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Bret Boone

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Bret Boone
Second baseman
Born: (1969-04-06) April 6, 1969 (age 55)
El Cajon, California
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
debut
August 19, 1992, for the Seattle Mariners
Last appearance
July 31, 2005, for the Minnesota Twins
Career statistics
Batting average.266
Home runs252
Runs batted in1,021
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Bret Robert Boone (born April 6, 1969) is a former Major League Baseball second baseman.

Personal life

Boone was born in El Cajon, California to Susan G. Roel and Bob Boone. He is a graduate of El Dorado High School and the University of Southern California. He is the grandson of former major leaguer Ray Boone and brother of Aaron Boone. As well as the descendant of pioneer Daniel Boone. As a child, Boone hung out in the Phillies clubhouse with Pete Rose Jr., his brother Aaron, Ryan Luzinski, and Mark McGraw.[1]

Professional career

Boone as a member of the AAA Calgary Cannons in 1992.

In 1992, Boone became the first-ever third-generation big-leaguer in baseball history. As a member of an All-Star family, he is the son of Bob, a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, California Angels and Kansas City Royals (1972–1990) and later a manager with the Royals and Cincinnati Reds; his brother Aaron is a third baseman who has played with the Reds, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins,and Houston Astros. His grandfather Ray was an infielder for the Indians, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Athletics, Milwaukee Braves and Boston Red Sox (1948–1960).

On the last day of the 1998 season, the Reds helped him make baseball trivia history by starting the only infield ever composed of two sets of brothers: first baseman Stephen Larkin, second baseman Bret Boone, shortstop Barry Larkin, and third baseman Aaron Boone.

Seattle Mariners

Boone started his playing career with the Seattle Mariners where he set the club record for homeruns in a season by second baseman in 1993 (12 in 76 games)[2] but was traded that same year to the Cincinnati Reds along with Erick Hanson.

In 2001 Boone returned to the Seattle Mariners, the organization with which he came up from 1990 to 1993[3] but now an allstar -- having averaged 21 homeruns a year from 1998 through 2000, twice reaching a career high in doubles (at 38, in 1998 and 1999). Back with the Mariners, Boone enjoyed his best season, leading the league in runs batted in (141), while producing a batting average of (.331), then the 5th highest in team history. He also broke his team record of homeruns for a second baseman with his 37 homeruns and hit 37 doubles. Boone started in the All Star Game in Seattle, received a Silver Slugger award, and finished third in the AL MVP voting losing out to teammate Ichiro Suzuki. His Mariners paced the league with a record 116 wins, earning the AL West championship and advancing to the ALCS, as well as tying the all-time team record for wins in a season with the 1906 Chicago Cubs.

The following year Boone won a Gold Glove for his defense and continued to show the power he had demonstrated the previous years, hitting 24 homeruns with 34 doubles. On May 1, Boone and teammate Mike Cameron became the first teammates to each hit two home runs in a single inning.

With local media and behind the scenes he was famous for his humorous behavior. Boone took up not one but three lockers, as Erick Walker notes, "one for him, another with a nameplate above that read 'Boone’s friend' and a third with a nameplate that read 'Boone’s friend’s friend' that was scattered with about 100 bats."[4]

Minnesota Twins

He was designated for assignment by the Seattle Mariners on July 3, 2005, and later traded on July 11 to Minnesota for cash and a player (minor league pitcher Andy Baldwin) to be named later. Minnesota released Boone on August 1 after only 14 games, where the second baseman struggled with a .221 batting average, with 7 home runs and 37 RBI in 88 games for the Mariners and Twins.

New York Mets

On January 4, 2006, Boone signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets. He received an invitation to spring training, but on March 1, only a few days into spring training, he announced his initial retirement from baseball, citing a lack of passion for the game.[5]

Washington Nationals

On February 18, 2008, Boone came out of retirement and signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals.[6] At first he was assigned to the minor league camp, but after five days, he was invited to the team's major league spring training camp.[7]

On March 21, 2008, Boone was reassigned to minor league camp after hitting .189 and began the season with the Columbus Clippers, the Nationals Triple-A affiliate.[8] He had hoped to get signed by a major league club, and left the Clippers in late April to work out on his own. However, on May 28, he once again announced his retirement.[9]

On March 9, 2010, he was named manager of the Victoria Seals of the Golden Baseball League. On May 27, 2010, the Seals announced Boone was leaving the team permanently to deal with "family matters".

Legacy

He finished his career with a .266 batting average, 252 home runs and 1,021 RBI in 1,780 games in 14 Major League seasons. He was a three time All-Star, four time gold glove winner, and participated in 2 Home Run Derbies.

Steroid controversy

Jose Canseco, in his book "Juiced", accused Boone of steroid use, saying that in a 2001 spring training game he was stunned at Boone's physique, and the two chatted about what Boone was taking. However, Boone has denied taking steroids, or having any such conversation with Canseco, pointing out that he never played against Canseco during the 2001 spring training.[10]

Broadcasting

Boone was a guest announcer for Fox during the 2003 ALCS when his brother, Aaron hit a walk-off home run to send the Yankees to the World Series.

See also

References

  1. ^ Will Grimsley (1979-03-08). "Phillies 'Kiddie Korps' Enjoys Spring Romps". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
  2. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Y1pUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=644DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4961,298114&dq=bret-boone&hl=en
  3. ^ http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/16050/2001-mariners-best-team-that-never-won
  4. ^ http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ken/sports/130056083.html
  5. ^ "Bret Boone calls it a career". MLB.com. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
  6. ^ "Nationals sign three-time All-Star Bret Boone to Minor-League contract". MLB.com. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
  7. ^ "Boone joins big league camp". MLB.com. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
  8. ^ Ladson, Bill (2008-03-20). "Nats reassign Boone to Minors". MLB.com. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
  9. ^ "After 14 major league seasons, retiring Boone in a better place". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
  10. ^ Hickey, John (February 18, 2005). "Bret Boone on steroids? 'No chance,' he says". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
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