MLB legend Johnny Bench enjoying life as tennis dad for sons at Jupiter Christian
WEST PALM BEACH – As the Reds opened their season in Cincinnati with a 4 p.m. matinee last Thursday, Johnny Bench pulled out a folding chair and sat on a grassy knoll by the claycourts of The Tennis Club of Palm Beach.
Bench, the greatest catcher of all time, wore a red ballcap but the insignia was that of Jupiter Christian, not the Reds. Bench, 76, settled in to watch his two sons play for the Jupiter Christian tennis team against Berean Christian.
His older son, Justin, plays first singles – a 6-foot-3, hard-serving senior and spitting image of his father with his height and broad shoulders. Bench’s youngest son, freshman Josh Bench, plays 5th singles and second doubles - known for his long hair and trademark ballcap.
The Benches moved from Palm Springs, California to Jupiter seven years ago.
“I haven’t enjoyed anything as much as coming to these matches, seeing their dedication and improvement,’ said Bench, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. “In the match the other day, against Martin County, they were partners in doubles. It was one of my proudest moments – to see the two of them on the court together, having fun.’’
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Neither Bench son experienced a traditional tennis upbringing, never sucked into the USTA junior circuit. Hence, playing first singles has been a challenge. “I told him it’s great to be No. 1 but the problem is you’re going to play the No. 1 on these other teams,’’ Johnny Bench said.
But each son relies on their stellar hand-eye coordination genes.
The grandfather from the mother’s side, Hugh Baiocchi, is a former professional golfer from South Africa who won 24 pro events, mostly in Europe. Baiocchi won a pair of senior-tour titles in Florida.
One time, Bench had Josh and Justin at the optometrist. “The doctor said, “I may see one kid a year with 20-10 vision,’ Bench recalled. “I got two sitting in this room. They got the vision and hand-eye coordination.’’
Justin Bench also is a standout on Jupiter Christian’s soccer team.
“Vision is a big thing being able to read a play of what’s going to happen,’’ Bench said of his two favorite sports. “It’s being able to predict the future of what’s going to happen. From all the experience you have memorizing, it’s being able to react before they even do it.’’
Bench’s sons played tennis as youngsters at a Palm Springs golf club to which Bench belonged. Across his retirement, Bench became an avid golfer but played tennis only once a year – with his lawyer who forced him onto the court.
His sons took to tennis more than baseball. Johnny Bench was as feared a defensive catcher as he was a slugger (389 homers). In Justin’s case, he turned off on baseball after a scary incident.
“He was a Little-League powerhouse at 9,’’ Bench said. “He hit bombs. But he got hit by a pitch in the eye and he couldn’t go to the plate again. He’s heard me talk about my 17 broken bones and five surgeries. I never thought it had an influence. But he said to me, 'I don’t want to go through that.’ What do you say? ‘’
So Justin Bench won’t be a professional baseball, tennis or soccer star but he may work one day for NASA. He’s considering attending either Florida Atlantic University or Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach for aeronautics.
Justin Bench credits his smarts to his father, too. “He was pretty much a genius - valedictorian of his class (at Binger-Oney High in Oklahoma).’’
Justin said if he attends FAU, he’ll try out for the Division I varsity tennis team but knows he may wind up instead on FAU’s club team. His tennis career became too staggered as he stopped playing altogether from 5th to 8th grade.
He restarted tennis in Florida but Jupiter Christian didn’t have a tennis team until his sophomore year.
“It’s been hard to readjust after not playing for those years,’’ Justin Bench said. “I’ve been practicing ever since and it’s been really fun, making new friends in a new community.
“Every year I’ve been the best on the team. And it’s hard to try to get better and when you go against some of these schools with so much higher talent at No. 1 who’ve played since they were super young in tournaments. And there’s me, who never played competitively tournament-wise.’’
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Bench has won nearly half his matches this season in by far his best year.
“I would say he’s improved most in the mental side of the game,’’ Jupiter Christian head coach Michael Nelson said. “He plays with a lot more confidence now which I believe comes from being a senior and a greater understanding of the game.’’
One day, Josh may be in that position too. In fact, Johnny Bench thinks Josh has better technique on his strokes.
“My backhand is really good so I’m hoping to be No. 1 in a few years when a couple of guys are gone,’’ Bench’s youngest son said. “I have a big strong arm so I can hit the ball really hard.’’
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Just like his father, grandfather and mother, Lauren, Bench’s former wife who still lives in Palm Springs. The father and grandparents attend every match.
“Their mother was a very good athlete - a runner and swimmer,’’ Baiocchi said. “They’re very good athletes who come from good stock.’’
The Benches take an annual summer pilgrimage to Cincinnati for a Reds homestand but Johnny Bench says, “Nowadays I can’t wait for the (high-school) tennis season.’"
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Johnny Bench enjoying life as tennis fan for sons at Jupiter Christian
