Bob Boone, World Series champ, Phillies Wall of Famer dies at 78

Phillies news Bob Boone, World Series champ, Phillies Wall of Famer dies at 78 Boone’s road to seven Gold Gloves started with conversion to catcher in Phillies’ farm system. By Jim Salisbury • Published November 10, 2026 Bob Boone, one of the pillars on which the Phillies’ 1980 World Series Championship team was built, has died at age 78. The former catcher was a member of the Phillies Wall of Fame and part of the first three-generation family in baseball history. Stream Philadelphia News for free, 24/7, wherever you are with NBC10. WATCH HERE His father, Ray, was an infielder who played 13 seasons in the majors and was a two-time All-Star with the Detroit Tigers. Ray Boone then went on to become a legendary scout with the Boston Red Sox. Bob’s sons, Bret and Aaron, both had long playing careers in the majors. Aaron currently manages the New York Yankees. Bret and Aaron spent parts of their youth in the Philadelphia area. Aaron, in fact, remains a staunch Eagles fan. Bob Boone played 19 seasons in the majors, 10 with the Phillies, seven with the California Angels and two with the Kansas City Royals. He later managed the Royals and Cincinnati Reds. Though he played in the National League at a time when Cincinnati’s Johnny Bench dominated the catching position, Boone held his own against the eventual Hall of Famer. He won two Gold Gloves with the Phillies and five more with the Angels in the American League. He was a three-time All-Star with the Phillies. He caught 2,225 games in his career, third-most ever behind Hall of Famers Ivan Rodriguez and Carlton Fisk. Boone’s ascension to elite status as a catcher came after he converted to the position as a minor-leaguer in the Phillies system. He had been a third baseman when the Phillies selected him in the sixth round of the 1969 draft out of Stanford University. Andy Seminick, the catcher for the Phillies’ 1950 Whiz Kids NL pennant-winning team, tutored Boone as he converted to catcher. The move ultimately cleared the way for Mike Schmidt to take over at third base. Schmidt, who went on to make the Hall of Fame, had been a shortstop at Ohio University when the Phillies selected him in the second round of the 1971 draft. Along with Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Larry Bowa, Greg Luzinski, Garry Maddox, Tug McGraw and others, Boone went on to become part of the core that won the Phillies’ first World Series title in 1980. Local Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. weather forecast 10 hours ago Bright and calmer wind for Wednesday North Philadelphia 4 hours ago Dozens of shell casings marked for shooting under investigation in North Philly In that series, Boone was involved in one of the most memorable plays in franchise history. In the ninth inning of the clinching Game 6 win over Kansas City at raucous Veterans Stadium, he dropped a Frank White pop-up in front of the Phillies’ dugout. First baseman Pete Rose, who had also converged on the ball, was there to snatch the loose ball out of the air for the second out. In later years, Boone consistently defended himself, saying the ball should have been Rose’s all the way. He claimed Rose had gotten to the ball late, forcing him into a difficult play far from his position. In the end, the ball stayed in Boone’s glove. He recorded the final putout when McGraw struck out Willie Wilson to end the game and clinch the title. Boone was a strong postseason performer. He played in 36 postseason games in his career and hit .311 with two homers and 13 RBIs. In the 1980 World Series, he hit .412 (7 for 17) with four RBIs. As a 38-year-old with the Angles in 1986, he went 10 for 22 (.455) with a homer and two RBIs against Boston in the American League Championship Series. This article tagged under: Phillies news