Bob Horner, former Braves slugger and 1978 NL Rookie of the Year, dies at 68

Bob Horner, the former Atlanta Braves star, 1978 NL Rookie of the Year and four-homer-game slugger, has died at 68, the team said.

Bob Horner, the powerful former Atlanta Braves infielder who was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1978 and later became the first Atlanta player to hit four home runs in one game, has died. He was 68.

The Braves announced Horner’s death Tuesday and did not give a cause. In a statement, the team extended condolences to his wife, Chris, his sons, Tyler and Trent, and his friends and fans across baseball.

Horner arrived in the majors with unusual speed. Atlanta selected him first overall in the 1978 MLB Draft out of Arizona State, and he became the first Braves draftee to bypass the minor leagues entirely and debut directly in the majors, according to the team.

“Bob Horner built a career out of being first,” the Braves said, citing his draft status, immediate jump to the big leagues and his four-home-run game against the Montreal Expos in 1986.

Horner spent nine of his 10 major league seasons with Atlanta and finished his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. He played in 1,020 games, hit 218 home runs and, according to the report, never struck out more than 75 times in a season.

His best-known years with the Braves overlapped with Dale Murphy’s rise, giving Atlanta a middle-of-the-order power combination for much of the 1980s. Horner made his only All-Star team in 1982.

Before his professional career, Horner was one of college baseball’s top players at Arizona State. He was the 1977 College World Series MVP, won the first Golden Spikes Award as the top player in college baseball in 1978 and later was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame as part of its first class.

The Braves’ announcement did not include funeral or memorial details.