Former Atlanta Braves star Bob Horner, one of the franchise’s most memorable sluggers of the 1980s, has died at 68.
The Braves announced Horner’s death Tuesday in a statement shared on social media, remembering him as a player who “built a career out of being first.”
No cause of death was immediately released.
Horner’s baseball story was unusual from the start.
After a standout college career at Arizona State University, he was selected by the Braves with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1978 MLB Draft. But unlike most young players, Horner never took the long road through the minor leagues.
He went straight to the majors just days after being drafted.
And he wasted no time proving he belonged.
Horner made an immediate impact in Atlanta, crushing 23 home runs in just 89 games during his rookie season. That breakout performance earned him National League Rookie of the Year honors in 1978.
Over the next several years, Horner became one of the Braves’ defining power hitters. From 1978 to 1986, he played nine seasons in Atlanta and helped give the team one of baseball’s most feared offensive pairings alongside fellow Braves star Dale Murphy.
Horner was named a National League All-Star in 1982.
Four years later, he made history again.
In 1986, Horner became one of the rare players in Major League Baseball history to hit four home runs in a single game. He pulled off the incredible feat against the Montreal Expos, becoming the first Atlanta Braves player ever to do it, according to the team.
By the time his major league career ended, Horner had compiled a .277 batting average with 218 home runs and 685 RBIs, according to MLB statistics.
For Braves fans, he was remembered not just for his power, but for the way he burst into the league and became a major force almost overnight.
“The Atlanta Braves extend sincere sympathies to his wife, Chris, two sons, Tyler and Trent, and his numerous friends and fans across the game,” the team said.