At 17, Johnny Bench survived a 1965 Oklahoma bus crash that killed two of his high school teammates. His truck-driver father told him that becoming a catcher was his fastest route to the major leagues, and the Cincinnati Reds drafted the Choctaw valedictorian in the second round that same year. In Triple-A he launched a grand slam off future Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, and though he hit just .163 after his 1967 call-up, Ted Williams signed a ball predicting he was destined for Cooperstown.

Bench modernized the position with his massive hands, a hinged mitt, and one-handed scooping that kept him on his feet. A benign lung lesion required invasive surgery that permanently altered his swing mechanics, yet he reinvented himself as a smarter hitter and anchored one of the sport's greatest dynasties.

• Won Rookie of the Year and a Gold Glo ...