This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/10/2001.
Johnny Bench set new standards for catchers, but had to pay a price for 14 years of punishment behind the dish. As the cleanup hitter of the Big Red Machine championship teams of the 1970s, Bench was an unmovable presence both behind the plate (winning 10 straight Gold Gloves) and in the batter's box (jacking 389 career home runs and winning three RBI crowns). But the two-time NL MVP had to move to first base for the 1981 season and he was hitting .343 when he fractured an ankle and finished at .309, still a career high. Bench retired in 1983 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. This Rawlings Heart of the Hide DDW-FB mitt worn by Bench in the early 1980s has "JB" and "5" handwritten on either side in black marker, for Bench's initials and number. The glove is in excellent condition. A letter of authenticity accompanies this piece.