The 76-year-old Bench arrived at the Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport from his home in Florida shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday, joined by singer/songwriter Lee Thomas Miller, a longtime friend and native of Nicholasville, Kentucky, who now resides in Nashville. The two were met under the canopy near the runway by WKU Director of Athletics Todd Stewart and former Cincinnati sports media personality Dennis Janson, who is a longtime friend of both Bench and Stewart.
Once in Stewart’s SUV and departing for E.A. Diddle Arena, the conversation quickly turns to baseball – starting with Bench’s sons, to WKU Baseball, and to the athletics facility renovations currently getting underway on campus.
Stewart led Bench’s tour through the square in downtown Bowling Green, up the hill on College Street, onto College Heights Boulevard, and through Avenue of Champions. After answering Bench’s questions on Cherry Hall and the Eva and Jim Martens Alumni Center, Stewart looked at the catcher’s hand and asked what ring he had on.
“Just a little one from the University of Cooperstown,” Bench said, referring to the ring from his 1989 induction in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Stewart drove a lap around WKU’s athletics facilities, pointing out Diddle Arena – where he’d be spending the day – Houchens-Smith Stadium and the new press box currently under construction, the site of the coming Hilltopper Fieldhouse, and Nick Denes Field.
The party arrived at Diddle Arena and set up camp in the Legends Room located behind Center Court Club, where Bench loosened up his famously large hands to begin signing autographs for the silent auction later that night at the banquet. Early in the signing session, he was asked if he could still hold seven baseballs at a time – he can’t do quite that many anymore at his age, he explains. He also says during the day he had five epidural shots three days earlier, but he was still getting his job done in Bowling Green that day – “because that’s what catchers do.”
Because he wanted his signature to be perfect for those bidding, Bench signed six balls to warm up, then continued with the others for auction, plus five hats and five jerseys to also be sold later that day.
When he finished, he leaned back from the table in his black leather chair and stared intently at the mural of WKU’s past coaches on the wall in the Legends Room.
“Who’s that one?” he asked, and Stewart explained it was former basketball player, coach, and athletic director John Oldham.
“That’s Ed Diddle on that side, who the arena is named after,” Stewart continued.
“Is that Harbaugh?” Bench asked, pointing to the other side of the mural, to which Stewart said yes, and then Bench asked about the coach in the middle leaning against the football – former football and baseball coach Nick Denes, who the program’s baseball field is named after.
“I like this,” Bench said, still leaning back and taking in the history of WKU athletics.
