ASU’s Bob Horner named to Best College Athletes list
May 17, 2013, 11:17 PM | Updated: 11:20 pm
It’s hard to believe it’s been 35 years since Bob Horner graced the field at Packard Stadium as a member of the Arizona State Sun Devil baseball team.
But many haven’t forgotten Horner’s brilliance on the diamond, including SI.com, who included the former ASU third baseman on their list of the 50 Best College Athletes of All Time.
The Arizona State star won the first Golden Spikes Award in 1978 after hitting .412 with 25 home runs and 100 RBI. A second baseman, he was All-America in 1977 and 1978. He led the Sun Devils to the national title his sophomore season. The Braves drafted Horner with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1978 draft and sent him directly to the major leagues.
Even in saluting Horner’s greatness, they sold his résumé a little short.
Not only did Horner reach the Majors right out of college, he won the 1978 National League Rookie of the Year Award after hitting 23 home runs and driving in 63 runs in 89 games.
The Apollo High graduate would go on to play a decade in the big leagues for Atlanta and St. Louis and finished his career with 218 home runs and a .277 batting average.
Horner was a two-time college All-American and helped ASU to the 1977 College World Series title.
He’s the only collegiate athlete from Arizona to make the list.
