Bob Horner, a former Atlanta Braves star, died at age 68. He was selected first overall in 1978 and reached the majors without playing in the minors. He hit a home run in his first game and earned National League Rookie of the Year honors. Horner spent nine seasons with Atlanta, became an All-Star in 1982, hit four home runs in a 1986 game, and finished with a .277/.340/.499 slash line, .839 OPS, and 127 OPS+. After leaving as a free agent, he played one season in Japan with the Yakult Swallows, then joined the St. Louis Cardinals. A shoulder injury limited his time in St. Louis, and he retired after spring training the following year. Braves fans remembered him as a key figure of the 1980s.
"The Braves somberly shared the news that former star Bob Horner has passed away at the age of 68. As the post shared, Horner left an indelible mark on the franchise while he donned the Atlanta uniform. He was picked first overall in 1978, he didn't play a single game in the minors before making his big league debut and just to show that he belonged, he clubbed a homer in his first game as well and eventually earned the National League Rookie of the Year honors for that season."
"Horner went on to spend nine seasons with the Braves where he earned an All-Star spot in 1982, hit four homers in a game in 1986 and he finished his Braves career with a slash line of .277/.340/.499 with an OPS of .839 and a OPS+ of 127. After becoming a free agent, he spent one season with the Yakult Swallows in Japan (which ended up being the best spot for him after it came out that the owners were colluding against free agents at the time) before joining the St. Louis Cardinals for the season after that."
"A shoulder injury derailed Horner's time in St. Louis and he eventually called it a career once spring training rolled around the next season. There wasn't a ton for Braves fans to cheer about during the 1980s but if there was something to cheer about, there was a decent chance that it involved either Dale Murphy or Bob Horner. He remained a popular figure among Braves fans who had been fans during that time and he's still a name that comes up whenever fans from that era reminisce about those days."
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