James Horner

James Robert "Bob" Horner was an American professional baseball player whose raw power, quiet determination, and beloved tenure with the Atlanta Braves made him one of the most memorable figures in the franchise's history. Born on August 6, 1957, in Junction City, Kansas, he grew up in Glendale, Arizona, where a strong sense of purpose and an extraordinary bat would shape the course of his life. At Arizona State University, Horner became a legend before he ever stepped into a major league stadium. Between 1976 and 1978, he shattered the NCAA record with 56 career home runs, won the 1977 College World Series Most Outstanding Player award, and became the very first recipient of the Golden Spikes Award — college baseball's equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. He chose college over a professional contract out of high school, believing, as he later put it, that no amount of money "came close to the value of a four-year education." Selected first overall by the Atlanta Braves in the 1978 MLB Draft, Horner made an unprecedented leap directly to the major leagues — no minor league stop, no apprenticeship. On June 16, 1978, in his very first big-league game, he homered off Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven. By season's end, he had slugged 23 home runs in just 89 games and claimed the National League Rookie of the Year award, edging out future Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith. Through the late 1970s and 1980s, Horner and Dale Murphy formed one of baseball's most feared power-hitting duos. He earned an All-Star selection in 1982, and on July 6, 1986, achieved one of the rarest feats in baseball: four home runs in a single game against the Montreal Expos — only the 11th player in MLB history to do so. Horner was quick to note that despite the achievement, the Braves lost that game, a detail that said much about where his heart lay. Injuries — multiple wrist fractures and shoulder ailments — limited his ability to play full seasons and ultimately shortened a career that many believed was destined for Cooperstown. After the 1986 season, he headed to Japan, joining the Yakult Swallows and becoming the highest-paid player in Japanese baseball, hitting 31 home runs and immensely enjoying the experience. A brief return with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1988 marked the end of his playing days at age 31. He finished with 218 career home runs, 685 RBIs, and a .277 batting average. In retirement, Bob Horner lived quietly in Irving, Texas, devoted to his wife Chris, their two sons Tyler and Trent, and four grandchildren. He was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame's inaugural class in 2006 and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2022. He passed away on May 26, 2026, at the age of 68 — a man who built a career out of being first and left a permanent mark on Atlanta baseball history.