Left: Eddy Rodriguez, Johnny Bench, Jake Smith and Jeff Kunkel
Right: Johnny Bench presents Jake Smith with the 2006 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award

 2005 Coleman Company - Johnny Bench Award

Johnny Bench presents Jeff Clement of the University of Southern California with the 2005 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award on June 29, 2005.

June 1, 2005 - The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission announced the finalists for the 2005 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award.  A vote among the national voting committee will determine the recipient of the award, whom will be announced at the Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 29, 2005.

2005 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award Finalists

 2004 Coleman Company - Johnny Bench Award

Johnny Bench presents Kurt Suzuki with the 2004 Johnny Bench Award.

The 2004 Johnny Bench Award was presented to Kurt Suzuki of Cal State Fullerton at the 7th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet. Johnny Bench, former Cincinnati Reds catcher and Hall of Famer, was on hand to present the Johnny Bench Award. Chris Iannetta of University of North Carolina and Landon Powell of University of South Carolina were finalists for the award.

Coleman Company - Johnny Bench Award delivered by AT&T & Papa John's Pizza

2007 - Edward Easley, Mississippi State
2006 - Jake Smith, East Carolina University
2005 - Jeff Clement, University of Southern California
2004 - Kurt Suzuki, Cal State Fullerton
2003 - Ryan Garko, Stanford University
2002 - Jeremy Brown, University of Alabama
2001 - Kelly Shoppach, Baylor University
2000 - Brad Cresse, Louisiana State University

Johnny Bench Biography
Johnny Bench was born in Binger, Oklahoma on December 7, 1947. The third of four children of Ted and Katy Bench, he was an All-Star in basketball and baseball in high school and was the Valedictorian of his graduating class.

Johnny's childhood dream was to become a major league baseball player and his father counseled that the position of catcher was the most direct route to that goal. Taking that advice, he was selected in the 1965 amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds and signed with them. After two seasons in the minors, Bench made Cincinnati's Major League roster for the 1968 season. This marked the beginning of one of the most successful careers in baseball history.

Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in January 1989 with the fourth highest percentage of total votes cast, Bench is undoubtedly the greatest catcher ever. His honors include National League Rookie of the year (1968); national League Most Valuable Player (1970 & 1972); World Series MVP (1976); 14-time All-Star; and 10-time Gold Glove winner. In 1980 Bench set an endurance record by catching 100 or more games for 13 consecutive seasons.