Hamilton throws to Bench: A highlight that’ll never be topped

By Sam McClanahan

Rodney Hamilton considers himself to be a pretty lucky guy. Despite some curve balls thrown at him throughout his 57 years, he's always been able to bounce back and find a reason to be positive, while also being apart of some special moments along the way.

One of those moments may have just reached the top of the list as the former Pendleton County resident (now residing in Boone County) was able to deliver the first pitch at Great American Ballpark on July 17 as the Cincinnati Reds hosted the San Francisco Giants. Rodney was joined on the field by his lifelong idol, friend, and baseball legend Johnny Bench; widely regarded as the greatest catcher to ever play the game.

What's even better? The moment was at the request of Bench himself as he informed Rodney that he'd be joining him on the field back in the spring as baseball season got underway. In their interactions that took place over the next few months, Bench would joke to Rodney to make sure he got the ball to him once the moment arrived.

"I'll get it to you, don't worry," Rodney recalls with a laugh. "It ended up being a one-hopper but I got it to him," he says, now reliving the moment in his mind.

Rodney admitted to being nervous while he made his walk out to the front of the pitcher's mound, but it wasn't because of the hall of famer waiting to receive his thrown, the ten's of thousands of spectators filling the seats, or the large entourage of family, friends and supporters who turned out to cheer him on. It was because he was nervous he might fall over.

Remember the life curve balls mentioned earlier?

Rewind a little over three years ago, that was when a terrible work accident occurred that would cost Rodney his career as a successful plumber, his passion of being a key member of the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings Vintage Baseball team, as well as his left leg. But despite multiple surgeries, countless hours of rehabilitation, and plenty of reasons to hang his head in sorrow, Rodney instead created goals and went to work in seeing them through.

"Stepping out onto that grass the Reds play on, it felt different, and my leg actually gave out. It took a little bit to get comfortable but we made it out there. I had to throw the ball to Johnny underhanded because I got a bad shoulder, but once it was over he walked up and gave me a big hug," Rodney explained.

Rodney was also fortunate to be able to receive some VIP treatment on July 15 as he attended the Reds annual Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony that saw him in the company of Bench, as well as Pete Rose, Tony Perez, Davey Concepcion, and a slew of other former Reds players and personalities.

As he made his way onto the field to deliver his pitch, Rodney says that he was overwhelmed at the reception he received. He knew there would be some family members there to show their support but the end result caught him completely by surprise.

“All I could hear was screaming,” Rodney says laughing. “There were old friends and classmates that I hadn’t seen in decades, and they came out to support me. We ended up getting a big group photo during the third inning and I know that some people weren’t able to make it down for it. But it was all truly humbling, I can’t really find the words to say how appreciative I am for them.”

Rodney missed out on his daughter’s wedding which took place out of state. He physically cannot handle the long car ride, and his beloved wife Micki wasn’t at the game to see his pitch in person but she was able to catch the moment through social media posts. And no worries, another ceremony is in the works that Rodney can be there for.

Rodney’s fascination with Johnny Bench started as a youngster growing up in Falmouth. He recalls getting baseball cards with his older sister Cheri, who he says wasn’t much interested in them. Rodney still vividly remembers those days watching Bench star on the legendary “Big Red Machine” during the 1970’s and he even made the trip to Cooperstown, NY when Bench was enshrined into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Rodney’s son Zach was even born on the seventh of December...sharing a birthday with none other than Bench himself. Through the years Rodney starting collecting memorabilia and various other items all connected to Bench. He says now that his collection will stack up to anyone from around the country who considers themself a superfan of the Reds legend. He even donated a large portion of it to the Reds Hall of Fame upon its opening several years back.

Around 2007, Rodney was able to start the transition of going from fan to friend. He was fortunate enough to be able to do some plumbing work at Bench’s home and shortly thereafter a budding relationship began. Rodney says that he ended up doing several different handyman projects for Bench and that instead of being paid for his time and efforts, he was offered something more valuable to him...even more Bench memorabilia.

“As we got to know each other a little bit, I think Johnny could tell that I was genuine. I wasn’t trying to collect his stuff and turn around and sell it for big money, he could tell how much it meant to me.”

As the years went on, the two would cross paths on more occasions and somewhere along the way Rodney found himself inside of Bench’s “circle”. During his tribulations following his accident and just before his second amputation surgery, Rodney says that Bench recorded a short video with words of encouragement and sent it to him. By that time a sincere bond between the men had been established.

“Johnny is a good man. I can’t say enough how much our friendship means to me. It’s still hard to believe at times, knowing that I was once a boy who grew up idolizing him, and for many years now I’ve been able to call him my friend. I realize that a lot of people don’t get to experience something like this.”

The support from Bench as well as many others has been what has kept Rodney moving forward in recent years, even if it’s at a slower pace than he would prefer. He’s overcome the amputation, thyroid cancer and other obstacles through sheer determination and goal-oriented focus. He rehabbed hard so that he could join his Red Stockings teammates during the Opening Day parade as they walked the streets of downtown. After that, he wanted the opportunity to join his teammates on the field one final time and in May was able to do so at GABP.

Going forward, he wants to try provide inspiration to those who have and are going through similar circumstances such as the ones he’s endured. He believes his positive outlook and fiesty spirit can help uplift folks who may be having a hard time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

“People sometimes ask me, why am I so jovial? Why so upbeat? Well, why not? I’m still here. Were there times when I wanted to feel sorry for myself or be in a rotten mood about things happening the way they did? Sure. But you have to keep going. I’m a lucky guy in a lot of ways, and I think the right attitude has helped me be able to experience some really great things.”

For a guy who dedicated much of his life doing things that were inspired by his hero, little did he know that he would evolve into one himself.