Sports
Bob Boone, Catcher Who Anchored Phillies' 1980 World Series Run, Dies at 78
Bob Boone, the four-time All-Star and seven-time Gold Glove catcher who helped the Philadelphia Phillies win their first World Series in 1980, has died at 78. His son Bret announced the death, calling him 'a man of great integrity' and saying 'Baseball lost a great one.'
Bob Boone, the defensive standout behind the plate who helped the Philadelphia Phillies capture the franchise's first World Series title in 1980, died Tuesday at age 78, his family announced.
His son Bret Boone, a former major leaguer, shared the news on Facebook, describing his father as a man of great integrity and writing that "Baseball lost a great one."
Boone spent a decade in Philadelphia, from 1972 through 1981, and was a central figure in the 1980 championship club. He was regarded as one of the finest defensive catchers of his generation, earning four All-Star selections and seven Gold Glove Awards over a 19-year major league career. He finished with a .254 batting average, 105 home runs and 826 runs batted in.
Baseball ran in the family. Boone's father, Ray Boone, also played in the majors. Two of Bob Boone's three sons followed him into the big leagues: Bret became a three-time All-Star, and Aaron Boone played in the majors and now manages the New York Yankees.
After retiring as a player, Bob Boone managed the Kansas City Royals and the Cincinnati Reds. The Phillies inducted him into the team's Wall of Fame in 2005.
For Phillies fans, Boone's legacy is bound up with the 1980 title â the moment a long-suffering baseball city finally reached the top â and with a family name that has threaded through generations of the sport.