Bob Boone, seven-time Gold Glove catcher, dies at 78

Bob Boone, the seven-time Gold Glove catcher who helped the Philadelphia Phillies win their first World Series in 1980, has died at 78, his son Bret announced on social media Tuesday. The family did not disclose a cause of death.

Boone played 19 major-league seasons, spending 10 with Philadelphia, seven with the California Angels and his final two with the Kansas City Royals. A four-time All-Star, he finished with a .254 batting average, 105 home runs and 826 runs batted in. He caught 2,225 games, the most in major-league history when he retired after the 1990 season.

His defensive work was central to his reputation. Boone earned all seven Gold Gloves after turning 30, including four consecutive awards from 1986 through 1989. He won his final one with Kansas City at age 41, then the oldest position player to receive the award, according to reports.

Boone was behind the plate when the Phillies secured the final out of Game 6 of the 1980 World Series, defeating the Royals for the franchise’s first championship. He batted .412 in the Series and drove in four runs. Earlier that postseason, he contributed to Philadelphia’s run to the title, including a two-run single in the deciding...