Bob Boone, the father of Yankees manager Aaron Boone and three-time All-Star Bret Boone, died at the age of 78, according to multiple reports.
Like his sons, Bob enjoyed a strong career in the majors that earned him four All-Star team berths before spending six seasons managing.
The former catcher debuted with the Phillies in 1972 after being drafted by the franchise in the sixth round of the 1969 MLB Draft and ultimately spent 19 years in in the majors.
He finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1973, made his first All-Star team in 1976 and won the first of his seven Gold Gloves in 1978.
Bob, a San Diego native, helped the Phillies win their first championship in 1980 when they defeated the Royals in six games, and spent nine years with the franchise.
Philadelphia traded him to the Angels — then known as the California Angels — in 1981 and he enjoyed a solid seven-year run with the franchise.
His 16th-place finish in the AL MVP voting in 1982 in his first season with the team marked the best showing of his career, and he won four Gold Gloves with the organization.
Bob finished his career with two seasons with the Royals, appearing in 171 games from 1989-90.
He slashed .254/.315/.346 with 105 homers and 826 RBIs in his career.
Bob later transitioned to managing and would have been the manager of the expansion Orlando franchise — set to be in the NL — but Florida and Denver instead received teams.
He finally received his chance in 1995 to lead the Royals and went 181-206 over two-plus seasons, getting fired during his third campaign.
Boone then managed the Reds from 2001-03 before again being fired mid-season, and had the honor of coaching Aaron during that time before his famous 2003 trade to the Yankees.
He finished 371-444 as a manager.
Aaron later hit one of the most famous home runs in baseball history with the Yankees in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Red Sox and is entering his 10th year as the franchise’s manager.
Bret enjoyed a strong 14-year career, primarily with the Mariners and Reds, that included three All-Star berths and four Gold Gloves.
The Boone family has enjoyed three generations of big leaguers, with Bob’s father Ray spending 13 years with six teams from 1948-60.
