Daniel Hugh Boone (born January 14, 1954) is a former
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
. He pitched parts of three seasons in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
, appearing in 1981, 1982, and 1990. He is probably best known for the eight-year gap between his major league stints, and the improbable comeback that led him to his time with the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
in 1990.
Draft history
Coming out of
Cal State Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...
, Boone was selected in the 2nd round of the
1976 Major League Baseball Draft
First round selections
The following are the first round picks in the 1976 Major League Baseball draft.
''*'' Did not sign
Other notable Selections
''*'' Did not sign
Background
The 1976 Arizona State University team, considered by ma ...
by the then-
California Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
.
[Danny Boone transactions at Baseball-Reference]
/ref> This was actually the fifth time Boone had been drafted, as he had been selected after each of his four years in college as well as the secondary phase draft in January 1976.[ It was also the third time he was drafted by the Angels, who selected him in both 1973 and 1974, but he only signed after this draft.][
]
NL career
Boone's early promise went unfulfilled for several years, as he washed out of the Angels' system when he was released at the end of spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
in 1980.[ He was signed just three days later by the ]San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
, where he made his major league debut the following April.[ Boone pitched in 37 games for the Padres in 1981, winning 1 game, losing none, and collecting two saves with a decent 2.84 ERA.
Boone began the next season with the Padres as well, but pitched sparingly, making only 10 appearances over the first two months of the season. On June 8, he was traded to the ]Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
for infielder Joe Pittman
Joseph Wayne Pittman (January 1, 1953 – June 13, 2014) was a backup infielder/outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants in parts of three seasons spanning 1981–1984. List ...
,[ and after a handful of appearances in June was returned to the minor leagues. After a September call-up, he started the 1983 season back in the minors, and was released in June.
]
MLB Comeback
Boone signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
, spending about a year in their farm system before being released once again. For the next five years, he dropped off the radar of American professional baseball.
Then, in 1989, a new league started that gave Boone a new lease on his career: the Senior Professional Baseball Association
The Senior Professional Baseball Association, referred to commonly as the ''Senior League'', was a winter baseball league based in Florida for players age 35 and over, with a minimum age of 32 for catchers. The league began play in 1989 and had ei ...
. Boone signed on with the Bradenton Explorers
The Bradenton Explorers were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in .
That season, the club compiled a record of 38-34, finishing in second place in the league's Northern Division, ...
, where he showed off a new pitch in his arsenal: the knuckleball
A knuckleball or knuckler is a baseball pitch thrown to minimize the spin of the ball in flight, causing an erratic, unpredictable motion. The air flow over a seam of the ball causes the ball to change from laminar to turbulent flow. This chan ...
. He pitched well enough for them (4-3, 3.16 ERA) to get a contract offer from the Orioles, and in September 1990 he was back in the majors. He pitched in four games, including his first-ever major league start against the Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
on September 30, in which he did not receive a decision.
Boone's comeback drew some attention, and he even was accorded "Rookie Prospect" status in the 1991 Score baseball card set at the age of 36.1991 Score #715 Dan Boone
/ref> However, his first major league start also turned out to be his last major league appearance, as he did not make the Orioles team that spring, and after a second stint with the Explorers Boone's career was well and truly over.
See also
*List of knuckleball pitchers
Knuckleball pitchers are baseball players who rely on the knuckleball as their primary pitch, or pitch primarily based on their ability to throw a knuckleball. The inventor of the knuckleball has never been established, although several pitchers f ...
References
External links
, o
Retrosheet
o
Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Winter League)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boone, Danny
1954 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Amarillo Gold Sox players
Baltimore Orioles players
Baseball players from Long Beach, California
Bradenton Explorers players
Cardenales de Lara players
Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball players
Cerritos Falcons baseball players
Daytona Beach Explorers players
El Paso Diablos players
Hawaii Islanders players
Houston Astros players
Knuckleball pitchers
Major League Baseball pitchers
Navegantes del Magallanes players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Oklahoma City 89ers players
Rochester Red Wings players
Salinas Angels players
Salt Lake City Gulls players
San Diego Padres players
Tucson Toros players
Vancouver Canadians players
Anchorage Glacier Pilots players
Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks players