Former Braves All-Star Bob Horner Passes Away at 68

The Atlanta Braves have lost another team legend. Bob Horner, who was a key member of the franchise in the late 1970s and for most of the 1980s, has passed away at 68.

His death was announced by the team. A cause of death was not disclosed.

It’s been a tough last few weeks for Braves Country. The loss of Horner comes not long after the deaths of former team owner Ted Turner and Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox. Both passed away days apart earlier this month.

Horner is survived by his wife, Chris, and his two sons, Tyler and Trent.

Born in Kansas and raised in Arizona, Horner first arrived to the Braves organization when he was selected first overall out of Arizona State in the 1978 draft. The standout moments during his college career were being the Most Outstanding Player of the 1977 Men’s College World Series and the Gold Spikes Award in 1978, which goes to the top amateur player in baseball.

The Braves fast-tracked him to the major leagues, his debut coming just over a week after he was drafted. He made a strong first impression, taking home the 1989 National Rookie of the Year Award. He batted .266 with 23 home runs and 63 RBIs in 89 games that season.

Alongside Dale Murphy, Horner became a marquee player during the early years of the Braves’ TBS era.

He received his lone trip to the All-Star Game in 1982. During that same season, the Braves won their first and only division title, which in turn was their only playoff appearance between 1969 and 1991.

In four other different seasons, he received MVP votes, including a top-10 finish in 1980. On July 6, 1986, against the Montreal Expos, he became the 11th player overall, and the third Braves player, to hit four home runs in a game. He is the only player to achieve the feat in the Atlanta era.

In nine seasons in Atlanta, 1978 to 1986, he batted .278 with an .847 OPS with 215 home runs and 652 RBIs.

Due to what proved to be an act of collusion by MLB owners to bring down player salaries, Horner didn’t reach a deal with any MLB for the 1987 season.

He signed a one-year contract to play in Japan for the Yakult Swallows. During his season in Japan, Horner batted .327 with 31 home runs and 73 RBIs.

Horner returned to MLB with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1989. He suffered a shoulder injury that ended his season early. The injury was ultimately career-ending. It didn’t heal properly after a procedure, and he chose to retire at 31 years old.

Was briefly with the Orioles in Spring Training that year before making his decision.

Horner is a member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame, and he was part of the inaugural class in 2006. He is not yet in the Braves Hall of Fame, but many would like to see that change.

Despite the early retirement, he left a long-lasting impact on Braves fans who grew up in that era. He will be missed.

Add us as a preferred source on Google