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Show COLOR What Johnny Bench Jooksforin a girl “T havegirl friends, and I date, but I'm not engaged, and i’m notserious about any one right now. When I do get married,the girl’s going to have to be broad-shouldered—ready to share responsibilities with me—and have a lot of happiness in her and a lot of un- derstanding. Shealso will have to have class in the way she dresses, presents herself, carries herself, and how she acts. And she'll have to know how to handle me, control me. I’m a moody, somberperson at times. I also demand a lot of myself. I don't like making mistakes, on or off the ball field, and sometimesI lack patience with people. AndI'mnotesthetic, so she'd have to help meto appreciate some things,in- cluding things with humor. I often 0) ocveioreo WITH “%y DELUXE COLOR PRINTS by miss the humor in things. In other words, she'll have to help bring out the good points in me. “T guess sharing is the word, I don’t expect we'd have children for a couple of years, but I enjoy children, and I look forward to having a family, more than anything: else. Most of all, my wife will have to understand me and the ways of baseball.” As far as the so-called liberated woman is concerned,I've got no place for construction workers with gland problems. I think there’s a line that goes between Lib women and women wholike liberation. Ali women wantto be treated like women, andif they’re treated like women, they can’t be like those wayout Lib types.” FAILURES CREDITED SKRUDLAND PHOTO HZBRON,ILL. 60034 “| like to laugh. The trouble today is that so many people are drab andserious,not iaking timeto get anyfun outoflife.” home until he took physics in high school.” Although Johnny doesn’t get to see his family as much ashe'd like to now, he has an almost fatherlike figure to respect in the person of Sparky Anderson, the Cincinnati manager. “I appreciate Sparky for having faith in me,” says Bench, “for the responsibilities he has given me and for what he has instilled in me.I also respect the way he does his job. He’s one of those pecple I really admire. I also admire my mom and dad, of course, for what they are. I'd describe them as salt-of-the-earth people, who appreciate the small things in life, know right from wrong and have passed on their values to me. They're always there when you need them and will do things for you in any way that’s called for,’ John is a refreshingly modest celebrity, but he has a strong professional pride in his achievements. Although he could have goneonto college, he chose baseball as his way of life and doesn’t regret missing out on higher education. “I'm 23 years old, and I've come this far [as baseball's best young player], so I think I’ve donepretty well. I’m happy with my life, and I wouldn't want to changeit.” If he hadn't succeeded in baseball, Johnny maintains he “would have worked hard to become Number Oneat whatever I did. Business, maybe, or coaching in high schoolor college.” But he had decided at the age offive, when becoming a professional athlete is for most boys a dream that fades within a few years, that a career in baseball was what he wanted. Now, having realized that dream to become Number One among major-league catchers, he feels that fans havecertain rights to hislife. “They pay to see the ballplayer, and they want to know abouthim. They live through him, vicariously, and they think about him not just as a ballplayer but as a person. So, they deserve to know as much aspossible about him—so long as they don’t invade his privacy. Any time a fan presses beyond the point I consider right, I act congenial but let him know how I feel.” Onthe other hand, Johnny’s opinion is that Tim Bouton presented a false view of baseball players in his bestselling book, “Ball Four.” Singling out Bouton’s references te girl-watching in the book, Johnny says, “I talked to DEPT.1 ee AT HOME WITH - everything you need to start your <-wn shoe and clothing business New Catalog We'll rush you our HRA ZLeOXS| comminsions on every order Your wn Shoes ang Clothing Free 1) money and save ma: Here's your opportunity to leari income some of the guys he wrote about, and they told me lotofit’s not true. Besides, I don’t know any man who doesn’t look at a short skirt when it walks by. I think Bouton just threw those references in there to make the book interesting. It happened that way in his mind, but nobody else seemed to A la eeeLO) ase ES] see it that way.” Seeing things the right way, living life the right way, being honest and moral and true to yourself—all these things are important to Johnny Bench, ballplayer and human being. “As you go throughlife,” he says, “you've got to makeyourself happy, and if you do that by doing the things vou believe are good for you and those around you, everyone will enjoy life. If more people wouldtake time to know each other and to stop and think about the other person and show consideration, there would be a great many longer and stronger marriages. It’s such a good life, with many good things, thatit’s a waste if you spendit trying to find the wrong in it. The singer, Ray Stevens,said it in a song called “Mr. Businessman.” Some ofthe lyrics are: ‘Did you see your children growing up today, and Did you hear the music of their laughter as they set about to play? Did you catch the fragrance of those roses in your garden? Did the morning sunlight warm your ind me my free starringoutfit” Rush me over the 880 mewshow StuartsivlesMcGuire featuring plus a cata wh ew line ofmaking men'sand to" start more women's money. clothing. Show m: | went how: To:Cabell Brand, President 071127 } Stuart McGuire Company : 115 Brand Rd. Salem, Virginia 24153 + aot TREASURE Find buried gold, silver, coins, treasures. 5 Powerful models Write tor tree catalog a Denture Invention survive?’ one. @ “Mr. Businessman” written by Ray Ste- vens. Copyright 1968 by Ahab Music Company, Inc. 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