After the 1972 season, Bench underwent surgery to remove a lesion from his lung, out of concern that it might be cancerous. The lesion would prove to be benign however, Bench stated in an interview that he was never the same player after the surgery. “They cut the ribs, they cut the bones, they cut the nerves, and so I never was the same player afterwards.” He remained productive, but never again hit 40 home runs in a season.
After the 1972 season, Bench underwent surgery to remove a lesion from his lung, out of concern that it might be cancerous. The lesion would prove to be benign however, Bench stated in an interview that he was never the same player after the surgery. “They cut the ribs, they cut the bones, they cut the nerves, and so I never was the same player afterwards.” He remained productive, but never again hit 40 home runs in a season.