36 Quotes by Johnny Bench

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.