THE SIDELINES : Bench to Adorn Wheaties Boxes
Retired Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench has become the first individual baseball player to be chosen to have his picture placed on boxes of Wheaties cereal.
General Mills Inc. announced Wednesday that a picture of Bench in his Reds catching gear will be on the front of some Wheaties boxes being shipped to certain markets.
“This is a great honor for me,” said Bench, who retired after the 1983 season and will be inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame on July 23 in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Bench, now a Reds television broadcaster, said he ate the cereal as a child and recalls seeing a picture of Olympic pole-vaulter Bob Richards on the box.
The Minnesota Twins were honored with having their team picture on Wheaties boxes after the Twins won the 1987 World Series.
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