100 Greatest Phillies: 32 – Bob Boone
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Mon, February 23, 2009 03:30 PM | Comments: 13
100 Greatest Phillies, Posts
Bob Boone
Catcher
1972-1981
Career w/Phillies: .259 AVG / 65 HR / 456 RBI / 23 SB
A three-time All Star and two-time Gold Glove winner as a Phillie, Bob Boone was one of the unquestioned leaders of the 1980 championship team. The second-generation ballplayer (his father was Ray Boone) was drafted by the Phillies in 1969 and made his franchise debut in 1972, at age 24. Quickly he established himself as one of baseball’s better all-around catchers, hitting 10 home runs with a .261 average in 1973, his rookie season. His best offensive seasons came between 1976 and ’79, when Boone hit about .283 over the course of those four seasons. But Boone was best on defense, committing just 25 errors between ’76 and ’79 and handling an ever-changing pitching staff through his entire Phillie tenure. Though not on the level of co-NL backstops Gary Carter and Ted Simmons, Boone ended his career as one of the game’s most durable and consistent catchers.
Comment: What Boone lacked offensively he made up for in defense, and altogether was an integral part of the team’s success in the 1970s. For this, it’s not hard to see why Boone is the highest-rated catcher of the 100 Greatest Phillies, narrowly defeating Darren Daulton and Mike Lieberthal.
Posts: 0 Good Night Joe Carter
My favorite Phillies catcher. I remember being there at the bicentennial celebration game in 1976 when Boone hit an inside-the-park homerun. Probably the only one of his career.
Posted: 03:43 PM on February 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Eric R
Always wondered if the Phils got rid of Boone partly due the strike in ’81 and he was the players’ rep. He went on for 8+ years, good defensive catcher…Phils wouldn’t have thought about Lance Parrish…
Posted: 03:47 PM on February 23, 2009
Posts: 0 BurrGundy
THis was a “Steady Eddy” if ever there was one. It is good to see him this high on the list. He was a very smart player and an excellent field general. Everyone respected him. He is indeed the best overall catcher in Phillies history.
Posted: 04:42 PM on February 23, 2009
Posts: 0 ryan
i’d have dutch ahead of boone for the franchise’s all time greatest catcher. but it’s not a huge disparity. i’d a flipped em in this list
Posted: 04:51 PM on February 23, 2009
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
Just a fun hint: There are six members of the ’80 champions remaining.
Posted: 04:53 PM on February 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Phil
schmidt maddox carlton bowa tugger and the bull. do i win, tim?
Posted: 05:11 PM on February 23, 2009
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
You got it, Phil.
Posted: 05:15 PM on February 23, 2009
Posts: 0 the lopez!
bob boone
now youre talking!
boonie was the consistent solid player behind the plate during the pre 21st century golden age of the phils.
whilst no von hayes, he certainly added offense and defense to phils during the 70′s
Posted: 07:25 PM on February 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Jeff Y.
I read an SI article about 12 years ago saying that he was a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame. I don’t know about that, but he was a big part of the 1980 WS team, that’s for sure.
Posted: 06:36 AM on February 24, 2009
Posts: 0 deal
He also made the post season seven times and I believe he retired from baseball with the most games at catcher all time.
Anybody that holds the record for games at their position for any length of time definitely deserves to be recognized as a great player.
Posted: 07:10 AM on February 24, 2009
Posts: 0 Phan in TN
Bob Boone was such a mainstay of the Phillie Phan mantra. It rolled off the tongue when I was a kid.. Bob Boone, Bake McBride, Larry Bowa…
Posted: 09:27 AM on February 24, 2009
Posts: 0 ashmidt
THE BOONES, THAT IS SOME FAMILY, THREE GENERATIONS ,CANT TELL ME ITS NOT IN THE GENES. NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT I DONT THINK GILES GOT ANYTHING FOR BOB, AND HE PLAYED ANOTHER TEN YEARS, I THINK FOR A CATCHER TO CATCH MORE GAMES THEN ANYONE ELSE IS INCREDIBLE. YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE TOUGH AND DURABLE, I KNOW THAT SWEEP TAG HE HAD, HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT, VERY SMART.
Posted: 09:44 PM on February 24, 2009
Posts: 0 Lamont Ospina
Go Saints! Become a fan of facebook page here: Colts Will Lose Super Bowl 2010!
Posted: 02:08 AM on February 1, 2010