[coimbre 21]

Bench . . . he completely changed catching from two handed style to one . . . Offensively he ranks with the best and could have been better longer term had doctors not sawed through his sternum to remove a tumor. That changed his hitting. Probably the best field leader of all time, no one directed the defense and pitchers as well as Bench, though Pudge Rodriguez was close. Bench had an absolute cannon for an arm and also improved the way catchers unloaded the ball to throw out a runner. He was an innovator and that sets him apart.

As for Benito, I am pretty sure I played against him in little league when I lived in Ponce, Puerto Rico in 1975. Great defensive catcher and decent hitter in the majors, but not near the top as far as offensive catchers go. Unfortunately he's another player tainted by PEDs towards the end of his career.

My qualifier here is that I never got to see Berra, Dickey, Hartnett, Campanella, and others from past eras catch.