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Bob Horner, who played high school baseball in Glendale before starring at Arizona State and the Atlanta Braves, has died. He was 68.
Horner was recently ranked No. 1 by The Arizona Republic on its all-time greatest Arizona high school baseball player list.
Horner starred at Glendale Apollo in 1975, before putting together a storybook career at Arizona State, then becoming the National League Rookie of the Year for the Atlanta Braves in 1978. He was the No. 1 player drafted that year and went straight to the majors.
The Braves posted news about Horner's death on Tuesday, May 26, on X. It began with, "Bob Horner built a career out of being first."
A cause of death was not given.
"He was the first overall pick in the 1978 draft after an illustrious collegiate career," the Braves' statement read. "He was the first Braves draftee to skip the minor leagues entirely and debut directly in the majors. And he was the first Atlanta player to ever hit four home runs in a single game when he did so against the Montreal Expos in 1986. The National League Rookie of the Year in 1978 and an NL All-Star in 1982, Horner teamed with Dale Murphy to form one of the most feared power duos in the game for nearly a decade.
"The Atlanta Braves extend sincere sympathies to his wife, Chris, two sons, Tyler and Trent, and his numerous friends and fans across the game."
Horner was the Golden Spikes Award winner in 1978 at ASU, where he set a then-single-season school home run record with 25. He hit 58 home runs in his ASU career. In 1977, he was named the College World Series Outstanding Player, leading the Sun Devils to the national title. He was part of the College Baseball Hall of Fame's inaugural class in 2006.
In 10 seasons with the Braves, Horner hit .277 with 218 home runs and 685 RBIs.
Ray Alonzo, who was a freshman baseball coach at Apollo in 1975 when Horner was a senior shortstop, was shocked to hear about Horner's death.
He recalled a high school scouting report on Horner: "Do not throw anything close to Horner."
"We're going to walk him," Alonzo recalled an opposing coach telling his pitcher. "Then, he said, 'I'll be darn, but the first pitch he throws was up and away, and Horner took it out of the yard.'
"I was a brand new coach,'' Alonzo said. "I remember before practice he wanted ground balls for half an hour. I was the infield coach then, and it was my responsibility."
Horner starred at third base with the Braves. He would come back to Apollo in the offseason to hold camps.
"He was something special," Alonzo said. "People don't remember, but he was a heck of a basketball player, too."
Alonzo said Horner was a man of few words. He said his dad was very supportive and that he came from a good family.
"I was just a freshman coach and he was carrying stuff for us," Alonzo said.
Horner is survived by his wife, Chris, and sons Tyler and Trent.
Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. He also covers Grand Canyon University athletics and the Arizona Rattlers. Please sign up for Azcentral Preps Now newsletter. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Atlanta Braves great Bob Horner dies at 68
Continue reading...
Horner was recently ranked No. 1 by The Arizona Republic on its all-time greatest Arizona high school baseball player list.
Horner starred at Glendale Apollo in 1975, before putting together a storybook career at Arizona State, then becoming the National League Rookie of the Year for the Atlanta Braves in 1978. He was the No. 1 player drafted that year and went straight to the majors.
The Braves posted news about Horner's death on Tuesday, May 26, on X. It began with, "Bob Horner built a career out of being first."
A cause of death was not given.
"He was the first overall pick in the 1978 draft after an illustrious collegiate career," the Braves' statement read. "He was the first Braves draftee to skip the minor leagues entirely and debut directly in the majors. And he was the first Atlanta player to ever hit four home runs in a single game when he did so against the Montreal Expos in 1986. The National League Rookie of the Year in 1978 and an NL All-Star in 1982, Horner teamed with Dale Murphy to form one of the most feared power duos in the game for nearly a decade.
"The Atlanta Braves extend sincere sympathies to his wife, Chris, two sons, Tyler and Trent, and his numerous friends and fans across the game."
Horner was the Golden Spikes Award winner in 1978 at ASU, where he set a then-single-season school home run record with 25. He hit 58 home runs in his ASU career. In 1977, he was named the College World Series Outstanding Player, leading the Sun Devils to the national title. He was part of the College Baseball Hall of Fame's inaugural class in 2006.
In 10 seasons with the Braves, Horner hit .277 with 218 home runs and 685 RBIs.
Ray Alonzo, who was a freshman baseball coach at Apollo in 1975 when Horner was a senior shortstop, was shocked to hear about Horner's death.
He recalled a high school scouting report on Horner: "Do not throw anything close to Horner."
"We're going to walk him," Alonzo recalled an opposing coach telling his pitcher. "Then, he said, 'I'll be darn, but the first pitch he throws was up and away, and Horner took it out of the yard.'
"I was a brand new coach,'' Alonzo said. "I remember before practice he wanted ground balls for half an hour. I was the infield coach then, and it was my responsibility."
Horner starred at third base with the Braves. He would come back to Apollo in the offseason to hold camps.
"He was something special," Alonzo said. "People don't remember, but he was a heck of a basketball player, too."
Alonzo said Horner was a man of few words. He said his dad was very supportive and that he came from a good family.
"I was just a freshman coach and he was carrying stuff for us," Alonzo said.
Horner is survived by his wife, Chris, and sons Tyler and Trent.
Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. He also covers Grand Canyon University athletics and the Arizona Rattlers. Please sign up for Azcentral Preps Now newsletter. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Atlanta Braves great Bob Horner dies at 68
Continue reading...
