Row 13, Seat 13 — Baseball Bench Coach

I’ve heard the rumblings. Where are you Coach? In early March I thought about starting my second season writing this blog with comments about the Astros’ cheating scandal. When COVID-19 hit hard in mid-March, the scandal just seemed unimportant. I guess I could get out of the box with my own conjecture about when the season will start and what it will look like. Let’s wait though until MLB has settled upon an approach. After watching past baseball highlights recently on MLB and ESPN, it struck me what I could offer you, some good old-fashioned nostalgia with a personal touch. So let the season begin, maybe not on the field, but until “play ball” is called (and hopefully it will be), in your heart. Let’s tackle our own favorite baseball memories, a little food for our souls.

My favorite baseball memory was on October 11, 1972. It’s not even close. On the night of October 10, my Dad walked into our living room in Cincinnati and surprised Mom and me with three tickets for Game 5 of the National League playoffs between the Reds and the Pirates. You see, the Reds that day had just tied the 5-game series at two games apiece. I have a strong image of those tickets in Dad’s hands – right field plaza in the green seats at Riverfront Stadium (the Reds now play at GABP, pictured), row 13, seats 11, 12, and 13, Game 5, 3:00 p.m. I quickly asked for seat 13. My parents smiled; 13 was and is my lucky number!

I remember waking up the next morning extremely excited about the game but then disappointed when I peered outside; it was raining! Ugh, but the game wasn’t until late afternoon. I recall wearing my Reds baseball cap to school, White Oak Junior High, but not being able to wear it in class. Shortly after lunch, the intercom sounded in my eighth grade classroom asking for me to be dismissed to the office. It turns out that I was one of many leaving school early for the big game. Upon arrival at Riverfront, it was still pouring. We got to our seats, fortunately under cover, and waited out the rain delay. With no cell phone to turn to, I am sure I bided my time reading the game program and perhaps trying to get enough courage to say something to the high school girl in Row 13, Seat 14.

By this time in 1972 the Reds and Pirates were fierce rivals, already established as the NL teams of the 1970s. The Reds had gone to the World Series in 1970; the Pirates had won it in 1971. Both clubs had amazing offensive players. Pittsburgh, led by Clemente, Stargell, Oliver, and Hebner, was known as the “Lumber Company”, while my Reds and its core players of Rose, Morgan, Bench, and Perez, were affectionately called the “Big Red Machine”. Interestingly, when I checked the box scores of the series (you knew I would!), two of the first four games of the series had been played under two hours, something that is unheard of today.

The rains went away, and it was game on! The Pirates jumped ahead early 2-0 and maintained a lead throughout the game. As a 13-year old, I must have been yakking to my parents about the Reds inability to win the big game. I do have a vivid image of seeing the game from behind both teams’ right fielders, the Reds #30 Ken Griffey Sr. (his son Jr. would really become famous!) and the Pirates #21 Roberto Clemente (the greatest Pirate of all time). Tragically, this would be the last game Clemente ever played. He died in a plane crash on a rescue mission to Nicaragua on New Year’s Eve later that year.

The Reds trailed 3-2 going into the bottom of the ninth inning, facing the Pirates ace closer, Dave Giusti. There was some hope as the Reds middle of the order was up, Bench, Perez, and third baseman Denis Menke. Johnny Bench was coming off another NL MVP year, 40 HRs and 125 RBIs. He had previously won the 1970 NL MVP with 45 HRs and 148 RBIs. How about one more of each, Johnny? We learned after the game that his own Mom said those exact words to him while seated alongside the Reds first base dugout. This kid in Row 13, Seat 13, so desperately wanted to see a miracle.

And then it happened . . . on a 1-2 pitch from Giusti, Bench hit an opposite field shot right at me, over Clemente’s head, clearing the right field wall, and caroming off the facing just before the green seats, a game-tying HOME RUN! It was bedlam at Riverfront, fans were hugging each other, and the high school girl in Seat 14 turned and kissed me on the cheek. Every fan stood and cheered throughout the rest of the inning. Five batters later, another Bucs reliever, Bob Moose, uncorked a wild pitch to pinch-hitter Hal McRae and pinch-runner George Foster (soon to be a slugger in his own right) scored the winning run. The Reds win the pennant!

I’ve always been thankful to Johnny Bench for giving me that special moment. In his career Bench had so many wonderful highlights for a kid growing up in Cincinnati like me to enjoy. In addition to his MVP awards, he was a first ballot Hall of Famer, two-time World Series champion, 14-time NL All-Star, and 10-time Gold Glover, all as a catcher for the Reds. Bench revolutionized the art of catching by using a hinged mitt so that he could catch one-handed and protect his throwing hand by placing it behind him. And even though my favorite single memory was his 1972 NL playoffs home run, his throwing arm was the Reds’ best weapon. In Lou Brock’s 1974 record-setting 118 stolen bases he stole only 1 in 4 attempts against Bench, and in the 10 playoff series the Reds played in the 1970s, Bench threw out 11 of 13 would be base stealers. That was a game-changing catcher, the greatest ever.

After the pennant-clinching game in 1972, I remember standing in Row 13, shocked and kind of taking in the celebration on the field and in the stands. For dinner that night we went to my family’s favorite restaurant, the Hitching Post, famous for fried chicken. It was time to celebrate! The manager of the restaurant, “Ron”, came over to our table that night and said, “You just attended the greatest baseball game ever played in Cincinnati!” He was indeed correct.

It’s truly fun to look back. Now it’s time for you to share your favorite baseball memory. I look forward to hearing from you in the “Comments” section of my blog below. Baseball is good for our souls!

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach