Oh, it was wonderful. Johnny is right. America would have forgiven Rose if he had just came forward earlier. Johnny showed how hurt he was because of Pete's weakness. It reminds me of the movie, "The Town" where the Irish gangster says, "Gambling, it's a real sickness".
Thank You Johnny Bench. You were always the voice of reason. As a loyal Dodger fan, I hated the big red machine in the 70's. Fifty some odd years later, I have a lot of compassion for Pete and all of those great baseball players. There were rules, and consequences for breaking them. RIP Pete.
Please mr commissioner put Pete where he belongs in the hall, he deserves his own section to display all he accomplished , 4252 hits 44 game hit streak , 3 world series champion, could play all positions, what an ambassador to the great game of baseball, member of one of the greatest teams called the big red machine, we will miss.him
@@kevinkwiatkowski7197 Pete was a baseball player role model, but not a personal life role model -- to say the least. Johnny makes that clear. Why in the world would he merit his own section? To celebrate a guy who went to prison for willful tax evasion, who engaged in statutory rape, who openly cheated on his wives, who picked some of the worst people imaginable to hang out and have as roommates? How about Hank Aaron, an actual role model, who broke the HR record despite facing severe and unforgivable racism, who had more XBH's than anyone else, who even if he hadn't hit any homers would still have over 3,000 hits? Aaron was an exemplary person on AND off the field, a role model for the ages. Or Lou Gehrig, perhaps the finest example of grace under tragedy we've ever seen? There are so many more players who accomplished wondrous things who deserve special recognition far more than Pete Rose does.
I've met Johnny Bench several times. Ask any Cincinnatian about Johnny and they'll tell you. He was the biggest A-hole that ever lived. I take no glory in saying that either. The stories that I could tell you, (that I've seen with my own eyes), would make you sick. Most professional athletes that played with and knew him would say the same thing. There's a reason there is no street named after Johnny Bench in Cincinnati.
My sister was in the hospital with leukemia. Three weeks before she passed away, Johnny Bench sent her a letter and a picture. Two days later he called her in her hospital room. He made her day and life because she loved JB. I was in attendance September 11, 1985 when Pete broke Ty Cobb's hit record. What a moment. I was also there in August 1983 when it was Johnny Bench Day. He smashed a homerun off Houston and the REDS won 6-3 I think. These are all a great memory. I have always loved our REDS. Get better soon!! Went to high school with Joe Oliver.
THE GREAT JOHNNY BENCH. I am a 70 YO Pirates fan (Please send condolences we have lost for so long) but in the 70s it was a great series every time. Hated Pete and Johnny, but always respected them. God bless Charlie Hustle and Johnny. Separate note… All of that memorabilia behind and in Johnny possession is worth more than a small countries GDP.
I'm in my late 50s, grew up in Pittsburgh, huge Pirates fan (1st game was at Forbes Field, was in the 12th row for Roberto's 3,000 hit as a kid, got a hand slap and laugh from Dave Parker when I was 12 for yelling at Omar Moreno that he was a crappy hitter when he wouldn't give me an autograph, flew my sons from Florida to Pittsburgh to see their first MLB game when they were 6 and go to Kennywood) so you might appreciate this. Been in Florida 25 years. About 8 years ago, I moved my sons to Palm Beach County Florida from north Florida to play for a specific baseball coach in high school (he had coached in the majors). They also played basketball, so they were doing summer basketball at the school. They were varsity but not old enough to drive, so I brought them and waited for practice to end. One of the first days, I saw an older guy in his 70s watching practice so we started talking. He had on a bucket had and sunglasses, was kind of hunched over. Turned out he had two sons in elementary school there (in his 70s!). He asked who my sons were then watched them and said they were decent basketball players but seemed more like baseball players. As a coach myself, I'm used to every dad and casual fan thinking they know baseball/basketball so I asked why he thought that... figuring he'd trip over himself trying to explain. Instead, he gave me an advanced, modern methods analysis of their physiques, movements, etc and how he figured it translated to baseball. He got every element dead on including their positions, strengths, weaknesses. We were both single dads raising sons, talked about that some. He explained that he had been all-state in high school basketball but really loved baseball. Then it was time for him to take his young sons home, so we shook hands and finally introduced ourselves. I said my name is John XYZ, and he said "how about that, I'm John too. John Bench." That's when I really looked at him and recognized him. He couldn't believe I knew who he was since I was younger. I explained that I was a diehard Pirates fan and as a kid I HATED the Reds. He didn't believe me, so I recited their whole starting lineup and several pitchers, plus mentioned a few times he had killed the Bucs. He was so matter of fact, but kind, warm, a heck of a guy. Later he was the baseball advisor to my sons' high school team (and Matt Holliday was the hitting coach - his Dad helped out too. He played for the Pirates in the minors) and helped raise funds for them. When my sons were juniors the basketball team won the state title - I did the livestream video and play by play all season. Johnny came to a few games and sat next to me talking ball. One of my former co-coaches before we moved was watching the livestream from north FL so I texted him to keep watching when the quarter ended. I panned the camera over to catch a glimpse of Johnny and my buddy couldn't believe it. Bench still lives a couple miles from me. I've seen him out but leave him be... Mike Schmidt, Keith Hernandez, and other Pirates killers live right here too. Weird to go out for pizza and see players from my youth at the bar across from me having a beer. Michael Jordan is here... was sitting at the bar at the local Outback Steakhouse when it was empty on a Tuesday late and he was in a booth at the bar having dinner with his daughter and no one realized it was him (hat, slumped down). Person I was with wanted to approach him but I wouldn't allow it. We lived 50 yards from the Marlins and Cardinals spring training facilities. My sons played fall high school league games and travel games on the Marlins fields, college summer league games on the Cards fields, would walk home after and I'd have burgers on the grill in the driveway. Got to see them play in the minor league stadium too before they went off to college. The local public fields here are nicer than any high school field I ever played on in PA. One of my sons played his first college year at Cal U of PA, called me in late April and said Dad, we practiced in a blizzard today... I'm transferring. He grew up at the beach playing ball on beautiful fields in hot weather. PA ball wasn't the same, and California PA definitely wasn't Palm Beach.
In my late fifties as well...as a kid growing up in Tennessee my father lived in Ohio I was fortunate enough to go see the Big Red machine play several times navigate to sing the national turf walking in the riverfront stadium.@@a1aprospects470
I've met Johnny Bench several times. Ask any Cincinnatian about Johnny and they'll tell you. He was the biggest A-hole that ever lived. I take no glory in saying that either. The stories that I could tell you, (that I've seen with my own eyes), would make you sick. Most professional athletes that played with and knew him would say the same thing. There's a reason there is no street named after Johnny Bench in Cincinnati.
Yeah, but they still lost the 1975 Series 3 games to 4 due to Fisk HR in Game 6. LOL. One of Pudge's great lines describing how Red Sox fans view that Series.
Wow Dan , what a interview again ! Johnny really came out and laid it all on the line ! What a lose for all of us ! Pete was one of a kind ! Peace and Love !
Powerful all around. There are times when cursing has the great impact. Hearing Johnny say, “dammit, Pete” multiple times show that lament for his brother’s actions after he has gone. A powerful conversation.
Those of us that grew up watching Pete Rose play, know it was all about the way he played the game. Something you'll never forget. He was amazing, it was so fun to be a Reds fan in 1975 Los Angeles. All I had to say was PETE and it made Dodger fans crazy. I am so thankful to be one who seen Pete play many times. RIP, my baseball hero.#14... May I ad, I bonded with Jonathan Winters when I met him , over our love for the Cincinnati Reds.
I remember switch hitting catcher Ted Simmons for the Cards & Brewers. He had 200 hits which is amazing for a catcher and a switch hitter. One season he threw Davey Lopes out trying to steal. That was a big deal, because he only got thrown out one other time that season and it was Johnny Bench who threw him out. I think he picked him off at first base.
Thanks for mentioning Simba. Ted finished in the top 10 in one of batting average, on base percentage or OPS 15 times. The next best HOF catcher 9, the 3rd 6. If he had been a Yankee he would have gotten the gravitas and attention he deserved. Marvin Miller described Ted as the the most intelligent player he knew.
I've met Johnny Bench several times. Ask any Cincinnatian about Johnny and they'll tell you. He was the biggest A-hole that ever lived. I take no glory in saying that either. The stories that I could tell you, (that I've seen with my own eyes), would make you sick. Most professional athletes that played with and knew him would say the same thing. There's a reason there is no street named after Johnny Bench in Cincinnati.
The Johnny Bench bat was always the one I grabbed from the bat rack in High School. Great Barrel, thin handle. He was a great hitter and could pick a guy off at first from the crouch. Excellent interview!
Johnny was right… Today of all days we should be talking about Pete the ball player. Sure, some played the game better. But no one played it like Pete. It was fun to watch him play.
yea but you know what- this same Bench doesn't want him in the hof which is pure horseshit. He was one of the best players ever and frankly for all his faults as a person played the game exactly the way it should be played on every single play. None of this hot dog half ass bullshit to first base and pimping balls out of the box guys think are homers just to end up with long singles. He was an example of things not to do in life but things to do on the field.
“Tell your kids there are no more rules” is a bullshit point. Life is not that cut and dry. Teach your kids about addictions. Time served. Time off for good behavior. Etc…
I completely understand how Johnny Bench feels. I'm a musician with a band that had a fantastic beginning from 1970 - 1980. There was a 40 year gap with nothing but fond memories and good friendship. But we all had the desire to get back together. in 2016 we made an effort but found out one of the members was very sick and from that point until this past August, he went down hill and nobody could pull him out of it. His addiction was to drugs, but we band members are crushed over the loss and talent that was wasted. But life goes on and the band has managed to release an album last year and is well on the way for another album release next summer. Loved watching Pete Rose play Baseball. I had the opportunity to see him on several occasions when the Reds played the LA Dodgers.
@@cliffpeebles9705...such a close and deep friendship between George "Sparky" Anderson and Tommy LaSorda...it was awesome to be exposed to 2 such knowledgable sport legends!
Tremendous interview! This reminds me of interviews with Elvis’ friends and colleagues after he passed. A mix of frustration, admiration, and the never ending question “why”.
When Johnny Bench speaks people should listen. He has not waivered one bit on his opinion about Pete and the HOF. All he can say is why did you have to F your life up Pete ?
I've met Johnny Bench several times. Ask any Cincinnatian about Johnny and they'll tell you. He was the biggest A-hole that ever lived. I take no glory in saying that either. The stories that I could tell you, (that I've seen with my own eyes), would make you sick. Most professional athletes that played with and knew him would say the same thing. There's a reason there is no street named after Johnny Bench in Cincinnati.
Bench also said that gambling was a sickness.. Pete should be in the Hall of Fame, it was a lifetime ban, now the say permanent. Much like Pete, they lied.
So Pete was banned for gambling on the sport, given a lifetime ban for breaking the biggest rule in sport. Now MLB is in bed with casinos and online betting apps and yet they wouldn't allow him back unless he apologized and followed certain procedures. HYPOCRISY at its finest!
Two separate things. As Dan said, "they serve beer at the ballparks. That doesn't mean a player can get a beer, set it down and hit." He bet on his team as a manager and could manipulate the line-up.
Great, great interview!!!! I live to hear plain and honest conversation. I can feel the love and loss from both Johnny and Dan in this. Pete will be missed, RIP.
I disagree that it was a “great, great interview.” This interview had nothing to do with real life, only sports. Pete died because of heart disease, hyper tension, and diabetes, not because of gambling. In the final analysis, his baseball accomplishments don’t matter; what matters is his health and how he lived his life. What matters is: Pete Rose the man, not Pete Rose the ballplayer. I wanted to ask Johnny: 1. What kind of man was he? 2. Will Johnny be attending Pete’s funeral? 3. Will Johnny be delivering the eulogy? In my opinion, this interview had way too much emphasis on sports trivia, and not nearly enough on real life.
I had the opportunity to co-host a (regional) sports radio show, for about six months, with Pete back in 1992 (from his restaurant in Boca Raton, FL)... When you spend four hours a day, five days a week with someone you get to know a person. Pete was a delight to work with (oh, he had his occasional "days", every famous celebrity has them). Pete was not a "bad guy" (in fact, quite the opposite), but as the world knows he had an addiction he could not - and chose not to - overcome. A disease is not an affliction, it's a disease. And diseases need to be cured, or they will consume a person. And I agree with Johnny, a fitting word when talking about Pete Rose, is the word "sad"... But, I believe that more than anything Pete was STUBBORN... His stubbornness, his determination were what drove him... To 4,256 hits. That same stubbornness saddled him with an inability (and an unwillingness) to confront his addiction... I've shared this story with others but I think it kind of helps to understand Pete. Pete had a brother, Dave. Dave was built just like Pete. Broad shoulders, strong back, he just wasn't nearly as athletic. Dave volunteered to serve in Vietnam. He was assigned to be a gunner in a Huey helicopter that would go into ("hot") Landing Zones to bring out wounded soldiers. He was shot at many times but somehow managed to survive his tour of duty. He was offered the opportunity to return to the US... He turned it down, telling me "those guys needed me..." His mind was made up. He re-upped. He was determined to help save more lives. The Rose sons were stubborn. If they decided to do something, nothing could or would dissuade them. Pete's stubbornness became a curse. I'm not suggesting anyone feel "sorry" for Pete. He was an adult and some people, thankfully many people, overcome an addiction. But Pete's greatest "asset" as a ballplayer, his stubborn determination, led to his heartbreaking downfall. I do hope that some day there will be some kind of acknowledgement of Pete's career in the HOF, if for no other reason than it might help give a father a chance to explain to a young son that that young son needs to behave "responsibly" and not "misbehave". That when people ask you - tell you - to not do something, they're not trying to confine you, they're trying to help you... On the field Pete was an inspiring example of a commitment to never give in or give up. Off the field he is an example that being too selfishly stubborn can adversely affect your life...
Pete Rose and Johnny Bench were my first favorite players on my favorite team. This was a great interview with memories of my childhood summers playing baseball with my friends. Baseball cards, hats, sticker books, and equipment were the thing to have as a kid. It’s the “good old days all over again.”
As a big fan of Pete- putting him in now would just be a big slap in the face and would only be done to aleve other's guilt for being so thick headed, stubborn, and cruel to not have the guts and leadership to forgive someone and throw them the tiniest of bones/ happiness while they were still alive. MLB is a freakin joke and the the executive office should be ashamed of themselves for not only being cowardly, but also being retarded. I'd rather be in the corner of a guy that screwed up a few times than have the former character traits.
No, he wasn't. He was the most prolific hitter, but not the best. Not even close. Just in my lifetime, Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs, Kirby Puckett, Manny Ramirez, George Brett, Derek Jeter were better hitters
Mickey Mantle said " How many hits do you think I would have had if I was a Punch and Judy type hitter like Rose was? i went up there every time swinging for the fences!"
I cried last night thinking about how Pete made me feel about baseball. I didnt have the same drive as him, but as a kid in the late 70s/early 80s my friends and I absolutely loved playing ball, and we played nearly every day in the summer. What he did for my Phillies in '80 was monumental and we, as kids, could clearly see that he played in a way that we wanted to play. Some of those friends playd hardball up to the AAA level and most of them pivoted to slow pitch softball and played up until recently when health issues started to kick in. I stopped playing with them in my 20s and then, out of the blue, we got together when I was 40 and we played softball together again for another decade. I miss playing now. Petes passing hit me hard because I realized that he personified our love for the game. Its a childlike love and now, closing in on our 60s, we realize how we will miss it. And now we will miss Pete as well. We had forgotten what he meant to us. Today it seems like we are rediscovering how he made us feel. And, let me tell you.... it sure is bittersweet
So the HOF can make money off of them after they're dead? Eff that. If the hall was above letting them in when they were alive, then so be it. If I was the Rose estate manager I'd never let his likeness be included in the hall.
Was in the mostly empty gate area of the Cincy airport about 20 years ago waiting on my connecting flight. This guy sits down across from me a few seats down. It was Pete, wearing the same kind of white hat he had on in this interview. He nodded in my direction and I nodded back before realizing who he was. Fought the temptation to walk over and gush all over him about how great he was...how much I enjoyed watching him when I was a kid, etc. But in that moment he was just a guy among a few in the gate doing the same thing I was. Waiting for a plane. So I let him be and I'm glad I did. I just sat there remembering the head first slides...the hustle around the bases...the record-breaking hit. Great memory for me.
There will never be another player like Pete. I grew up idolizing him because of how he played the game. The first game I went to was at Riverfront Stadium July 1970 and we had seats down the right field line. Pete was playing RF at that time and always threw his warm-up ball into the stands and I got it that day, a doubleheader against Houston. A real thrill. I still have that ball. Then he disappointed so many with his gambling and alleged relationships with underage women. Damn it Pete. You were on top of the world. Like Johnny said... He did it to himself and to his teammates. Joe Morgan said that Pete was the only player he ever saw that he never took off an AB. He was always competing. It was a real blessing to have watched him play growing up. I could listen to him talk baseball 24 hours a day. Thanks for the memories Peter Edward Rose.
Johnny, you were the reason I decided to play ball as a kid and, of course, become a catcher! Never missed getting up early on Saturdays to watch you on "THE BASEBALL BUNCH" great memories as a kid in the 70's
I admire Johnny Bench so much !!! What more could you ask for in a role model for any young person...He is and has always been the ultimate in class and a man's man...He loved Pete but never stuck up for Pete's gambling addiction and always said it was wrong...We all know Pete is a HOFer and nothing will ever change that but there are rules and he did it to himself by his addiction and his actions once it became public...#14 will be a HOFer in the hearts and minds of Reds fans no matter what !!!
I have always believed that if Bart Giamatti had not died 8 days after banning Rose he would be in the Hall of Fame. Pete said this about Giamatti in an interview "God rest his soul, but the worst thing that happened to me is him dying" After his death people like Fay Vincent and Bud Selig blamed Rose for his death. Selig once said "As long as I'm Commissioner Pete Rose will not be reinstated" I will blame Rose for lying about betting on baseball but I feel the punishment was too severe. Shame on Rob Manfred for caving in to pressure and letting the suspension stand. Enough is Enough! Let him back in he's no longer with us!
Dan Patrick is a top flight journalist, very smart questions based on excellent prior knowledge, followed up by giving his guests room to talk and bring nuance to arguments. Dan, thank you for being you.
I keep coming back because Dan doesn’t steamroll over people and cut them off. So refreshing in the modern era of a 3 second attention span (me included sometimes lol)
John has huge hands - he used to be able to hold seven baseballs in one hand. He also was the innovator of the hinged catcher's mitt. It gave him the option of catching one handed; which allowed him to keep his throwing hand behind his back to avoid foul tips; and to be able to make the sweep tag at home during a period when other catcher's still had to tag the runner with both hands with that old style pillow mitt. Joe Garagiola [a former catcher in the 40s and 50s] used to call John's revolutionary mitt "The Tweezer" on the Game of the Week or post-season broadcasts.
MLB gave Pete Rose a lifetime ban. He's dead. He did his time, put him in the Hall of Fame. It's a joke that many of the greatest players to play the game are not in the Hall of Fame. Pete should come off that list.
@@thomaswolf723 And MLB doesn't run the HOF. The HOF runs the HOF. Everyone needs to quit blaming MLB. The HOF is the organization that changed their rules after Rose was banned saying that they would not consider players on the ineligible list. I have always said Pete was a great player and probably the player that made the most of his ability that ever played the game. I worked for the Reds for many years starting towards the end of the Big Red Machine and met many ballplayers - some superstars and some that only lasted a year or two. Every superstar I met was super nice guy - except one - Pete Rose. As asserted in the interview he couldn't turn off the competitiveness. He broke the one rule that is posted inside each clubhouse and the one rule that was put in place to keep the integrity of the game after the Black Sox scandal. I don't equate what Pete did to the steroid issue - those were NOT against MLB rules at the time that those players used them. So I have less understanding of how those players can be kept out of the HOF, but again, the HOF sets its own rules. If he had just done what MLB asked him to do, we would probably would be talking today of the "HOF player Pete Rose".
Johnny Bench was the best in an era of baseball that will never be seen again. It was an era where black players couldn’t football in SEC so they played baseball instead. Imagine what kind of safety Hammerin’ Hank Aaron would have made! You didn’t have all the expansion either… Bench not only had to go up again the Bob Gibson’s Steve Carlton’s he had to do it all the time! The players in MLB went from not playing against black players cuz of segregation one generation to going up against the best the next generation… my point being Bench was the best at his position in an era of great baseball! Rose got by on hustle as to the HOF maybe someday hell get voted in… in comparison to politicians like Biden ya why not?
Bench is trying to present himself in the best light and is failing. He hasn’t seen Rose for years because he didn’t want to. His only previous comments about Rose was how corrupt he was and that he didn’t deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Now, posthumously, he talks about how Great Rose was and acts like he was his friend?
I saw Pete Rose in Las Vegas playing a slot machine years ago and was too afraid to bother him. Went back to where my buddy was playing and said, see that guy over there with the hat on with his back to us, that’s Pete Rose. He said, are you sure, so much like Kramer trying to get Joe DiMaggio’s attention, I smacked the side of the machine and yelled yo!, he turned around, smiled, and we had a good laugh. Better than the hall of fame is having the word hustle in your nickname and a statue proving it.
I saw him in the Fountainblue sportsbook several times in March. I wish I talked to him but he was sitting and eating with some friends and I didn't want to bother him.
That interview brought the tears. John had been so angry - rightfully so - with Pete for many years, and to hear his heartfelt pain in this interview was awfully real.
Rightfully? Bench was a prima donna all those years and Pete was the bad guy. Oh did Bench wanted to keep it that way. I don’t buy that sadness. Bench didn’t have one ounce of mercy for Pete Rose. Bench never supported any effort to forgiveness and giving Pete the chance to be a HOF. Hypocrisy and jealousy…. everyone knows Pete Rose was greater than Johnny Bench by a mile.
Johnny Bench was my boyhood hero! I still have his poster from the 70's in my garage! He's still as sharp as ever! Dang interview made me almost cry. I was a huge Big Red Machine fan. Bench, Perez, Rose, Morgan, Concepcion, Foster, Griffey, Geronimo, Gullet, etc. As a kid, even as a young man anytime someone hustled you would holler "CHARLIE HUSTLE" no matter the sport. Yeah Pete shouldn't have bet, nor lied about it. But if anyone belongs in the Hall it was him.
I was a Dodgers fan growing up, but you might say i had a secret love for that Big Red Machine! I loved watching Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Davey Concepcion, Cesar Geronimo, Tony Perez, Dan Driessen, Tom Seaver, and so many others! I rooted for Cincy only when they weren't playing my Dodgers. I loved seeing Pete spike the ball on the 3rd out, how even when he had walked, how he RAN to 1st base, how he helped the Phillies, him and the other "wheeze kids" win that World Series in 1980. May Charlie Hustle RIP!
I hope Pete has it in his Will that his family would refuse Baseball’s potential enshrinement. What a petty load of crap to keep him out until his death. Pete EARNED his way on the field. Period. Baseball stood by and allowed known steroid users to break the home run records of the all-time greats. Spare me the ‘integrity of the game’ nonsense.
That was a great interview. Johnny really did bear his soul about Pete.
Oh, it was wonderful. Johnny is right. America would have forgiven Rose if he had just came forward earlier. Johnny showed how hurt he was because of Pete's weakness. It reminds me of the movie, "The Town" where the Irish gangster says, "Gambling, it's a real sickness".
bare
@@DJ-bj8kuget a life
Thank You Johnny Bench. You were always the voice of reason. As a loyal Dodger fan, I hated the big red machine in the 70's. Fifty some odd years later, I have a lot of compassion for Pete and all of those great baseball players. There were rules, and consequences for breaking them. RIP Pete.
Please mr commissioner put Pete where he belongs in the hall, he deserves his own section to display all he accomplished , 4252 hits 44 game hit streak , 3 world series champion, could play all positions, what an ambassador to the great game of baseball, member of one of the greatest teams called the big red machine, we will miss.him
@@kevinkwiatkowski7197Not up to the commissioner. The Hall is seperate from MLB.
@@kevinkwiatkowski7197 Pete was a baseball player role model, but not a personal life role model -- to say the least. Johnny makes that clear. Why in the world would he merit his own section? To celebrate a guy who went to prison for willful tax evasion, who engaged in statutory rape, who openly cheated on his wives, who picked some of the worst people imaginable to hang out and have as roommates? How about Hank Aaron, an actual role model, who broke the HR record despite facing severe and unforgivable racism, who had more XBH's than anyone else, who even if he hadn't hit any homers would still have over 3,000 hits? Aaron was an exemplary person on AND off the field, a role model for the ages. Or Lou Gehrig, perhaps the finest example of grace under tragedy we've ever seen? There are so many more players who accomplished wondrous things who deserve special recognition far more than Pete Rose does.
I've met Johnny Bench several times. Ask any Cincinnatian about Johnny and they'll tell you. He was the biggest A-hole that ever lived. I take no glory in saying that either. The stories that I could tell you, (that I've seen with my own eyes), would make you sick. Most professional athletes that played with and knew him would say the same thing. There's a reason there is no street named after Johnny Bench in Cincinnati.
@michaelstevenanderson4961 Examples? Never heard this before.
My sister was in the hospital with leukemia. Three weeks before she passed away, Johnny Bench sent her a letter and a picture. Two days later he called her in her hospital room. He made her day and life because she loved JB.
I was in attendance September 11, 1985 when Pete broke Ty Cobb's hit record. What a moment. I was also there in August 1983 when it was Johnny Bench Day. He smashed a homerun off Houston and the REDS won 6-3 I think. These are all a great memory. I have always loved our REDS. Get better soon!! Went to high school with Joe Oliver.
I didn't see you at Johnny Bench Day, I was also there, great day for Johnny.
I am sorry for your loss.
THE GREAT JOHNNY BENCH. I am a 70 YO Pirates fan (Please send condolences we have lost for so long) but in the 70s it was a great series every time. Hated Pete and Johnny, but always respected them. God bless Charlie Hustle and Johnny.
Separate note… All of that memorabilia behind and in Johnny possession is worth more than a small countries GDP.
I'm in my late 50s, grew up in Pittsburgh, huge Pirates fan (1st game was at Forbes Field, was in the 12th row for Roberto's 3,000 hit as a kid, got a hand slap and laugh from Dave Parker when I was 12 for yelling at Omar Moreno that he was a crappy hitter when he wouldn't give me an autograph, flew my sons from Florida to Pittsburgh to see their first MLB game when they were 6 and go to Kennywood) so you might appreciate this. Been in Florida 25 years. About 8 years ago, I moved my sons to Palm Beach County Florida from north Florida to play for a specific baseball coach in high school (he had coached in the majors). They also played basketball, so they were doing summer basketball at the school. They were varsity but not old enough to drive, so I brought them and waited for practice to end. One of the first days, I saw an older guy in his 70s watching practice so we started talking. He had on a bucket had and sunglasses, was kind of hunched over. Turned out he had two sons in elementary school there (in his 70s!). He asked who my sons were then watched them and said they were decent basketball players but seemed more like baseball players. As a coach myself, I'm used to every dad and casual fan thinking they know baseball/basketball so I asked why he thought that... figuring he'd trip over himself trying to explain. Instead, he gave me an advanced, modern methods analysis of their physiques, movements, etc and how he figured it translated to baseball. He got every element dead on including their positions, strengths, weaknesses. We were both single dads raising sons, talked about that some. He explained that he had been all-state in high school basketball but really loved baseball. Then it was time for him to take his young sons home, so we shook hands and finally introduced ourselves. I said my name is John XYZ, and he said "how about that, I'm John too. John Bench." That's when I really looked at him and recognized him. He couldn't believe I knew who he was since I was younger. I explained that I was a diehard Pirates fan and as a kid I HATED the Reds. He didn't believe me, so I recited their whole starting lineup and several pitchers, plus mentioned a few times he had killed the Bucs. He was so matter of fact, but kind, warm, a heck of a guy. Later he was the baseball advisor to my sons' high school team (and Matt Holliday was the hitting coach - his Dad helped out too. He played for the Pirates in the minors) and helped raise funds for them. When my sons were juniors the basketball team won the state title - I did the livestream video and play by play all season. Johnny came to a few games and sat next to me talking ball. One of my former co-coaches before we moved was watching the livestream from north FL so I texted him to keep watching when the quarter ended. I panned the camera over to catch a glimpse of Johnny and my buddy couldn't believe it. Bench still lives a couple miles from me. I've seen him out but leave him be... Mike Schmidt, Keith Hernandez, and other Pirates killers live right here too. Weird to go out for pizza and see players from my youth at the bar across from me having a beer. Michael Jordan is here... was sitting at the bar at the local Outback Steakhouse when it was empty on a Tuesday late and he was in a booth at the bar having dinner with his daughter and no one realized it was him (hat, slumped down). Person I was with wanted to approach him but I wouldn't allow it. We lived 50 yards from the Marlins and Cardinals spring training facilities. My sons played fall high school league games and travel games on the Marlins fields, college summer league games on the Cards fields, would walk home after and I'd have burgers on the grill in the driveway. Got to see them play in the minor league stadium too before they went off to college. The local public fields here are nicer than any high school field I ever played on in PA. One of my sons played his first college year at Cal U of PA, called me in late April and said Dad, we practiced in a blizzard today... I'm transferring. He grew up at the beach playing ball on beautiful fields in hot weather. PA ball wasn't the same, and California PA definitely wasn't Palm Beach.
In my late fifties as well...as a kid growing up in Tennessee my father lived in Ohio I was fortunate enough to go see the Big Red machine play several times navigate to sing the national turf walking in the riverfront stadium.@@a1aprospects470
Johnny Bench my all time favorite player, the Big Red Machine nothing like it since. Great interview!
Davey Concepcion was my favorite from The Big Red Machine should be in Hall of Fame
I've met Johnny Bench several times. Ask any Cincinnatian about Johnny and they'll tell you. He was the biggest A-hole that ever lived. I take no glory in saying that either. The stories that I could tell you, (that I've seen with my own eyes), would make you sick. Most professional athletes that played with and knew him would say the same thing. There's a reason there is no street named after Johnny Bench in Cincinnati.
Yeah, but they still lost the 1975 Series 3 games to 4 due to Fisk HR in Game 6. LOL. One of Pudge's great lines describing how Red Sox fans view that Series.
Wow Dan , what a interview again ! Johnny really came out and laid it all on the line ! What a lose for all of us ! Pete was one of a kind ! Peace and Love !
❤❤❤❤❤
Powerful all around. There are times when cursing has the great impact. Hearing Johnny say, “dammit, Pete” multiple times show that lament for his brother’s actions after he has gone. A powerful conversation.
Exactly. Dammit Pete... you had it!
Christ Dan!!! What an interview! The best sports interviewer ever, talking with the best catcher ever. This was gold! RIP Charlie Hustle 😢
A great conversation by two of the best, about one of the best!
Great interview, you can tell the pain in Johnny’s voice that he wanted his teammate to remembered for a brilliant playing career
Those of us that grew up watching Pete Rose play, know it was all about the way he played the game. Something you'll never forget. He was amazing, it was so fun to be a Reds fan in 1975 Los Angeles. All I had to say was PETE and it made Dodger fans crazy. I am so thankful to be one who seen Pete play many times. RIP, my baseball hero.#14... May I ad, I bonded with Jonathan Winters when I met him , over our love for the Cincinnati Reds.
Big Ted Simmons fan here with huge appreciation for Johnny Bench. What a class act.
Simba was the man. It really, really bothered me that he wasn't in the HOF. I was elated when he finally made it.
I remember switch hitting catcher Ted Simmons for the Cards & Brewers. He had 200 hits which is amazing for a catcher and a switch hitter. One season he threw Davey Lopes out trying to steal. That was a big deal, because he only got thrown out one other time that season and it was Johnny Bench who threw him out. I think he picked him off at first base.
Thanks for mentioning Simba. Ted finished in the top 10 in one of batting average, on base percentage or OPS 15 times. The next best HOF catcher 9, the 3rd 6. If he had been a Yankee he would have gotten the gravitas and attention he deserved. Marvin Miller described Ted as the the most intelligent player he knew.
I've met Johnny Bench several times. Ask any Cincinnatian about Johnny and they'll tell you. He was the biggest A-hole that ever lived. I take no glory in saying that either. The stories that I could tell you, (that I've seen with my own eyes), would make you sick. Most professional athletes that played with and knew him would say the same thing. There's a reason there is no street named after Johnny Bench in Cincinnati.
Unfortunately, I heard similar negative stories about Bench. Helluva player.
Wow! Brilliant interview, awesome questions and great silence. The emotion of Johnny was just something to watch.
The Johnny Bench bat was always the one I grabbed from the bat rack in High School. Great Barrel, thin handle. He was a great hitter and could pick a guy off at first from the crouch. Excellent interview!
Johnny was right… Today of all days we should be talking about Pete the ball player. Sure, some played the game better. But no one played it like Pete. It was fun to watch him play.
yea but you know what- this same Bench doesn't want him in the hof which is pure horseshit.
He was one of the best players ever and frankly for all his faults as a person played the game exactly the way it should be played on every single play. None of this hot dog half ass bullshit to first base and pimping balls out of the box guys think are homers just to end up with long singles.
He was an example of things not to do in life but things to do on the field.
@@tommyfu9271 Johnny doesn’t make the rules
@@weswerner4145But he could have advocated for him continuously. Every year, no matter what.
“Tell your kids there are no more rules” is a bullshit point. Life is not that cut and dry. Teach your kids about addictions. Time served. Time off for good behavior. Etc…
As a young boy in NY, I was in awe of the Big Red Machine
I completely understand how Johnny Bench feels. I'm a musician with a band that had a fantastic beginning from 1970 - 1980. There was a 40 year gap with nothing but fond memories and good friendship. But we all had the desire to get back together. in 2016 we made an effort but found out one of the members was very sick and from that point until this past August, he went down hill and nobody could pull him out of it. His addiction was to drugs, but we band members are crushed over the loss and talent that was wasted. But life goes on and the band has managed to release an album last year and is well on the way for another album release next summer. Loved watching Pete Rose play Baseball. I had the opportunity to see him on several occasions when the Reds played the LA Dodgers.
Reds/Dodgers was great back then.
@@cliffpeebles9705...such a close and deep friendship between George "Sparky" Anderson and Tommy LaSorda...it was awesome to be exposed to 2 such knowledgable sport legends!
Thank you for keeping it buttoned and letting Johnny talk!
Great Interview. Thanks for the memories. One of the greatest catchers in Baseball. Thanks Dan and Johnny.
By the way he hit and ran the bases you knew he loved the game and thats why we love pete
Tremendous interview! This reminds me of interviews with Elvis’ friends and colleagues after he passed. A mix of frustration, admiration, and the never ending question “why”.
When Johnny Bench speaks people should listen. He has not waivered one bit on his opinion about Pete and the HOF. All he can say is why did you have to F your life up Pete ?
PRs life didnt suck at all! And Cooperstown will always be a fallacy esp now that he is gone. To hell with any talk about posthumous bull....
And neither have lots of players who have long thought Rose should be in and I agree with those players not Bench.
I've met Johnny Bench several times. Ask any Cincinnatian about Johnny and they'll tell you. He was the biggest A-hole that ever lived. I take no glory in saying that either. The stories that I could tell you, (that I've seen with my own eyes), would make you sick. Most professional athletes that played with and knew him would say the same thing. There's a reason there is no street named after Johnny Bench in Cincinnati.
@michaelstevenanderson4961 didn't know that. Thank you for telling me that story.
Bench also said that gambling was a sickness.. Pete should be in the Hall of Fame, it was a lifetime ban, now the say permanent. Much like Pete, they lied.
❤Rest in peace Pete! So much of my childhood was spent captivated by Rose and the rest of the Big Red Machine....Forever grateful!
So Pete was banned for gambling on the sport, given a lifetime ban for breaking the biggest rule in sport. Now MLB is in bed with casinos and online betting apps and yet they wouldn't allow him back unless he apologized and followed certain procedures. HYPOCRISY at its finest!
The world has changed A LOT In 40 years. Today everything is about money and money trumps everything
Ignorance
I totally agree with you Not just MLB but the NBA and NFL!!
Two separate things. As Dan said, "they serve beer at the ballparks. That doesn't mean a player can get a beer, set it down and hit." He bet on his team as a manager and could manipulate the line-up.
🙄
The best talking about the best!! Pete was and always will be the blue collar baseball player!!
Great interview with the best catcher EVER. Thanks.
Yogi !!! 3 time MVP and 10 world series rings
@Pojo-tq4zk They are both top 3 prolly
Thank you. Extraordinary interview
Great, great interview!!!! I live to hear plain and honest conversation. I can feel the love and loss from both Johnny and Dan in this. Pete will be missed, RIP.
I disagree that it was a “great, great interview.” This interview had nothing to do with real life, only sports. Pete died because of heart disease, hyper tension, and diabetes, not because of gambling. In the final analysis, his baseball accomplishments don’t matter; what matters is his health and how he lived his life. What matters is: Pete Rose the man, not Pete Rose the ballplayer. I wanted to ask Johnny: 1. What kind of man was he? 2. Will Johnny be attending Pete’s funeral? 3. Will Johnny be delivering the eulogy? In my opinion, this interview had way too much emphasis on sports trivia, and not nearly enough on real life.
In two weeks I will become 70, I can say that Pete Rose was clearly the best baseball player I ever seen play the game. He is in a class of his own!
This is the greatest catcher who's ever played the game.
Was Josh Gibson on the show????
Check out Yogi Berra's HOF stats. Start with just World Series record.
Fact! I had 2 childhood sports heroes......Johnny Bench & Walter Payton.
Was Pudge backstage?
I had the opportunity to co-host a (regional) sports radio show, for about six months, with Pete back in 1992 (from his restaurant in Boca Raton, FL)... When you spend four hours a day, five days a week with someone you get to know a person. Pete was a delight to work with (oh, he had his occasional "days", every famous celebrity has them). Pete was not a "bad guy" (in fact, quite the opposite), but as the world knows he had an addiction he could not - and chose not to - overcome. A disease is not an affliction, it's a disease. And diseases need to be cured, or they will consume a person. And I agree with Johnny, a fitting word when talking about Pete Rose, is the word "sad"... But, I believe that more than anything Pete was STUBBORN... His stubbornness, his determination were what drove him... To 4,256 hits. That same stubbornness saddled him with an inability (and an unwillingness) to confront his addiction... I've shared this story with others but I think it kind of helps to understand Pete. Pete had a brother, Dave. Dave was built just like Pete. Broad shoulders, strong back, he just wasn't nearly as athletic. Dave volunteered to serve in Vietnam. He was assigned to be a gunner in a Huey helicopter that would go into ("hot") Landing Zones to bring out wounded soldiers. He was shot at many times but somehow managed to survive his tour of duty. He was offered the opportunity to return to the US... He turned it down, telling me "those guys needed me..." His mind was made up. He re-upped. He was determined to help save more lives. The Rose sons were stubborn. If they decided to do something, nothing could or would dissuade them. Pete's stubbornness became a curse. I'm not suggesting anyone feel "sorry" for Pete. He was an adult and some people, thankfully many people, overcome an addiction. But Pete's greatest "asset" as a ballplayer, his stubborn determination, led to his heartbreaking downfall. I do hope that some day there will be some kind of acknowledgement of Pete's career in the HOF, if for no other reason than it might help give a father a chance to explain to a young son that that young son needs to behave "responsibly" and not "misbehave". That when people ask you - tell you - to not do something, they're not trying to confine you, they're trying to help you... On the field Pete was an inspiring example of a commitment to never give in or give up. Off the field he is an example that being too selfishly stubborn can adversely affect your life...
What a special interview. Thank you.
He came over and talked to me and my mom at a Giants game in the 70's never forget it thanks
My dad, may he rest in peace always talked about Pete Rose and the Great Red Machine. He said he was the GOAT in his time....
Dan Patrick’s greatness is in his ability to ask a question that invokes a story, and then stays out of the way of the storyteller.
Johnny still sharp as a tack, good to see.
I was gonna say, this was my dads hero when he was a kid. He’s now almost 60. Good for 5!
Pete Rose and Johnny Bench were my first favorite players on my favorite team. This was a great interview with memories of my childhood summers playing baseball with my friends. Baseball cards, hats, sticker books, and equipment were the thing to have as a kid. It’s the “good old days all over again.”
Saw J.B. in an airport in Phoenix many years ago, great interview!
Thank you Johnny, for doing this interview.
Great interview DP, love the raw emotion from Johnny here.
He’s a hall of famer doesn’t matter weather, “they,” put him in
As a big fan of Pete- putting him in now would just be a big slap in the face and would only be done to aleve other's guilt for being so thick headed, stubborn, and cruel to not have the guts and leadership to forgive someone and throw them the tiniest of bones/ happiness while they were still alive. MLB is a freakin joke and the the executive office should be ashamed of themselves for not only being cowardly, but also being retarded. I'd rather be in the corner of a guy that screwed up a few times than have the former character traits.
They can't keep all Pete's records out of the Hall.
Johnny was the greatest catcher ever. Pete was the greatest hitter ever.
Josh Gibson for catcher and Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams were all superior hitters IMO.
Ted Williams is the best hitter of all time.
No, he wasn't. He was the most prolific hitter, but not the best. Not even close. Just in my lifetime, Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs, Kirby Puckett, Manny Ramirez, George Brett, Derek Jeter were better hitters
Mickey Mantle said " How many hits do you think I would have had if I was a Punch and Judy type hitter like Rose was? i went up there every time swinging for the fences!"
Best interview I have ever heard
Awesome interview
Respect Johnny for sharing so much, hit him really hard
He served his lifetime ban
Well said.
Agreed
Sadly.
It's not a lifetime ban. The rule says a "permanent" ban.
Permanently ineligible list.
I cried last night thinking about how Pete made me feel about baseball. I didnt have the same drive as him, but as a kid in the late 70s/early 80s my friends and I absolutely loved playing ball, and we played nearly every day in the summer. What he did for my Phillies in '80 was monumental and we, as kids, could clearly see that he played in a way that we wanted to play. Some of those friends playd hardball up to the AAA level and most of them pivoted to slow pitch softball and played up until recently when health issues started to kick in. I stopped playing with them in my 20s and then, out of the blue, we got together when I was 40 and we played softball together again for another decade. I miss playing now. Petes passing hit me hard because I realized that he personified our love for the game. Its a childlike love and now, closing in on our 60s, we realize how we will miss it. And now we will miss Pete as well. We had forgotten what he meant to us. Today it seems like we are rediscovering how he made us feel. And, let me tell you.... it sure is bittersweet
I am sick to death that gambling and ultimately, money is the only real driving force for all of sports.
The conundrum & pain in Sir Bench's voice is... great interview.
Sour grapes bench
is.... completely fake.
Fantastic interview. I can feel Johnny Benchs pain concerning Pete. He sure loved him.
My son and i saw him last Sunday in Nashville,and got a ball signed. He looked good. Very sad.
Johnny is the most realistic person when it comes to Pete. He stays on the straight and narrow and all you talk about is how great of a player he is.
Lifetime ban should mean his and Jackson's ban should be over. Put them in the HOF were they belong.
So the HOF can make money off of them after they're dead? Eff that. If the hall was above letting them in when they were alive, then so be it. If I was the Rose estate manager I'd never let his likeness be included in the hall.
We will unconditionally love Pete Rose forever! 😢🙏
Was in the mostly empty gate area of the Cincy airport about 20 years ago waiting on my connecting flight. This guy sits down across from me a few seats down. It was Pete, wearing the same kind of white hat he had on in this interview. He nodded in my direction and I nodded back before realizing who he was. Fought the temptation to walk over and gush all over him about how great he was...how much I enjoyed watching him when I was a kid, etc. But in that moment he was just a guy among a few in the gate doing the same thing I was. Waiting for a plane. So I let him be and I'm glad I did. I just sat there remembering the head first slides...the hustle around the bases...the record-breaking hit. Great memory for me.
There will never be another player like Pete. I grew up idolizing him because of how he played the game. The first game I went to was at Riverfront Stadium July 1970 and we had seats down the right field line. Pete was playing RF at that time and always threw his warm-up ball into the stands and I got it that day, a doubleheader against Houston. A real thrill. I still have that ball. Then he disappointed so many with his gambling and alleged relationships with underage women. Damn it Pete. You were on top of the world. Like Johnny said... He did it to himself and to his teammates.
Joe Morgan said that Pete was the only player he ever saw that he never took off an AB. He was always competing. It was a real blessing to have watched him play growing up. I could listen to him talk baseball 24 hours a day. Thanks for the memories Peter Edward Rose.
Johnny bringing the respect. Honorable! Thanks Johnny! Greatest catcher ever.
4,256 Hits. Pete Rose was the Greatest player of all time. RIP Pete Rose.
😢 great interview with the greatest catcher of all time discussing the greatest hitter of all time
Johnny, you were the reason I decided to play ball as a kid and, of course, become a catcher! Never missed getting up early on Saturdays to watch you on "THE BASEBALL BUNCH" great memories as a kid in the 70's
Pete Rose not in the Baseball Hall of Fame? And Dan hasn’t won an Emmy? After this interview? Wow! Screw those awards
Pretty sure Dan has won at least 1 Marconi Award's which is like the Emmy's of radio broadcasting
I admire Johnny Bench so much !!! What more could you ask for in a role model for any young person...He is and has always been the ultimate in class and a man's man...He loved Pete but never stuck up for Pete's gambling addiction and always said it was wrong...We all know Pete is a HOFer and nothing will ever change that but there are rules and he did it to himself by his addiction and his actions once it became public...#14 will be a HOFer in the hearts and minds of Reds fans no matter what !!!
Had a signed Johnny Bench bat as a kid and grew up watching him on The Baseball Bunch❤️
I remember the Baseball Bunch…
Bench was 100% against Pete going to HOF
As should anyone.
Love Johnny and the Big Red Machine!!
My Grandpa loved the Reds back then and absolutely loved Pete Rose.
Great interview!
Love Johnny Bench I used to go to Candlestick when I was a kid. I'm grateful I got the opportunity to see him play and Pete Rose and Mays and McCovey
I have always believed that if Bart Giamatti had not died 8 days after banning Rose he would be in the Hall of Fame. Pete said this about Giamatti in an interview "God rest his soul, but the worst thing that happened to me is him dying" After his death people like Fay Vincent and Bud Selig blamed Rose for his death. Selig once said "As long as I'm Commissioner Pete Rose will not be reinstated" I will blame Rose for lying about betting on baseball but I feel the punishment was too severe. Shame on Rob Manfred for caving in to pressure and letting the suspension stand. Enough is Enough! Let him back in he's no longer with us!
Gambling was moved into the addiction section of the DSM-5, it impacts the same areas of the brain as alcohol and other substances.
Pete doesn’t need the HoF, the HoF needs Pete Rose (The HIT KING) in the Hall to be a legitimate Hall of Fame
Dan Patrick is a top flight journalist, very smart questions based on excellent prior knowledge, followed up by giving his guests room to talk and bring nuance to arguments. Dan, thank you for being you.
I keep coming back because Dan doesn’t steamroll over people and cut them off. So refreshing in the modern era of a 3 second attention span (me included sometimes lol)
Probably best interview every!
Soooo good! RIP Pete
John has huge hands - he used to be able to hold seven baseballs in one hand. He also was the innovator of the hinged catcher's mitt. It gave him the option of catching one handed; which allowed him to keep his throwing hand behind his back to avoid foul tips; and to be able to make the sweep tag at home during a period when other catcher's still had to tag the runner with both hands with that old style pillow mitt. Joe Garagiola [a former catcher in the 40s and 50s] used to call John's revolutionary mitt "The Tweezer" on the Game of the Week or post-season broadcasts.
Thanx I didn't know that.
I loved Johnny Bench since he first came up because he was always a straight up guy. His honesty is an example to everyone.
Johnny Bench. Class act. Articulate and well spoken. Greatest catcher of all time.
Awesome interview
Great interview Dan
MLB gave Pete Rose a lifetime ban. He's dead. He did his time, put him in the Hall of Fame. It's a joke that many of the greatest players to play the game are not in the Hall of Fame. Pete should come off that list.
They have no problem allowing the Cheating juicers in the biased hof.
It wasn't just a lifetime ban, it was a permanent ban.
He served his sentence now
@@thomaswolf723who cares it’s a DEAD issue get it?
@@thomaswolf723 And MLB doesn't run the HOF. The HOF runs the HOF. Everyone needs to quit blaming MLB. The HOF is the organization that changed their rules after Rose was banned saying that they would not consider players on the ineligible list. I have always said Pete was a great player and probably the player that made the most of his ability that ever played the game. I worked for the Reds for many years starting towards the end of the Big Red Machine and met many ballplayers - some superstars and some that only lasted a year or two. Every superstar I met was super nice guy - except one - Pete Rose. As asserted in the interview he couldn't turn off the competitiveness. He broke the one rule that is posted inside each clubhouse and the one rule that was put in place to keep the integrity of the game after the Black Sox scandal. I don't equate what Pete did to the steroid issue - those were NOT against MLB rules at the time that those players used them. So I have less understanding of how those players can be kept out of the HOF, but again, the HOF sets its own rules. If he had just done what MLB asked him to do, we would probably would be talking today of the "HOF player Pete Rose".
ALWAYS a great interview with Johnny Bench.
Never saw Johnny so happy talking about Pete ... until he was DEAD
That's because he was always serious about trying to help him & get him to sign an agreement and Pete's dum azz would not do it.
@@Rspenesmit And that should give him a big smile ?
Johnny Bench was the best in an era of baseball that will never be seen again. It was an era where black players couldn’t football in SEC so they played baseball instead. Imagine what kind of safety Hammerin’ Hank Aaron would have made! You didn’t have all the expansion either… Bench not only had to go up again the Bob Gibson’s Steve Carlton’s he had to do it all the time! The players in MLB went from not playing against black players cuz of segregation one generation to going up against the best the next generation… my point being Bench was the best at his position in an era of great baseball! Rose got by on hustle as to the HOF maybe someday hell get voted in… in comparison to politicians like Biden ya why not?
Great video!
The pride of Binger, Oklahoma! Love ya Johnny! ❤
Johnny Bench...national treasure
Bench is trying to present himself in the best light and is failing. He hasn’t seen Rose for years because he didn’t want to. His only previous comments about Rose was how corrupt he was and that he didn’t deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Now, posthumously, he talks about how Great Rose was and acts like he was his friend?
You can be friends with an addict of any kind or an azz and a liar & criminal, which Pete as all of this.
I saw Pete Rose in Las Vegas playing a slot machine years ago and was too afraid to bother him. Went back to where my buddy was playing and said, see that guy over there with the hat on with his back to us, that’s Pete Rose. He said, are you sure, so much like Kramer trying to get Joe DiMaggio’s attention, I smacked the side of the machine and yelled yo!, he turned around, smiled, and we had a good laugh. Better than the hall of fame is having the word hustle in your nickname and a statue proving it.
I saw him in the Fountainblue sportsbook several times in March. I wish I talked to him but he was sitting and eating with some friends and I didn't want to bother him.
Met Pete at the MGM Sportsbook in Las Vegas - RIP
You can hear the love for Pete in Johnny's voice. Sad ending but what a great player. Hopefully he'll get in one day. RIP Charlie Hustle 😢 🙏
That interview brought the tears. John had been so angry - rightfully so - with Pete for many years, and to hear his heartfelt pain in this interview was awfully real.
Rightfully? Bench was a prima donna all those years and Pete was the bad guy. Oh did Bench wanted to keep it that way. I don’t buy that sadness. Bench didn’t have one ounce of mercy for Pete Rose. Bench never supported any effort to forgiveness and giving Pete the chance to be a HOF. Hypocrisy and jealousy…. everyone knows Pete Rose was greater than Johnny Bench by a mile.
@@cmorales5 no, everyone doesn't know that. Pete and Johnny were equally great at what they did, they had different roles.
Wonderful interview
Johnny Bench was my boyhood hero! I still have his poster from the 70's in my garage! He's still as sharp as ever! Dang interview made me almost cry. I was a huge Big Red Machine fan. Bench, Perez, Rose, Morgan, Concepcion, Foster, Griffey, Geronimo, Gullet, etc. As a kid, even as a young man anytime someone hustled you would holler "CHARLIE HUSTLE" no matter the sport. Yeah Pete shouldn't have bet, nor lied about it. But if anyone belongs in the Hall it was him.
I grew up wanting to be the next Johnny Bench.... Loved watching these two in my youth.... Prayers up ❤️🙏
Great Great interview Johnny
I was a Dodgers fan growing up, but you might say i had a secret love for that Big Red Machine! I loved watching Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Davey Concepcion, Cesar Geronimo, Tony Perez, Dan Driessen, Tom Seaver, and so many others! I rooted for Cincy only when they weren't playing my Dodgers. I loved seeing Pete spike the ball on the 3rd out, how even when he had walked, how he RAN to 1st base, how he helped the Phillies, him and the other "wheeze kids" win that World Series in 1980. May Charlie Hustle RIP!
I saw Pete in Vegas and told him until he's in the HOF i will never go. Greatest of all time.
I hope Pete has it in his Will that his family would refuse Baseball’s potential enshrinement. What a petty load of crap to keep him out until his death.
Pete EARNED his way on the field. Period.
Baseball stood by and allowed known steroid users to break the home run records of the all-time greats.
Spare me the ‘integrity of the game’ nonsense.
🎯🎯🎯💯
👍
exactly. and you know they're gonna put him in now that he's dead.
It's a joke.
No. Listen to what Johnny said … that’s exactly why Pete didn’t get in
Let's have no rules in society shall we? You ok with that? You break the rules at work?
Fabulous interview. Wish it was under different circumstances. RIP Pete. The game was always better with you in it.
Mr. Bench knew Pete Rise
Mr. Bench loved and respected Pete Rose
That’s all I need to know.
Johnny Bench was my childhood hero!
Great interview
Great interview.
Ottani was caught and MLB covered it up for him
That's gospel!
Learn how to spell
Interesting? 🤔
Yep
I had a Johnny Bench batter up when I was a kid and was doing the Pete Rose dive