Johnny Bench was wrapping up his Hall of Fame career in 1983 when the Reds held a night in his honor at Riverfront Stadium. A sold out crowd came to pay tribute to the man who not only revolutionized the way the position of catcher was played, but was also a driving force behind the Big Red Machine that gave the city back to back World Championships in 1975 and 1976. Bench, as he always did, rose to the occasion and powered a ball over the left field wall for his 389th and final home run.

     The Louisville Slugger B278 model bat with a cupped end shows excellent game use and is un-cracked and was used by Bench during the 1981-1983 labeling period. The barrel displays many ball marks with black ink transfers and slight checking due to repeated ball contact. Cleat marks are visible as are green and red bat rack paint streaks. The handle has been scored to enhance the grip and a moderate coat of pine tar was applied to the handle. On the knob, Bench’s number has been handwritten as a Roman numeral “V” and the model number “B278” has been stamped. Best of all, the notoriously tough signer, Johnny Bench has signed the barrel in thick black marker, with the added inscription “To Bob Best Wishes”, possibly being Bob Howsam, the GM that constructed the Big Red Machine. This bat comes with a full LOA from PSA/DNA (1B14308) who have graded this Hall of Fame-ready bat a “GU 9” and a LOA from JSA for the signature (Z58670).

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