With 45% of the vote at the time of writing, Bench fell short of a majority, but given the talent of the candidates, that’s not a surprise. Josh Gibson came runner-up (27%), ahead of Yogi Berra (18%).
Johnny Bench was a fixture on the Cincinnati Reds, playing his entire professional career with them, from being drafted by the Reds in the second-round of the 1965 draft, through his retirement at the end of the 1983 season. Seven catchers were picked before Bench: none of them came anywhere close to matching his production (Ray Fosse, hit at home by Pete Rose in the 1970 All-Star Game, had the best career, at 12.