Others want to cash in on memorabilia sales

The recent deaths of several baseball greats got Johnny Bench thinking about the future and the prospect of unloading memorabilia from his Hall of Fame career, writes

of The Associated Press.

Bench checked out items from Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully’s recent online auction.

“You wonder, what is the best thing to do?” Bench said by phone. “Who does it go to?”

Bench reaped the rewards of a 17-year career catching with the Cincinnati Reds: two World Series titles, 14 All-star selections, two National League MVP awards, multiple Gold Gloves. He was leader of the Big Red Machine that won six division tiles and four NL pennants in the mid-1970s.

“The memories are still there. I still am the MVP,” he said. “I’m blessed with what I’ve got and I’m enjoying my life.”

He lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., with 30-year-old son and sons 14, and 11, from Bench’s fourth marriage. The younger boys keep Bench busy as a single father.

“How do you divide it up when you have three boys and you got two things?” said Bench, who turns 73 in December.

Bench’s items will be auctioned live on Nov. 14 at the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory in Kentucky.

Former Detroit Tigers pitching ace and two-time Cy Young Award winner

is also parting with baseball bats, pennants, trading cards and a few thousand other pieces of sports memorabilia.

They are being sold during an estate sale at Mclain’s Wixom home, northwest of Detroit. The sale started Thursday and runs through today.

Harris

Josh,

Mclain

Bobby

Justin,

Denny

Beth

Trivia question

On this date in 1980, Mike Schmidt’s tworun home run gave Philadelphia a 6-4 win over Montreal, clinching the NL East title for the Phillies. The home run was Schmidt’s 48th of the season, breaking Eddie Mathews’ singleseason record for third basemen set in 1953. Who now holds the record for third basemen?

They said it

• From Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew ,to Theplayerstribune.com, on his critics: “Vincent Van Gogh, people told him, ‘You can’t be a great painter, you only have one ear.’ You know what he said? ‘I can’t hear you.’ ”

• Tweet from Seattle Times sportswriter

Bob Condotta, via Twitter, on the Chiefs’ tackle-eligible TD vs. the Ravens: “Knew I should have started Eric Fisher at receiver this week.”

• From the late MLB outfielder Jay Johnstone, who died last week of COVID-19 at age 74: “When there’s no game, Philly fans go to the airport to boo bad landings.”

• From blogger Patti Dawn Swansson ,on NASCAR fining Hendrick Motorsports $100,000 for excessive wind-tunnel testing:

“Curt Menefee can relate. He has to sit beside

Terry Bradshaw for five hours every weekend on ‘Fox NFL Sunday.’ ”

Trivia answer

Alex Rodriguez hit 52 while playing third for the Yankees in 2007. He hit two more as the designated hitter.