Legendary baseball player or Reds Icon Johnny Bench has expressed regret and issued an apology after making an offensive joke during the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The event, held on Saturday, was a tribute to former general manager Gabe Paul and former pitchers Danny Graves and Bronson Arroyo. The incident was first reported by news outlet WCPO.
After Gabe Paul joined, another former player, Pete Rose, shared a story about how Gabe signed him to a $400 per month contract when he graduated from high school. In response, Gabe’s daughter Jenny Paul commented that this amount is less.
However, Johnny Bench made inappropriate comments in a WCPO video. “He was Jewish,” he said, referring to Gabe Paul.
Jenny Paul later clarified that she had not heard the remarks of the bench.
On Sunday, Johnny Bench released a statement to address the situation and apologize. They said:
“I understand that my comment was insensitive. I apologize to Jenny for taking attention away from her father, who truly deserves to be acknowledged. Gabe Paul has earned his rightful place in the Reds Hall of Fame, right Just like the other dignitaries on that platform did. I’m sorry if my inappropriate comment distracted attention from Gabe’s accomplishments.”