Remembering Bob Boone’s impact on the KC Royals as fans mourn his passing

The baseball community was saddened to hear about the passing of 19-year major league veteran and manager Bob Boone on November 10. Boone, 78, was a was a career-long catcher, who made his MLB debut in 1972 with the Phillies and played until 1990, retiring at the age of 42. He went on to manage the Kansas City Royals and Reds after his retirement.

Boone ended his career with the Royals, playing his final two MLB seasons in 1989 and '90 with the organization. He was still a solid player, even in his early 40s, hitting .274 and catching over 1,000 innings, earning a Gold Glove in '89. He played just 40 games for the Royals in 1990, a broken finger causing him to miss most of the season and forcing his retirement.

Following his retirement, Boone came back to manage the Royals from 1995 until he was fired during the 1997 season. The Royals were under .500 in all three years he managed the club, finishing with a 181-206 record.

From Phillies, to Angels, to Royals, Bob Boone was a baseball lifer through and through

Boone was the son of former major league infielder Ray Boone, a two-time All-Star and 13-year veteran in his own right. He was a sixth-round draft choice by the Phillies in the 1969 draft out of Stanford University. He made his MLB debut three years later and spent the first ten seasons of his career in Philly. He signed with the Angels for the 1982 season, spending the next seven seasons in Anaheim before joining the Royals as a free agent.

Boone is regarded as one of the best defensive catchers ever. He won seven Gold Gloves behind the dish, the fourth most ever, including four straight from 1986 to 1989, his ages 38 to 41 seasons. He was also a four-time All-Star and received MVP votes in 1978 and 1982. When he retired, he held the record for most games caught all-time, though he has since been passed by Carlton Fisk and Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez.

Boone won a World Series as a member of the 1980 Phillies, who defeated the Royals in six games. He led the team with a .412 batting average in the series. He was inducted to the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2005.

He is the father of current Yankees manager Aaron Boone and former All-Star second baseman Bret Boone. He was actually able to manage Aaron during his playing career. Bob managed the Reds from 2001-2003, all seasons Aaron was a player on the team. Bob also has a third son, Matt, who played in the minor leagues from 1997-2003 in the Tigers and Reds organizations.

Boone was a baseball lifer. From his father, who played for a long time, to his own career, to a managerial career, and then to his sons, he had connections to the game from birth until death. The baseball community will miss him.

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