Bob Boone: The family business

Philadelphia Phillie catcher Bob Boone gets ready to tag Kansasa City Royal Darrell Porter at home plate in the 1980 World Series.

Source: Facebook/Baseball in Pics

(May be subject to copyright)

When my beloved Toronto Blue Jays were playing the New York Yankees recently, Sportsnet zoomed in on Yankee manager Aaron Boone. It took me back more than 40 years to the 1980 Major League Baseball season.

The Montreal Expos were contending for the National League Division title, chasing the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies had a catcher I just loved named Bob Boone. When I saw Aaron, I knew he was Bob’s son.

The funny thing is, in 1980, I heard that Bob too was the son of a major leaguer, information revealed to me on the back of his baseball card.

That really makes baseball the family business for the Boones.

In the beginning
Bob Boone was a catcher drafted in 1969 by the Philadelphia Phillies, making his major league debut in 1972. He would play for the Phillies from 1972 until 1981. In that time he was an all-star in 1976, 1978, and 1979; and won Gold Gloves in 1978 and 1979.

Sunny in Philadelphia
The first time I saw him was in that 1980 season. The Montreal Expos challenged the Phillies for the American League East Division title, before Philadelphia prevailed. They would go on to defeat the Houston Astros, the National League West Division champions, in the National League Championship Series. Then they won the World Series by defeating the Kansas City Royals in six games.

The next year, a players’ strike forced a stoppage during the season. Major League Baseball decided to create a second round of playoffs. The teams who were in first when play stopped were declared the first half division champions. Play would resume and the winners of the second half would play the first half champions.

The Phillies were leading in the first half. Montreal won the second half so they would play Philadelphia in a best-of-five series. Montreal won that divisional series in five games.

Again Boone started behind the plate for the Phillies.

That divisional series would be the last games Bob Boone played in a Phillies uniform.

California dreaming
Bob Boone moved on to Anaheim to play for the California Angels to start the 1982 season, after being sold by the Phillies. Wikipedia reveals Philadelphia may have sold him because he did not have a productive 1981 season, or because he was one of the labour leaders in the 1981 strike.

In any event, Bob Boone rebounded with a solid 1982 season. He threw out 21 of the first 34 steal attempts on his way to his third Gold Glove. He also helped California win the American League West Division before losing to the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League Championship Series.

He would be named an all-star in 1983, the fourth time in his career, and he won Gold Gloves in 1986, 1987, and 1988.

Royal treatment
Boone signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Royals before the 1989 season. He won the final Gold Glove of his career in 1989. However, he broke his finger in 1990 which hastened his retirement that same year.

He finished his career appearing in 2,264 games, recording 1,838 hits, including 105 home runs, and 826 runs batted in.

Boone would return to manage the Royals from 1995 to 1997 and also spent three years managing the Cincinnati Reds from 2001 to 2003.

Family affair
Bob Boone was the son of Ray Boone, who played in the major leagues from 1948 to 1960, spending time with Cleveland, Detroit, the Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Athletics, Milwaukee Braves and Boston Red Sox.

Ray Boone was an all-star in 1954 and 1956 and was the American League leader in runs batted in 1955, all with Detroit. He also won a World Series with Cleveland in 1948.

His career batting average was .275, he hit 151 home runs, and had 737 runs batted in.

Bob Boone has two sons who played in the major leagues as well.

Bret Boone played from 1992 to 2005, spending time with Seattle, Cincinnati, Atlanta, San Diego, Seattle again, and Minnesota. He was an all-star in 1998 with Cincinnati, and with Seattle in 2001 and 2003. He won four Gold gloves, in 1998 with Cincinnati and 2002, 2003 and 2004 with Seattle. He was a Silver Slugger in 2001 and 2003 with Seattle. Boone also led the American League in runs batted in just like his grandfather Ray, in 2001 with Seattle. He finished his career with a .266 batting average, 252 home runs and 1,021 runs batted in.

Aaron Boone played in the major leagues from 1997 to 2009, playing with Cincinnati, the New York Yankees, Cleveland, Florida, Washington and Houston. He was an all-star in 2003 with the Yankees, and finished his career batting .263 with 126 home runs and 555 runs batted in. He has been the manager of the New York Yankees since 2018.

Parting thoughts
When I watched Aaron Boone manage recently, it came up that he was the son of a major leaguer and World Series champion. The funny thing is, when I watched his dad Bob Boone play for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980, it came up that he was the son of a major leaguer and World Series champion. I got to read that on the back of a baseball card as well.

Baseball really is a family affair for the Boone family.