Bob Horner, the legendary Atlanta Braves infielder, has passed away at the age of 68. MLB fans mourn his death.
MLB fans are in a state of mourning after news broke that the Atlanta Braves legend, Bob Horner, has passed away. According to reports, he was 68 years old when he breathed his last. It was the Braves who first confirmed Bob's death to the world.
A while ago, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, the Atlanta Braves took to their official X (formerly Twitter) handle to announce the death of legendary infielder, Bob Horner. They shared two pictures, with the first one being a black-and-white snap of Bob wearing the Braves jersey. In the second picture, the team added their statement. The Braves wrote that Bob had built his career out of being first. For instance, after a highly successful college career, Bob was the team's guest overall pick during the 1978 MLB draft.
Apparently, he was the first Braves draftee to have skipped the minor leagues entirely to debut directly in the majors. He was also the first Atlanta Braves player who managed to hit four home runs in a single match. Noting several of his achievements, they also mentioned how Bob Horner had teamed up with Dale Murphy to form one of the most feared power duos at the time. The Braves finally ended the note by extending their sympathies to Bob Horner's family, as well as his friends and numerous fans. The statement can be read as:
"Bob Horner built a career out of being first. He was the first overall pick in the 1978 draft after an illustrious collegiate career. He was the first Braves draftee to skip the minor leagues entirely and debut directly in the majors. And he was the first Atlanta player to ever hit four home runs in a single game when he did so against the Montreal Expos in 1986. The National League Rookie of the Year in 1978 and an NL 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. The Atlanta Braves extend sincere sympathies to his wife, Chris, two sons, Tyler and Trent, and his numerous friends and fans across the game.”
For those who have been wondering about Bob Horner’s cause of death, the Atlanta Braves confirmed his passing on May 26, 2026, but they did not reveal the cause. However, it is worth noting that the news of Bob's death comes a little over two weeks after the passing of two other Braves icons of the same era, former manager, Bobby Cox and former owner, Ted Turner. Noting the same, a social media user wrote, “First Ted Turner, then Bobby Cox & now Bob Horner. The Atlanta Braves certainly have heavy hearts this season with the loss of the three legendary Braves. RIP Bob Horner. #BobHorner #AtlantaBraves #MLB #BravesNation #bravesbaseball.”
Another wrote, “Terrible news! One of my early Braves heroes and the reason I know what a navicular bone is! He was a terror at the plate. I remember Milo Hamilton’s call the game he hit 4 HRs. I wish he had a better around him in the early days! Godspeed.” A third user penned:
“Man, this one hurts. Horner was my guy as a teen. Yes, we all loved Dale but Bob Horner was who I couldn't wait to see hit. We went to many Braves games in the 80's. Had great seats behind the Braves' dugout. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him play. This is sad news RIP Bob.”
For those unaware, during his debut season, Bob Horner was named National League Rookie of the Year after he reportedly managed to hit 23 home runs and recorded 63 RBIs, with a batting line of .266/.313/.539. While playing for the Atlanta Braves from 1978 to 1986, Bob recorded 1,047 hits, 218 home runs and 685 RBIs, and was named an All-Star in 1982. In 2006, Bob Horner was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class.
May Bob Horner rest in peace.
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