Bob Horner

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For the Canadian politician, see Robert Horner.

Bob Horner
Third baseman / First baseman
Born: (1957-08-06) August 6, 1957 (age 66)
Junction City, Kansas, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Professional debut
MLB: June 16, 1978, for the Atlanta Braves
NPB: 1987, for the Yakult Swallows
Last appearance
NPB: 1987, for the Yakult Swallows
MLB: June 18, 1988, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
Batting average.277
Home runs218
Runs batted in685
NPB statistics
Batting average.327
Home runs31
Runs batted in73
Teams
Career highlights and awards

James Robert Horner (born August 6, 1957) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and first baseman who played ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Atlanta Braves.

After a record-setting NCAA College athletic career with the

minor leagues and moved directly to the major leagues where together with Dale Murphy, he formed a power-hitting tandem for the Atlanta Braves teams of the early 1980s. Known for his powerful hitting, Horner averaged 35 home runs and 109 runs batted per his 162-game average and became the 11th player in Major League Baseball history to hit four home runs in one game on July 6, 1986.[1] He was named the 1978 National League (NL) Rookie of the Year and was a member of the 1982 National League All-Star team
.

Horner became a victim of the

College Baseball Hall of Fame as a member of its inaugural class on July 4, 2006.[3]

Amateur career

Horner was born in Junction City, Kansas, but grew up in Glendale, Arizona. He attended Apollo High School, where he set school records. His college career at Arizona State University culminated with being named the first winner of the Golden Spikes Award. With his nine home runs in 1976 he is tied with Ike Davis (2006) for third all-time by a Sun Devil freshman, two behind Barry Bonds (1983).

A

MVP of 1977 College World Series
.

Professional career

Horner was drafted by Atlanta with the

Rookie of the Year honor over Ozzie Smith
.

Horner with the Atlanta Braves circa 1980

In 1979, Horner batted .314 with 33 homers and 98 RBIs. In 1980, Horner batted .268, with 35 home runs and 89 RBIs despite being sidelined for a total of 79 games in both seasons after recurring shoulder and leg injuries. In the strike-shortened 1981 season, he hit .277 with 15 home runs and 42 RBIs in 79 games. Horner rejuvenated in 1982, finishing with 32 home runs, 97 RBIs, and an OBP of .350, while slugging .501.

In August 1983, Horner was hitting .303 with 20 homers and a career-high OBP of .383 when he fractured his right wrist while sliding, missing the last 43 games of the season. In May 1984, Horner broke his left wrist while diving after a ball and he was sidelined for the rest of the season.[4]

In 1985, Horner played 130 games and finished with a .267 batting average, 27 home runs, and 89 RBIs. In 1986, Horner set personal highlights. On July 6, 1986, in a game against the Expos, he became the eleventh player in Major League Baseball history to hit four home runs in a single game and only the second one to do so in a game that his team lost (the first one being Ed Delahanty). Later in the season, after hitting a record 210 career home runs without a grand slam, Horner finally belted a homer with the bases loaded to give the Braves a 4–2 victory over the Pirates. Horner's record for homers without a grand slam stood until 1998 when Sammy Sosa surpassed the mark by hitting his first grand slam on the 248th home run of his career.

Horner became a free agent in 1987, after his first season of more than 500 at-bats. Although Horner was still near his peak, the Major League clubs were then

Yakult Swallows of Japan's Central League.[7] He was given number 50 by the organization because that was the number of home runs they expected him to hit.[8]
He ended up hitting 31 homers and had 73 RBIs for the team.

Despite Yakult offering Horner a reported $10 million for a new three-year contract,[9] Horner returned to the majors in 1988 with the St. Louis Cardinals. After 60 games, however, he injured his left shoulder. After being invited to spring training by the Baltimore Orioles in 1989, Horner announced his retirement.

In his ten-year Major League career, Horner batted .277 with 218 home runs, 685 RBIs, 560

slugging average in 1,020 games. Defensively, in 684 games at third base, he compiled a .946 fielding percentage
, and in 330 games at first base, he posted a .994 fielding percentage. Overall, his career fielding percentage was .977.

Legacy

On July 4, 2006, Horner was inducted into the

College Baseball Hall of Fame as a member of its inaugural class.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Bob Horner career statistics". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Braves Throwback Thursday: Bob Horner's Atlanta tenure ends under cloud of collusion". batterypower.com. February 18, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  3. ^ "Bob Horner at the College Baseball Hall of Fame". mlb.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  4. ^ Atlanta Braves third baseman Bob Horner suffered a broken...
  5. ^ Whiting, Robert. You Gotta Have Wa (Vintage Departures, 1989), p. 6.
  6. ^ Chass, Murray. " ON BASEBALL; Collusion Checks Are Signal of End Of Owners' Error," New York Times (May 25, 2004).
  7. ^ "CAUSING A MAJOR COMMOTION : Bob Horner's Arrival in Japan Has Left Fans, Media in Frenzy - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. June 17, 1987.
  8. ^ Whiting, p. 10.
  9. ^ Whiting, p. 23.
  10. ^ Associated Press. "Winfield, Dedeaux inducted to new College Baseball Hall of Fame," USA Today (July 4, 2006).

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Topps Rookie All-Star Third Baseman

1978 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
National League Player of the Month

July 1980 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Batters with 4 home runs in one game

July 6, 1986 		Succeeded by
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