A Goal of Durability: Boone Catches 2,000th

Bob Boone’s legacy in baseball most certainly will be his stability and durability behind the plate.

His 17-year major league career as a catcher is testimony to his ability to persevere and endure while playing the game’s most physically demanding position. Boone has done it without flash. He has played with a just-doing-the-job-they-pay-me-to-do attitude, and it has served him well.

Boone caught his 2,000th game Friday night, a 6-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Anaheim Stadium. And he went about it in familiar fashion.

He had 2 singles in 4 at-bats and guided Mike Witt (7-9) through 7 innings for the victory and Bryan Harvey through 1 innings of relief.

“It’s still just another game for me,” Boone said. “The only significance is that it’s a round number and people are asking me questions about it. The only difference is there is more media attention.

“It’s something when I’m 60 I can look back and say I caught 2,000 games.”

When Boone passed Hall of Famer Al Lopez’s major league record of 1,918 games played by a catcher last Sept. 16 in Kansas City, the Angels honored him by giving him an old home plate.

Before Friday night’s game, the team marked the occasion by presenting him with a bronze catcher’s mask. Presumably it will go well with the five Gold Gloves he has won in his long career.

Brian Downing gave Boone his award, telling the crowd of 34,829: “It’s my honor to present for his durability and relability. . . . To the longtime backbone of our team. . . . Bob Boone.”

Cookie Rojas, the Angel manager, said earlier in the evening, “There’s got to be a little kid in Bob Boone, even though he’s 40. I think inside he feels proud. He’s low-key because he’s a real professional and they don’t go out and voice their accomplishments. They just go out and do it. The recognition is going to come from your peers.”

Boone is a career .250 hitter. He has never hit more than 12 home runs in a season and just last month hit his 100th homer. This season, he is having his best season hitting since he became an Angel in 1982.

Boone is hitting .286 with 3 homers and 22 runs batted in. His best average in the majors was .286, while playing with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1979.

But sterling batting statistics are not what Boone is known for, and he knows it.

“I’ve never really had any goals,” he said. “I know going into the season, I’m going to hit 5 homers and have 50 RBIs. I pretty much know going into the season what’s going to happen. Nothing magical is going to happen.”

No, he’ll be better known for the five Gold Glove awards in his career and, of course, his staying power.

“The goals have been forced upon me because of passing legends,” Boone said. “I’m paid to do something back there to help the team win. The only goal I’ve had is to win.”

And he’s done it by being in the lineup day after day, contributing with his strong, solid, steady play.

He began the season averaging 129 games a season over the past 15 years.

He caught 128 games last season, the least since he joined the Angels. In 1985, he caught a a major league leading 150 games and hit .248.

Part of his great stamina comes from a rigorous off-season martial arts training program. Even during the season, Boone does a lot of running. He lifts weights and rides a stationary bicycle.

“It’s a credit to him, of how much attention he pays to business, especially in the offseason” Rojas said. “He’s tough mentally. It’s a tough position to play, getting hit with foul balls all over.”

How long will Boone continue to toil behind the plate?

“If there is a goal, it’s to play as long as I can and wring out as much as I can out of this body,” Boone said.