Friday, May 29, 2026

R.I.P. Bob Horner


Former Braves third baseman Bob Horner passed away this week. He was 68. 

The Braves drafted Horner out of Arizona State, and he immediately played for Braves, hitting a home run in his first game. He never played a day in the minor leagues, though Ted Turner once tried to send him down during a slump.
Horner is the most recent Brave to hit four home runs in a game. For years he played third base, but eventually moved to first base after suffering a series of injuries. In an effort to change his luck, Horner changed his number from 5 to 11.
Some thought Horner to be overweight, but it never affected his mobility.
One of the reasons I'm posting these photos: Horner wore some classic Braves uniforms - starting with the red pinstripes and the red BP jerseys from the late 70's, the 1980's home unis trimmed in red, white, and blue, and the powder blue road uniforms. 
Horner and Dale Murphy were rookies the same year. From then on the two were often mentioned together: Murphy and Horner, Horner and Murphy. 
Another thing about Horner - in his career he wore several different brands of cleats: Brooks, Puma, and others.
Gary Matthews, Horner, 1B Chris Chambliss, and Murphy.
Horner famously jumped to the Japanese league, and the fans there loved him. His nickname was The Red Devil. He slugged 31 homers in 93 games, threatening records set by Japan's home run king - causing quite the stir.
Horner finished his career with the Cardinals, but manager Whitey Herzog didn't get a long with him.

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