Editing Johnny Bench (section)

==MLB career statistics==
{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = CincinnatiReds5.png
|Name   = Johnny Bench
|Number = 5
|Team   = Cincinnati Reds
|Year   = 1984
|}}
Bench had 2,048 [[Hit (baseball)|hits]] for a .267 career batting average with 389 [[home run]]s and 1,376 RBI during his 17-year Major League career, all spent with the Reds.<ref name="Johnny Bench career statistics at Baseball Reference"/> He retired as the career home run leader for catchers, a record which stood until surpassed by [[Carlton Fisk]] and the current record holder, [[Mike Piazza]].<ref name="Johnny Bench: Number 1 Home Run Hitter of All Catchers"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/careerld.htm|title=Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers Career Batting Leaders|access-date=June 1, 2016|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304200708/http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/careerld.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Bench still holds the Major League record for the most [[Grand slam (baseball)|grand slam]] home runs by a catcher, with 10.<ref>{{cite web|title=McCann and Bench|url=http://espn.go.com/espn/elias|work=ESPN|access-date=June 24, 2013|archive-date=July 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160725190252/http://espn.go.com/espn/elias|url-status=dead}}</ref> In his career, Bench earned 10 [[Gold Gloves]], was named to the National League [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] team 14 times, and won two Most Valuable Player Awards.<ref name="Johnny Bench career statistics at Baseball Reference"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/gold_glove_nl.shtml#multi|title=MLB National League Gold Glove Award Winners|work=Baseball Reference|access-date=June 1, 2016|archive-date=May 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528001941/https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/gold_glove_nl.shtml#multi|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto1"/> He led the National League three times in [[caught stealing]] percentage and ended his career with a .990 [[fielding percentage]] at catcher and an overall .987 fielding percentage.<ref name="Johnny Bench career statistics at Baseball Reference"/> He caught 118 [[shutouts in baseball|shutouts]] during his career, ranking him 12th all-time among major league catchers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bb_catchers.tripod.com/catchers/tmonth1.htm |title=The Encyclopedia of Catchers – Trivia December 2010 – Career Shutouts Caught |publisher=The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers |access-date=December 29, 2015 |archive-date=August 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820234857/http://bb_catchers.tripod.com/catchers/tmonth1.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Bench also won such awards as the [[Lou Gehrig]] Award (1975), the [[Babe Ruth]] Award (1976), and the [[Hutch Award]] (1981).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/hutch_gehrig_ruth_clemente.shtml|title=MLB The Hutch Award, Lou Gehrig Award, Babe Ruth Award & Roberto Clemente Award Winners|work=Baseball Reference|access-date=June 1, 2016|archive-date=May 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531135759/https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/hutch_gehrig_ruth_clemente.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>

Bench popularized the hinged [[Baseball glove#Varieties|catcher's mitt]], first introduced by [[Randy Hundley]] of the [[Chicago Cubs]].<ref name="Johnny Bench at The Baseball Library"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://baseballbiography.com/randy-hundley-1942|title=Randy Hundley|access-date=June 1, 2016|archive-date=March 31, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331005334/https://baseballbiography.com/randy-hundley-1942/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Are Catchers Today As Good Defensively As In The Past?">{{cite web|url=https://sabr.org/research/evolution-catchers-equipment|title=The Evolution of Catcher's Equipment|author1=Rosciam, Chuck|website=SABR|access-date=June 1, 2016|archive-date=May 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526003333/https://sabr.org/research/evolution-catchers-equipment|url-status=live}}</ref> He began using the mitt after a stint on the disabled list in [[1966 Cincinnati Reds season|1966]] for a thumb injury on his throwing hand. The mitt allowed Bench to tuck his throwing arm safely to the side when receiving the pitch.<ref name="http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com"/> By the turn of the decade, the hinged mitt became standard catchers' equipment. Having huge hands (a famous photograph features him holding seven baseballs in his right hand<ref>{{cite web|url=https://redlegnation.com/2015/03/04/hall-of-100-johnny-bench/|title=Hall of 100: Johnny Bench|website=Redleg Nation|author1=Carrington, Nick|date=March 4, 2015|access-date=June 1, 2016|archive-date=April 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404210645/http://redlegnation.com/2015/03/04/hall-of-100-johnny-bench/|url-status=live}}</ref>), Bench also tended to block breaking balls in the dirt by scooping them with one hand instead of the more common and fundamentally proper way: dropping to both knees and blocking the ball using the chest protector to keep the ball in front.<ref name="Are Catchers Today As Good Defensively As In The Past?"/>