A Royal Interview: A Brief Conversation with Bob Boone

By David Hill | Sep 6, 2014

Bob Boone has had quite the career in baseball. The son of Ray Boone, and father to Bret Boone and Aaron Boone, Boone had quite the career himself. In his 19 year major league career, Boone was named to four All-Star teams and won seven Gold Glove awards, including four in a row from age 38 through age 41. After his playing days, Boone got into coaching, managing the Royals and the Cincinnati Reds. Currently, Boone works as the Vice President of Player Personnel for the Washington Nationals.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Boone, courtesy of AstraZeneca in conjunction with National Cholesterol Education Month, for our sister site District on Deck. Even though most of the interview centered on the Nationals, I was able to ask Mr. Boone about his time with the Royals and a couple of questions about his career. The rest of the interview, where we discussed the Nationals side of things, can be read here.

KoK: You played 19 seasons in the majors, even winning a Gold Glove award in1989 at the age of 41. What was the key to your longevity?

BB: DNA played a big part. My father was a major leaguer, and both my sons made the bigs as well. Aside from that, hard work. I trained every day for the last 15 years of my career. Even now, my son gets on me for not lifting. I tell him that I’m walking to keep my heart in shape, but lifting hurts my shoulder. Besides, a loose shirt covers the flab.

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KoK: The last couple of seasons of your career were spent with the Royals, back when they were still a contending ballclub. What was the atmosphere like back then?

BB: It was terrific. They just missed being a losing ballclub the year before I went over, then I went there and we came in second (92-70, the last Royals team to win 90 or more games). The key was the great pitching they had back then, with Mark Gubicza, Bert Saberhagen and a young Tom Gordon. Of course, how could it not be electric with George Brett?

KoK: Who were some of the most exciting players you played with?

BB: Oh, there were quite a few over the years. With the Phillies, there was Mike Schmidt, Larry Bowa, Pete Rose and Tug McGraw. California had Rod Carew, Brian Downing and Reggie Jackson. Kansas City, Brett and Saberhagen definitely fit.

KoK: This interview was made possible by AstraZeneca and National Cholesterol Education Month. What did your own diagnosis of high cholesterol mean to you and what can our readers do to prevent it?

BB: The biggest thing is to realize that there are no symptoms. You have to be diligent about being checked. That’s what today is for – making people aware. We’re giving people the chance to get a screening and blood test to get their cholesterol checked.

High cholesterol can lead to heart disease, so it’s important to spread awareness. With medication, the right diet and regular checkups, it can be brought under control. The important thing is to get checked.

KoK: Finally, the Nationals are one of five teams to be part of the educational initiative with AstraZeneca this month. What sort of programs and initiatives will be coming up in the future?

BB: Well, we’d like this to be successful. We’re spreading the word, using publicity to make people aware to see their doctor and to get checked. Medication and diet are a big part. But remember to get checked.

Our thanks once again to Bob Boone and the folks at AstraZeneca for making this interview possible.

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