Strike Zone podcast: Previewing Opening Day with Johnny Bench
After a long, cold off-season, baseball is finally back, with all 30 teams set to start their seasons on either Sunday, April 3 or Monday, April 4. And to get ready for the upcoming year of baseball, Ted Keith and Steve Cannella are talking to a man who is all about the joy of Opening Day: Johnny Bench.
On this week's edition of The Strike Zone podcast, Ted and Steve discuss all things Opening Day with Bench, a Hall of Fame catcher and one of the greatest players in Cincinnati Reds history. Bench, who has partnered with Kingsford Charcoal to "take back Opening Day," gives his thoughts on why MLB should go back to having every team start the season on the same day and why Opening Day should be a holiday, and also shares his memories of his Opening Days with the Reds. The three then talk about which teams look the best as the season gets set to begin before diving into a debate about baseball culture, including Bench's opinion on players celebrating after home runs and whether there is a right way to play the game. Finally, Ted and Steve discuss how MLB could improve Opening Day and what they're most looking forward to when the season starts.
Want more top-notch baseball talk delivered straight to you every week? Then subscribe to The Strike Zone podcast on iTunes, Stitcher and Soundcloud. Have any questions, comments or thoughts on the show? Reach out to Ted, Steve or producer Jon Tayler on Twitter.
Check back on SI.com next week for another episode of The Strike Zone.
