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Atlanta Braves great Bob Horner, who once hit four home runs in a single game, has died, the team announced Tuesday. He was 68 years old.
Horner was named the National League’s Rookie of the Year in 1978 and made its first and only All-Star team in 1982. The Braves released a statement on Horner’s death on social media. The team has not announced the cause of death.
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Atlanta Braves infielder Bob Horner is shown at Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, in a file photo. (Manny Rubio/USA TODAY Sports)
“Bob Horner built his career on going first. He was the first overall pick in the 1978 draft after an illustrious college career. He was the first Braves rookie to skip the minor leagues entirely and debut directly in the major leagues. And he was the first Atlanta player to hit four home runs in a single game when he did so against the Montreal Expos in 1986,” the team said.
“National League Rookie of the Year in 1978 and National League All-Star in 1982, Horner teamed with Dale Murphy to form one of the most feared power duos in the game for nearly a decade.
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Bob Horner of the Atlanta Braves bats against the Philadelphia Phillies during a Major League Baseball game at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, circa 1983. Horner played for the Braves from 1978 to 1986. (Focus on sport/Getty Images)
“The Atlanta Braves extend our sincere condolences to his wife, Chris, his two sons, Tyler and Trent, and his many friends and fans throughout the game.”
Horner played nine of his ten years in the big leagues with the Braves, spending his final year in the major leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals.
He played in 1,020 games, hit 218 home runs and never struck out more than 75 times in a single season.
Atlanta selected him with the first pick in the 1978 MLB Draft out of Arizona State after a stellar career with the Sun Devils. He was later inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class.
Atlanta Braves captain and third baseman Bob Horner celebrates with teammate Chris Chambliss after defeating the Cincinnati Reds on April 23, 1982, at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta. (Joe Sebo/AP)
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He was MVP of the 1977 College World Series and won the first Golden Spikes Award as college baseball’s best player in 1978.
