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On his 74th birthday, Johnny Bench shares video of tour of Cincinnati from 1980s

Dave Clark, Cincinnati Enquirer
·1 min read
APRIL 20, 1984: Former Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench waves to the crowds lining the parade route in downtown Cincinnati Monday before the opening game of the baseball season. Bench, who retired last year, was marshal for the parade.
APRIL 20, 1984: Former Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench waves to the crowds lining the parade route in downtown Cincinnati Monday before the opening game of the baseball season. Bench, who retired last year, was marshal for the parade.

National Baseball Hall of Famer and former Cincinnati Reds and Big Red Machine great Johnny Bench turned 74 on Tuesday, and he shared a video via Twitter that Greater Cincinnati residents past and present as well as Bench fans are sure to enjoy and appreciate.

Set up by a brief introduction from Bryant Gumbel, Bench shows off Mount Adams, has an entertaining back-and-forth with Mama Pia and visits Fountain Square, Music Hall and the Cincinnati Zoo - playing with a Bengal tiger. A few bars that no longer exist or go by different names are shown, and Bench endorses the Blind Lemon and the Precinct, which have survived.

And he eats a 5 Way at Skyline Chili, of course.

From Bench via Twitter:

In September, Bench narrated and appeared in an MLB Network video shown during the Hall of Fame's enshrinement ceremony as a tribute to legends lost over the past two years.

He was unable to attend the induction ceremony in Cooperstown because he tested positive for COVID-19, but he recovered quickly.

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Johnny Bench shares video from his tour of Cincinnati in 1980s