For Immediate Release: Friday June 27, 2008

Buster Posey, Florida State University
2008 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award National Collegiate Catcher of the Year


   

Florida State’s starting catcher has another honor to add to his impressive resume. Buster Posey was awarded the 2008 Johnny Bench Award, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate catcher. Posey ended his season with many outstanding stats including batting average (.463), hits (114), runs batted in (93), slugging percentage (.887), total bases (220), on base percentage (.564) and home runs (26). Posey also earned the Atlantic Coast Conference Triple Crown by leading the league in batting average, home runs, and RBI. He is only the fourth student-athlete in ACC history to earn this title.

Other awards earned in 2008 include:
 Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year
 ESPN Magazine Academic Baseball Player of the Year
 Whitney Bank Dick Howser Trophy
 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year
 First Team ACC
 Academic All-American Selection
 Rawlings Gold Glove Award
 Most Outstanding Player of the Tallahassee Region
 Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America and Rivals.com

This award would not be possible without the support of Johnny Bench, the Coleman Company, AT&T and Papa John’s Pizza. Their commitment to this endeavor is greatly appreciated.

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Coleman Company - Johnny Bench Award 

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.