I pulled cotton at 6 years old and worked on the peanut farm and paper route. Johnny Bench More Quotes by Johnny Bench More Quotes From Johnny Bench There are too many false things in the world, and I don't want to be a part of them. If you say what you think, you're called cocky or conceited. But if you have an objective in life, you shouldn't be afraid to stand up and say it. In the second grade, they asked us what we wanted to be. I said I wanted to be a ball player and they laughed. In the eighth grade, they asked the same question, and I said a ball player and they laughed a little more. By the eleventh grade, no one was laughing. Johnny Bench honesty baseball inspirational A catcher and his body are like the outlaw and his horse. He's got to ride that nag till it drops. Johnny Bench horse baseball softball Slumps are like a soft bed. They're easy to get into and hard to get out of. Johnny Bench slumps bed baseball The catcher is in the middle of everything. He sees it best. Johnny Bench catchers middle You know, when you can play with the greatest players of that particular era, you look forward to going to the ballpark. I mean, you thought it was great to be there in the clubhouse. You thought it was great to be on the field. Johnny Bench player mean looks I was thinking about making a comeback, until I pulled a muscle vacuuming. Johnny Bench comeback sports thinking Jimmy Connors plays two tennis matches and winds up with $850,000, and Muhammad Ali fights for one bout and winds up with five million bucks. Me, I play 190 games--if you count exhibitions -- and I'm overpaid! Johnny Bench fighting games wind So, yeah, I can say I always set my expectations so high that I had a lot to live up to. Johnny Bench yeah i-can expectations They only delivered the newspaper once a week where I lived in Oklahoma, and those people lived and died with the box score of my games. My biggest moment was winning the World Series because everyone in my town was able to feel he was a world champion. Johnny Bench oklahoma games winning I've seldom seen a horny player walk into a bar and not let out exactly what he did for a living. Johnny Bench horny bars player Well, you know, Pudge Rodriguez, obviously is as good as it gets. Johnny Bench pudge good-as-it-gets wells That's the remarkable thing about baseball. The game has a way of having you scratch your head one minute and drive you crazy, and then the next, you're entertained beyond your wildest hopes. That's why it's the best game. Johnny Bench best game you crazy You have to be the one setting your own goals, trying to achieve those goals. Johnny Bench goals your you achieve I spent every bit of my money to try and get a Mickey Mantle card, and I don't have one. Growing up in Oklahoma, Mickey Mantle was my idol. And here I am, and I'd go pick cotton to have enough money, and I'd buy all of these packs, and I'd chew all of the gum, and I'd never find a Mickey Mantle card. Johnny Bench i-am never growing-up money These guys were the best. They were the best at their positions and made playing the game easier. And at the same time it made it so much more enjoyable. Johnny Bench more best game time It was not me failing that I was scared of. It was failing those people back home who believe in you. They only delivered the newspaper once a week where I lived in Oklahoma, and those people lived and died with the box score of my games. Johnny Bench me you home people I can throw out any man alive. Johnny Bench out man i-can alive They're like sleeping in a soft bed. Easy to get into and hard to get out of. Johnny Bench like hard bed easy I don't think you can set up a computer to do a strike zone on a guy who's 6-foot-5 and then a guy who's 5-8. Where does it draw the line? One guy stands tall, and another squats down, and it changes the lines. Nah. I still love the umpires; they do a great job. I don't have a problem with any of that. Johnny Bench job great you love The most validating thing was when my picture was on my first bubble gum card. That was in '68 for me. I was finally on the Topps card. Johnny Bench picture first bubble me
