LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two of Johnny Bench's Louisville Slugger bats and one of his 10 Gold Glove Awards are now on display in the main gallery at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory.
These historic artifacts will remain on display until at least March 2023, museum officials said in a news release.
"We're thrilled and honored to share these pieces from Johnny Bench's personal collection with our guests," said Anne Jewell, vice president and executive director of the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory in a written statement. "We've enjoyed so many great years with Johnny. Every time he walks through our doors, he delights our guests with his warmth and good humor. Now, even when he's not here in person, Johnny can connect with his fans through these marvelous items."
The museum added the bat Bench swung in the 1968 All-Star Game, the bat he hit his last of 389 career home runs in 1983 and the Gold Glove, the fifth he earned in his career in 1972, thanks to a loan from the baseball legend, who played his entire career with the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983, officials said.
Bench and his family loaned these items and others to several museums across the country after one of Bench's close friends purchased them at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory's 17th Annual Live Auctions with Hunt Auctions in 2020, according to the news release.
The other museums that received historic artifacts from Bench's collection are the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and the Johnny Bench Museum in Binger, Oklahoma, according to the news release.
"What better place for some of my favorite mementos to land than the very home where my bats were born?" Bench said in a written statement. "Louisville Slugger was with me every step of my career, together we launched a lot of hits, homers, and very special memories. That makes Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory a perfect partner during this rewarding stage of my life. I can focus on my family and know that these historic items are in good hands where fans can enjoy them."
Bench signed with Louisville Slugger in 1965. He was the National League Rookie of the Year and went on to become one of the leaders of the Big Red Machine that dominated the National League in the 1970s. He was a World Series champion in 1975 and 1976 and won two National League MVP Awards and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.
He was honored with the Lousiville Slugger Museum & Factory Living Legend Award in 2011.
Advanced tickets to see these artifacts are recommended and can be purchased at sluggermuseum.com,