Catch Every Ball: How to Handle Life's Pitches (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Johnny Bench never had it easy.

When he was 6 years old, he picked cotton for two cents a pound, to afford a pair of new blue jeans. When he was 17, the bus that carried him and his high school teammates home from a baseball game flipped over a guardrail on an Oklahoma highway. Bench escaped with a gash on his elbow. Two of his friends were killed.

In September 1972, doctors discovered a spot on Bench s lung. The former National League Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player played the rest of that season not knowing what was wrong with him. He won a second MVP Award.

Bench made Baseball s All Century Team and was the catcher on the Big Red Machine, two clubs that dominated the game in the 1970s. After his retirement, he launched a successful broadcasting career. More recently, he has made his living as a motivational speaker.

Catch Every Ball is an accumulation of wisdom gleaned from 60 years of living. Bench uses examples from his own life and playing career, as well as knowledge gathered from other successful people in all walks of life, to offer a guide to success anyone can relate to.

Follow his life through the cotton fields of Oklahoma to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Meet some of the people who have influenced him along the way: Bob Hope, Arnold Palmer, Sparky Anderson, Joe Morgan and Bob Knight, among others. Allow Bench s wisdom to help you... Catch Every Ball.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Orange Frazer Pr (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933197129
• ISBN-13: 978-1933197128
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #586,058 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Inspiration from an American Sports Hero, October 16, 2008

By	Dale S. "cost conscious consumer" (Plain City, Ohio) - See all my reviews

I purchased Johnny Bench's "Catch Every Ball" as a birthday gift for our son, after reading excepts published in our local newspaper, the Columbus Dispatch. The common-sense, down-to-earth approach to life's successes and challenges, outlined by someone whose opinion matters, was appealing. Our son like many others, looked up to Johnny Bench, since he also played baseball as a catcher during grade and high school years. The positive "can do" philosophy outlined in this enjoyable autobiogtaphy, is an inspiration to anyone who has played or ever heard of baseball.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A tribute to Bench from Bench, May 25, 2009

By	Oliver W. Gill "cliffgill" (w. poland, me United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you want a book about Johnny Bench and/or the Cincinatti Reds, you sure don't want this book. Johnny Bench explains how great Johnny Bench is, not just in baseball but in all aspects of life. The book is a conceited narrative and a waste of money