Johnny Bench - The Complete Idiots Guide to Baseball

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Baseball

by Johnny Bench

Copyright 1999 by Johnny Bench

All rights reserved. No part of this book shall bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means,electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without writtenpermission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect tothe use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has beentaken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume noresponsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed fordamages resulting from the use of information contained herein. Forinformation, address Alpha Books, 1633 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10019-6785. ; ;

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International Standard Book Number: 0-02862951-5

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 99-60666

02 01 00 99 4 3 2 1

Interpretation of the printing code: the rightmost number ofthe first series of numbers is the year of the book's printing; the rightmostnumber of the second series of numbers is the number of the book's printing.For example, a printing code of 99-1 shows that the first printing occurred in1999.

Printed in the United States of America

To Dad, who told me thatcatching was the quickest way to the big leagues, started me out, and gave meall the encouragement and the opportunity to play. And to William and Teddy, mytwo older brothers, who let me play even when I was four years old (even thoughmy outs didn't count). If I hadn't played against older competition, then Iprobably wouldn't have seen the rapid success that I did.J.B.
To Mom and Dad. Thanks for everything.L.B.

The 1998 baseball season wasone for the books the record books, that is. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa spentthe summer swinging away in pursuit of Roger Maris' single-season home runrecord, and the chase was unforgettable not only for its daily drama but forthe sportsmanship and class that the two great sluggers displayed.

When it was over, McGwirehad an unfathomable 70 home runs; a slugging percentage of .752, theseventh-highest of all-time and the best in 71 years; a National League-record162 walks; and a league-leading on-base percentage of .470. Sosa had 66 homersto go with a .308 batting average and major league-leading totals in RBIs(158), runs (134), and total bases (416); he also had the National League MVPAward and his team, the Chicago Cubs, in the playoffs for the first time since1989. Meanwhile, baseball fans around the country had countless memorablemoments, the most indelible of which occurred on the night of September 8, whenMcGwire lined his record-breaking 62nd homer of the year over the left fieldwall of St. Louis' Busch Stadium. That was truly one of those Where were youwhen? events .

Yes, Big Mac and Sammy made'98 a season to savor, but they weren't the only ones. The Yankees won anAmerican League-record 114 regular-season games en route to a world championship,and on May 17 against the Minnesota Twins, New York's David Wells pitched the15th perfect game in major league history. That same month, Chicago Cubs'Rookie of the Year Kerry Wood turned in one of the most dominant pitchingperformances ever, a 20-strikeout, no-walk, one-hitter against the HoustonAstros. And on September 20, Baltimore's Cal Ripken Jr. ended his eye-poppingIron Man streak of 2,632 consecutive games played when he opted to sit out theOrioles' final home game of the year.

All these great memoriesshow why this game is truly our country's national pastime, and why there's nobetter time to be a baseball fan or to become one. Now I know that to a newfan, baseball may seem difficult to learn. But take it from me, a Hall of Fame pitcherwho won 311 games in the big leagues: For the guys on the field, baseball isextremely complicated. But a fan doesn't have to master all the intricacies toenjoy the game. Hey, if you want to, all the better but baseball can be enjoyedon many levels, from the simple to the complex. That's one of the inherentbeauties of the game.

And that's where this bookwill prove invaluable, helping you quickly master the fundamentals and gain anappreciation for the beauty and symmetry of baseball, and then build on thatuntil you're ready to trade your box seat for a seat in the dugout. And whetheryou're looking for a refresher course, a crash course, or a full tutorial onthe game, I can't think of anyone more qualified to do the teaching than JohnnyBench, the greatest catcher in baseball history and one of the game's mostintelligent players.

Johnny and I were teammateswith the Cincinnati Reds for six years in the late '70s and early '80s, andI've always had the utmost admiration for his knowledge and passion for thegame. Early in a ballgame not too long after I was traded from the New YorkMets to the Reds, I was struggling. The first three or four hitters had justpounded the ball. So Johnny calls for time, and comes sauntering out to themound in that big.

As a catcher, I've spentcountless hours of my life crouched down, inviting very strong men to throw avery small, very hard object in the general direction of my face. Sure, I woresome equipment to protect myself, but even the most understanding psychologistwould probably consider such behavior a little self-destructive, or at leastslightly abnormal.

Maybe so. But if I had it all to doover again, I wouldn't change a thing. Sure, I took foul balls off of everypart of my body, and I strained muscles I didn't even know I had, but I did itall so I could play baseball, and every cut, every bruise, and every welt wasworth it.

Baseball is the greatestgame ever invented. For 20 years it was my full-time occupation and basicallymy life. Baseball gave me some of my greatest memories, some of my bestfriends, and taught me some valuable lessons. This book is all about baseball,and all the things that make the game great. I hope that after you read it,you'll have a better understanding of why I would choose to spend two decadesof my life sitting in the path of a hard ball traveling 90 miles per hour.Simply put, I did it because I love the game, and I want to share my love andknowledge of the game with you.

This book is divided intosix parts, each dealing with a different aspect of baseball. It's arranged sortof like a textbook, but there won't be any pop quizzes or a final exam, and youwon't need a No. 2 pencil. We're going to keep things fun, because that's whatbaseball is all about.

Part 1, The Grand Old Game,deals with the history of baseball and why it has achieved such a lofty statusin the nation's collective heart. We'll look at how the game was invented,check out highlights from each decade, examine the traditions of the game, andlook at some of the best and most colorful players to ever take the field.

Part 2, Get Ready to Takethe Field, deals with the basics of the game. We'll examine the field on whichbaseball is played, as well as the equipment and uniforms used to play it.We'll also cover the basic rules and talk about the guys who enforce them theumpires. Finally, we'll look at how the game's ultimate showcase,the major leagues, are set up.

Part 3, The Name of the GameIs Pitching and Defense, deals with the defensive team in the field. We'll talkabout what pitches pitchers throw, and how they select them. We'll also talkabout catchers (a position that I know a thing or two about) as well as theother players in the field. Once we finish covering the defense, we'll be readyto move on to the hitters.