great run the last couple of years. The teams you played on with the “Big Red Machine” had some similar periods of domination. When you look back on those years, what do you remember?

Bench: The professionalism of our ball club was what I looked forward to everyday. The feeling I got when I walked onto the field was great. If you are losing a game, you still know you can win a game when you look over your shoulder and see guys like Pete Rose and Joe Morgan. Back then, people were die-hard Cubs or Red Sox fans, but when you asked them about the Reds, they always said they respected us. That is what I loved.

DC: Do you have any advice for the Rangers?

Bench: It is amazing isn’t it? I don’t really know. My only advice for the front office is make sure you don’t get any players that have been hurt. If they have been hurt once, they are gonna get hurt again. The Rangers will find a way to win. They have guys that are on the disabled list, and they will get off soon. I would love to play with some of these guys on the Rangers. I love watching Rusty Greer play.

DC: What is it about the state of Oklahoma and the baseball players that come out of there?

Bench: Oh yeah: Mickey Mantle, Willie Stargell, Warren Spahn and so many more came out of Oklahoma. I could name a lot. We are just hard working kids. I never lifted weights, but lifting 100-pound peanut bags helped out a lot. We loved baseball. We played homerun derby and our dreams revolved around baseball. We worked hard, played the game and practiced all the time.

DC: If you were still playing today, who would be the pitcher you would fear the most?

Bench: There are so many dominating pitchers. Randy Johnson is one of those guys. Curt Schilling reminds me a lot of Tom Seaver. Greg Maddux is the guy I would want to hit. His balls just jump around all over the place. I wouldn’t mind going up against Johnson because he has settled down so much. Roger Clemens is amazing too with his six Cy Young awards. When I was 25, I would have gone up against anyone, but now … Wow.

Bench speaks at SMU Athletic Forum