Barely out of his teens, he was telling pitchers what to throw, repositioning veteran infielders, and had redefined how the position of catcher was played. By his early twenties, he was the best player in all of baseball. And thirty-five years after he played his last game, he remains the standard by which all catchers are measured. Johnny Bench’s body of work is a blueprint for greatness and includes fourteen All-Star berths, ten Gold Gloves, three RBI titles, two home run crowns, two N.L. MVP awards, two World Series championships, and a World Series MVP. On offer here is Bench’s 1982 home gamer. The white knit pullover is accentuated by a red/white ribbed v-neck collar and red/white sleeve cuff, with the “C Reds” team logo over the left chest, “5” over the right chest, and “Bench 5” on the verso is all sewn-on in white Swiss embroidery and red tackle twill. Inner tail tagging includes a “Rawlings 44” label and a “Set 1 1982” flap tag. The jersey exhibits nice overall wear, including some small holes on the sleeves which were repaired by the team. With Bench flannels in the stratosphere and his mid-70’s knits close behind, here is a great opportunity to own a Bench gamer at a still affordable price.

Bernie Stowe was with the Cincinnati Reds for an unbelievable 67 consecutive years.  As head equipment manager, he worked every Reds game until his retirement in 2013.  As a beloved member of the Cincinnati Reds, many of the players would give him mementos and over the years, he received and saved many.  This unique piece of Reds memorabilia is from his personal collection and is being offered for the first time.