I could go on and on about the '75 series.. most of which I heard on the radio while picking cotton... tromping cotton trailers. BUT.. this story is about Bench.

I promise you this happened. I was at Candlestick... Reds vs Giants. I was sitting maybe 2 or 3 rows up right by 3rd base. Bench came to the plate.... he hit a line drive that the 3rd basemen jumped for... out of reach but not by much.... we watched the ball scream just over the 3rd baseman and past us..... and then something that defied the laws physics occurred...

the ball didn't obey the law of gravity... just over the 3rd baseman's reach it continued to gain altitude... more, then more, then even more. it cleared the left field wall, home run.

I have seen many superhuman hard hits in baseball in my life. I remember watching Harmon Killebrew hit home runs that didn't get deep into the bleachers but I'm sure could have hit jets landing or taking off at SFO. But I don't believe I've ever witnessed any hit that was hit harder than that Johnny Bench homer.