Art by Tim Carroll

*****SOLD - Private Collector*****

 

It is said that baseball team is only good as the catcher behind the plate.  If that statement is true, there has never been a finer franchise than the Cincinnati Reds.  Johnny Bench defined his position.  A 10-time Gold Glove winner; 14-time All-Star; 2-time National League Most Valuable Player; and the 1968 National League Rookie of the Year.  Johnny Bench is still considered the finest catcher to ever play the position.  After retirement, he was elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.  10 years later, he received one of the ultimate accomplishments the game has ever seen:  he was voted onto the “All-Century Team”.  In doing this, he received more votes than any other catcher – including Yogi Berra.  Not only was he an outstanding defensive catcher, but he also retired as the greatest offensive catcher ever.  He finished with 389 career homeruns. 

 

A true catcher will lead his team – be the “General” that it needs to compete.  He will take a beating behind the plate just to keep the runners from advancing.  He will be strong enough to make the throws he has to make in order to gun down opposing base stealers.  He will take charge of the pitching staff by taking into account all of the knowledge of each opposing hitter.  He will use that knowledge to call the pitches.  He will then step to the plate, adding whatever he can contribute to see that his pitching staff has enough runs to win.  Johnny Bench was all of the above.  For that, he was nicknamed “Little General”.  To be classified as the leader of arguably one of the greatest dynasties in sports history is a perfect fit for Johnny Bench…………the GENERAL of the BIG RED MACHINE.

 

 

SPECIAL THANKS TO PATRICK IN WEST VIRGINIA for this commission!  This is part 2 of his own personal series:   Big Red Machine - The All-Star Rookies.  (Part one is "Charlie Hustle")

 

 

For this one I used:

 

(35) 1986 Donruss commons

(52) 1988 Donruss commons

(4) 1990 Donruss commons

(14) 1986 Topps commons

(316) 1987 Topps commons

(632) 1988 Topps commons

(438) 1989 Topps commons

(114) 1987 Fleer commons

(89) 1989 Fleer commons

 

1,694 Total cards

 

(16) Glue Sticks

 

TOTAL TIME:  46.75 Hours

 

 

 

 

The card I re-created is the 1969 Topps Johnny Bench, and it began with a sketch:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After cutting and pasting for almost two full days of my life:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little closer:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used 112 gloves and mitts to recreate Bench’s catcher’s mitt:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A closer look at the mitt……………..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The All-Star Rookie Trophy:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the outfield wall (my personal favorite part of the piece):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally a use for some of those unnecessary checklists!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the facial detail:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the background……………...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And one final view:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once again, for any inquiries into this piece – this was a commission, and I do not own it.  This is part 2 of the Big Red Machine - The All-Star Rookies installment.  I have already started on part 3 and I hope to have it finished before Christmas.  IF YOU ARE ON FACEBOOK – BE SURE YOU LOOK UP timcarrollart and become a fan!