Bob Boone

Robert Raymond Boone was born on 19 November 1947 in San Diego, California. His father, Ray Boone, was a two time All-Star infielder with the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers. His mother, Patsy, was a synchronised swimmer who swam with Esther Williams in films, his sister Terry was a champion swimmer and his brother Rod played Triple-A baseball. The family traced its descent to the American pioneer Daniel Boone.

Boone attended Stanford University, where he played baseball and joined the Zeta Psi fraternity, and was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the sixth round, 126th overall, of the 1969 amateur draft.

Boone made his major league debut with the Phillies in late 1972. Never a heavy hitter, he made his name behind the plate: in 1977 he committed only eight errors and allowed just three passed balls. He was a National League All-Star in 1976, 1978 and 1979, won Gold Gloves in 1978 and 1979, and was the starting catcher when the Phillies won their first World Series in 1980.

After the 1981 season, in which he had been a prominent figure in the players' negotiations during the strike, the Phillies traded him to the California Angels. From 1982 to 1988 he anchored the most successful Angels teams to that point, winning Gold Gloves in 1982, 1986, 1987 and 1988, making the 1983 All-Star team and twice being voted team MVP by local baseball writers. On 30 September 1984 he caught Mike Witt's perfect game. In 12 American League Championship Series games he hit .368 with two home runs, and his 962 games at catcher remain an Angels record.

He signed with the Kansas City Royals as a free agent, won a seventh Gold Glove in 1989, and retired after a broken finger shortened his 1990 season, at the age of 42. In 19 seasons he played 2,264 games, catching 2,225 of them, a major league record until Carlton Fisk passed it. He batted .254 with 1,838 hits, 105 home runs and 826 runs batted in, caught 117 shutouts and threw out Rickey Henderson in 15 of 26 steal attempts.

In 1990 he was named manager of the proposed Orlando SunRays expansion team, which was not awarded a franchise. He managed the Royals from 1995 until he was dismissed during the 1997 season, and the Cincinnati Reds from 2001 until July 2003. He later served in the front office of the Washington Nationals.

Boone and his wife, Susan, had three sons. Bret Boone played 14 seasons in the majors and was a three time All-Star second baseman; Aaron Boone, also an All-Star, hit the pennant winning home run for the New York Yankees in 2003 and later became the Yankees' manager. Bret's son Jake Boone also entered professional baseball.

Bob Boone died on 9 November 2026, aged 78. News of his death was shared late that Monday on social media by his former Phillies teammate Greg Luzinski and by former Cincinnati Reds general manager Jim Bowden, who had hired him to manage the Reds, and was then reported by Sports Illustrated and other outlets. The cause of death was not made public in the initial reports.

Boone is remembered as one of the most durable and technically accomplished catchers in baseball history, a defensive standard bearer whose 2,225 games caught set a record and whose seven Gold Gloves reflected his skill at framing, blocking and throwing. He was inducted into the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame in 2005. With his father and sons he formed the first three generation family in the majors, and all four were All-Stars, a distinction unique in the sport.