Bob Boone, the All-Star catcher who helped the Philadelphia Phillies win the World Series and became part of baseball’s first three-generation family dynasty, has died at 78. His cause of death has not been disclosed.
Boone was the second generation of the family to reach the major leagues, following his father, Ray, and preceding his sons Bret and Aaron. His death was reported by Greg Luzinski, Boone’s teammate on Philadelphia’s 1980 championship team.
Ray Boone, a journeyman infielder, died at 81 in 2004. Bob is survived by his wife, Sue, and their sons Bret, a former All-Star second baseman for the Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners, and Aaron, a longtime infielder who is the current manager of the New York Yankees.
“His play and mastery of catching inspired me to want to play the position,” Hall of Fame catcher and Philadelphia native Mike Piazza wrote on X. “God Bless.”
“What a marvelous man and privilege and honor to know,” longtime USA Today baseball columnist Bob Nightengale wrote on X.
Across 19 seasons with the Phillies from 1972 to 1981, the California Angels from 1982 to 1988 and the Kansas City Royals from 1989 to 1990, Boone caught 2,225 games, the third-highest total in MLB history. His seven Gold Glove Awards rank behind only Iván Rodríguez’s 13, Johnny Bench’s 10 and Yadier Molina’s nine among catchers.
Boone’s impact extended beyond his defensive accomplishments. He caught three of Steve Carlton’s Cy Young-winning seasons in Philadelphia and one of Bret Saberhagen’s Cy Young campaigns in Kansas City. One Phillies fan on X called him “one of the greatest catchers in [baseball] history.”
Aaron Boone (left), the current Yankees manager, is seen with his father Bob in 2020
Over 19 seasons with the Phillies (1972-81), California Angels (1982-88) and Kansas City Royals (1989-90), Boone played 2,225 games behind the plate, ranking third in MLB history
Though he was not known primarily for his offense, Boone finished his career with a .254 batting average and 105 home runs. His strongest seasons at the plate came in 1978 and 1979, when he hit 21 home runs and posted a .285 average with a .356 on-base percentage.
Boone was even more productive in the postseason, batting .311 with a .353 on-base percentage over 36 playoff and World Series games. He played a key role in the Phillies’ first World Series championship in 1980, hitting .412 with two doubles, RBIs and a .500 on-base percentage during their six-game victory over the Royals.
Boone later managed the Kansas City Royals from 1995 through 1997 and the Cincinnati Reds from 2001 to 2003. During his tenure with Cincinnati, he coached Aaron, while Bret was already playing for Seattle.
“He was a leader as a player, coach and manager,” former Reds general manager Jim Bowden wrote on X. “A great son husband father grandfather…gold glove catcher…loved baseball and family at an elite level…high class and character special human being…blessed to have spent many yrs with him.”
The Boone family’s athletic legacy extended beyond Bob and his sons.
Bob’s brother Rod played college baseball and later reached Triple-A. Their mother, Patsy, was a synchronized swimmer, while their sister Terry became a champion swimmer.
A journeyman infielder and patriarch of the Boone family, Ray passed away at 81 in 2004
Bret (left) gets some words of wisdom from his father, Bob (right), during the elder Boone’s days as the Cincinnati Reds’ bench coach under then-manager Davey Johnson
Catcher Bob Boone #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies in action during a 1973 game at the Vet
Although baseball was his focus from an early age, Boone demonstrated considerable versatility on the field.
Growing up in California, he played third base, as his father had, and also pitched at Stanford. The Phillies selected him in the sixth round of the 1969 amateur draft, after which he moved to catcher in the minor leagues.
Boone went on to become one of baseball’s premier defensive catchers, maintaining that standard well into his 30s, when many players at the position begin to step away. In 1986, at age 38, he caught 150 games for California.
“Bob Boone is a freak,” Angels manager Gene Mauch told the LA Times during the team’s 1986 pennant run. “I never dreamed he’d catch that many games. With 125, I’d have been ecstatic.”
“A-hundred-and-fifty games is not realistic for a 38-year catcher; it’s ridiculous. Except it’s not ridiculous to Bob Boone. I quit being surprised by Bob Boone a long time ago. I’ve never known anyone so mentally tough and impervious to pain.”
