Bob Boone

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  • Cowtipper
    Retired
    • Dec 2006
    • 18188

    Bob Boone

    Catcher Bob Boone spent 19 years in the big leagues, hitting .254 with 1,838 hits, 105 home runs, 826 RBI, 2,508 total bases and 663 walks to only 608 strikeouts. He was an All-Star four times, a Gold Glover seven times, he twice received MVP votes and in 1973 he finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He remained on the Hall of Fame ballot for five years, earning as much as 7.7% of the vote.

    He wasn't much of an offensive threat--it was his defense that he was known for. He led the league in defensive WAR twice (he is 15th all-time in that category), games at catcher six times (he is third all time there), catcher putouts three times, catcher assists six times, runners caught stealing three times, caught stealing percentage twice and catcher fielding percentage once. He wasn't a complete dud offensively, however--he hit at least 10 home runs three times, slugged over .400 thrice and had over 60 RBI thrice as well.

    In the postseason, he was a completely different hitter. He batted .311 with 33 hits, two home runs, 13 RBI and 12 runs scored in 106 playoff at-bats. He hit .400 or better in three different series, batting .455 with 10 hits in the 1986 ALCS. He earned one World Series ring in his career.

    Statistically, he is similar to two Hall of Fame catchers: Al Lopez and Rick Ferrell. He is also similar to Tony Pena, Brad Ausmus, Jim Sundberg, Chris Speier, Leo Cardenas, Deacon McGuire, Benito Santiago and Sherm Lollar. He scores 102 on the Hall of Fame monitor (an average Hall of Famer has a score of 100) and he is ranked #574 on the Fan EloRater, ahead of George Bell, Phil Garner and Zeke Bonura, but behind Ezra Sutton, Vinny Castilla and Bret Boone.

    He later became a manager, winning 371 games in that role.

    What do you think of Bob Boone? Should he be in the Hall of Fame? Did he have Hall of Fame potential?
    34
    Yes
    5.88%
    2
    No
    61.76%
    21
    Maybe
    20.59%
    7
    Not a Hall of Famer, but he had Hall of Fame potential
    11.76%
    4
  • Ben Grimm
    Semi-lucid User
    • Jun 2012
    • 6139

    #2
    I remember seeing Bob Boone's first (and probably only) grand slam back when i was a kid sitting in section 230 of the Vet. My uncle, who took me to ballgames on Sundays, used to ridicule his [Boone's] hitting, and I still remember the shocked look on his face when the ball was about to land.
    "Chuckie doesn't take on 2-0. Chuckie's hackin'." - Chuck Carr two days prior to being released by the Milwaukee Brewers

    Comment

    • Jackaroo Dave
      Registered User
      • Jan 2012
      • 1228

      #3
      I have to say I'm truly agnostic, make that ignorant, about this. The state of catcher defense evaluation is so amorphous that under one set of assumptions he'd be a shoo in, from another, no way.
      Indeed the first step toward finding out is to acknowledge you do not satisfactorily know already; so that no blight can so surely arrest all intellectual growth as the blight of cocksureness.--CS Peirce

      Comment

      • chicagowhitesox1173
        2005 World Series Champs
        • Jun 2010
        • 5798

        #4
        I think theres alot of guys who need to get voted in before him but if he was voted in someday I wouldn't have a big problem.
        "(Shoeless Joe Jackson's fall from grace is one of the real tragedies of baseball. I always thought he was more sinned against than sinning." -- Connie Mack

        "I have the ultimate respect for Whitesox fans. They were as miserable as the Cubs and Redsox fans ever were but always had the good decency to keep it to themselves. And when they finally won the World Series, they celebrated without annoying every other fan in the country."--Jim Caple, ESPN (Jan. 12, 2011)

        Comment

        • Ben Grimm
          Semi-lucid User
          • Jun 2012
          • 6139

          #5
          Originally posted by Jackaroo Dave View Post
          I have to say I'm truly agnostic, make that ignorant, about this. The state of catcher defense evaluation is so amorphous that under one set of assumptions he'd be a shoo in, from another, no way.
          IMO, he's a Phillies "Wall of Fame" player - sure. But I don't see him as a HoFer whatsoever.
          "Chuckie doesn't take on 2-0. Chuckie's hackin'." - Chuck Carr two days prior to being released by the Milwaukee Brewers

          Comment

          • Ben Grimm
            Semi-lucid User
            • Jun 2012
            • 6139

            #6
            Originally posted by chicagowhitesox1173 View Post
            but if he was voted in someday I wouldn't have a big problem.
            Oh, I would.
            "Chuckie doesn't take on 2-0. Chuckie's hackin'." - Chuck Carr two days prior to being released by the Milwaukee Brewers

            Comment

            • chicagowhitesox1173
              2005 World Series Champs
              • Jun 2010
              • 5798

              #7
              Originally posted by Ben Grimm View Post
              Oh, I would.
              He did play for alot of division winners and caught alot of games. I would have to think he's better than Rick Ferrell.
              "(Shoeless Joe Jackson's fall from grace is one of the real tragedies of baseball. I always thought he was more sinned against than sinning." -- Connie Mack

              "I have the ultimate respect for Whitesox fans. They were as miserable as the Cubs and Redsox fans ever were but always had the good decency to keep it to themselves. And when they finally won the World Series, they celebrated without annoying every other fan in the country."--Jim Caple, ESPN (Jan. 12, 2011)

              Comment

              • Ben Grimm
                Semi-lucid User
                • Jun 2012
                • 6139

                #8
                Originally posted by chicagowhitesox1173 View Post
                He did play for alot of division winners and caught alot of games. I would have to think he's better than Rick Ferrell.
                I won't dispute that. Then again, I never said Ferrell belongs in the HoF. He was an okay player and didn't even get to catch the team's ace because Carlton & McCarver had a thing.
                "Chuckie doesn't take on 2-0. Chuckie's hackin'." - Chuck Carr two days prior to being released by the Milwaukee Brewers

                Comment

                • Colorado Express
                  Registered User
                  • Oct 2006
                  • 820

                  #9
                  No chance in HELL!

                  Comment

                  • Cougar
                    Registered User
                    • Jan 2003
                    • 9059

                    #10
                    Originally posted by chicagowhitesox1173 View Post
                    I think theres a lot of guys who need to get voted in before him but if he was voted in someday I wouldn't have a big problem.
                    This sums it up.

                    His comps tell the story...he's a type -- the defense-first backstop, but he's the best of his type, so that's something of an argument for him. Combine that with his career length, and it's a pretty fair case.

                    Comment

                    • PVNICK
                      Registered User
                      • Jul 2007
                      • 13685

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Cougar View Post
                      This sums it up.

                      His comps tell the story...he's a type -- the defense-first backstop, but he's the best of his type, so that's something of an argument for him. Combine that with his career length, and it's a pretty fair case.
                      I'm not sure he's the best of his era. My impression was that Sundberg had him beat or at least did until Boone went to the angels and Royals and had a good year at each stop. At any rate, he is certainly a noteworthy player and I do like the post-season success even if it is only a few dozen games.

                      Comment

                      • chicagowhitesox1173
                        2005 World Series Champs
                        • Jun 2010
                        • 5798

                        #12
                        It's gonna be tough for him to make it with some of the best catchers of all time playing in his era.

                        1. Johnny Bench
                        2. Gary Carter
                        3. Carlton Fisk....arguably 3 top 10 catchers

                        4. Ted Simmons
                        5. Thurman Munson
                        6. Lance Parrish

                        7. Bob Boone
                        8. Jim Sundberg
                        9. Steve Yeager?
                        "(Shoeless Joe Jackson's fall from grace is one of the real tragedies of baseball. I always thought he was more sinned against than sinning." -- Connie Mack

                        "I have the ultimate respect for Whitesox fans. They were as miserable as the Cubs and Redsox fans ever were but always had the good decency to keep it to themselves. And when they finally won the World Series, they celebrated without annoying every other fan in the country."--Jim Caple, ESPN (Jan. 12, 2011)

                        Comment

                        • Cougar
                          Registered User
                          • Jan 2003
                          • 9059

                          #13
                          Originally posted by PVNICK View Post
                          I'm not sure he's the best of his era. My impression was that Sundberg had him beat or at least did until Boone went to the angels and Royals and had a good year at each stop. At any rate, he is certainly a noteworthy player and I do like the post-season success even if it is only a few dozen games.
                          Sundberg may have been better than Boone at his peak, especially defensively, but he didn't last quite as long as Boone. Boone also had the benefit of playing on better teams and making the postseason.

                          Comment

                          • PVNICK
                            Registered User
                            • Jul 2007
                            • 13685

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Cougar View Post
                            Sundberg may have been better than Boone at his peak, especially defensively, but he didn't last quite as long as Boone. Boone also had the benefit of playing on better teams and making the postseason.
                            Fair enough just conversating. Pena woudl have had them both beat, actually he might be in the HOF, if he could have kept the offense at or about the level of his first few seasons. As it is he stands as the least of the three in that he diminished in "stature" over time whereas Boone rose with the trade to the AL and Sundberg stayed on a reasonably even keel after a few rough early years at the plate.

                            Comment

                            • Cougar
                              Registered User
                              • Jan 2003
                              • 9059

                              #15
                              Originally posted by PVNICK View Post
                              Fair enough just conversating. Pena woudl have had them both beat, actually he might be in the HOF, if he could have kept the offense at or about the level of his first few seasons. As it is he stands as the least of the three in that he diminished in "stature" over time whereas Boone rose with the trade to the AL and Sundberg stayed on a reasonably even keel after a few rough early years at the plate.
                              Tony Pena's in that group too, about where you put him.

                              I'd lump more contemporary guys like Benito Santiago, Brad Ausmus, Jason Varitek, and maybe Sandy Alomar Jr. into this class of defense-first long-career catchers too.
                              Last edited by Cougar; 01-04-2013, 09:30 AM. Reason: added Varitek

                              Comment

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