It is rare that you find a father-son team, much less a grandfather-father-son team, in baseball or any other professional sport. Ray Boone, Bob Boone, and Bret and Aaron Boone are the first three-generation sports family.

Ray Boone is someone I know quite well from our days playing together on the Cleveland Indians. Ray was a very good low-ball hitter. He had quite a bit of power. He was not much of a shortstop, but became an excellent third baseman. He was no Kenny Keltner, but he was very good. He could go to his left and right and played the position well. At the plate, Boone was a dangerous hitter. He had power and could take you deep if you were not careful in how you pitched him. In 1955 he drove in 116 runs for the Detroit Tigers, and it was not too long after that another Boone entered the baseball scene.

Bob Boone, Ray Boone’s son, was a terrific catcher who caught almost 2,000 games. He was a player representative and always possessed good leadership qualities. His sons, Bret and Aaron, now play for the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds, respectively.

The whole Boone family are good friends of mine. They are a credit to baseball and to the United States of America. Ray’s wife, Pat, is a great wife, mother, and grandmother.

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