Bob Horner cause of death: Bob Horner death: What happened to all-star hall of fame baseman?

Powerful third baseman Bob Horner, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1978 and a home run in his first game with the Atlanta Braves after skipping the minor leagues, has died. He was 68 years old. The Braves, who said they were informed of Horner’s death in Texas by his wife Chris on Tuesday, announced the news on the X account. The team did not report Horner’s cause of death.

Horner threw 218 homers in his 10-year career, including nine seasons with the Braves. The total included a four-inning game in 1986. He joined two-time MVP Dale Murphy as the heart of the Braves’ lineup for most of the 1980s.

After a standout career at Arizona State that earned him a spot in the first class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame, Horner became the Braves’ first draft pick to skip the minor leagues and play his first professional game in the major leagues. In his first game, Horner threw a homer against future Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven of the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 16, 1978.

Horner was named the NL Rookie of the Year after hitting .266 with 23 homers in 89 games. On July 6, 1986, against Montreal, Horner became the first Braves player to hit four homers in a game. This was the only four-homer game in the majors in the 1980s.

Horner had a compact swing and never struck out more than 75 in a season. He hit .277 for his career and had three seasons with more than 30 homers, including a career-high 35 in 1980. He became an All-Star in 1982 when he hit .261 with 32 homers and drove in 97 runs.

Horner left the Braves after the 1986 season and moved to the St. Louis in 1988. He signed a contract to play one season in Japan before returning to the major leagues to play for St. Louis. He retired during spring training before the 1989 season.
The Braves paid tribute to Horner, saying the third baseman “built a career out of going first,” noting that he was the first overall draft pick in 1978, the first Braves draft pick to skip the minor leagues and the organization’s first player to hit four homers in a game. Horner was the MVP of the 1977 College World Series at Arizona State and won his first Golden Spikes Award as the best player in college baseball in 1978. NCAA career record with 56 homers. The record is currently held by Oklahoma State’s Pete Incaviglia, who reached 100 from 1983-85.

In 2006, Horner was inducted into the inaugural class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame.