Angels Postseason Standout Bob Boone Dies at 78

Boone was a central player in the Angels’ strongest sustained stretch to that point in franchise history. The team acquired him from the Philadelphia Phillies in December 1981, and he played for California from 1982 through 1988. The Angels had three seasons with at least 90 wins and reached the American League Championship Series twice during that span.

He batted .368 across 12 ALCS games, with two home runs, seven runs scored and six RBIs. His postseason average remains the highest in Angels history among players with at least 25 at-bats. Boone won Gold Gloves in 1982, 1986, 1987 and 1988, and was an American League All-Star in 1983. He was named the team’s MVP by the local Baseball Writers’ Association of America chapter in 1983 and 1988.

Boone played 962 regular-season games at catcher for the Angels, a franchise record. Across his career, he appeared in 2,225 games behind the plate, the third-highest total in major-league history, and earned seven Gold Gloves. He began his major-league career with Philadelphia in 1972 and helped the Phillies win their first World Series title in 1980. His final game came with Kansas City in 1990, when he was 42.

After playing, Boone managed the Royals from 1995 to 1997 and the Cincinnati Reds from 2001 to 2003. He later joined the Washington Nationals’ front office, becoming assistant general manager and vice president for player development in 2009. He resigned in September 2021. The Boone family became baseball’s first three-generation major-league family, including Bob’s father Ray, son Bret and grandson Aaron.