ATLANTA (AP) — Bob Horner, the power-hitting third baseman who was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1978 and hit a home run in his debut with the Atlanta Braves after skipping the minor leagues, has died. He was 68.
The Braves, who said Tuesday they were informed of Horner's death in Texas by his wife, Chris, announced the news on their X account. The team did not report Horner's cause of death.
Horner hit 218 homers in his 10-year career, including nine seasons with the Braves. The total included a four-homer game in 1986. He joined two-time MVP Dale Murphy to form the heart of the Braves' lineup through much of the 1980s.
Following a standout career at Arizona State that earned him a place in the College Baseball Hall of Fame's first class, Horner became the first Braves draft pick to skip the minor leagues and play his first professional game in the major leagues. In his debut, Horner hit a homer off future Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven of the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 16, 1978.
Horner was selected as the NL Rookie of the Year after hitting .266 with 23 homers in 89 games.
On July 6, 1986, against Montreal, Horner became the first Braves player to hit four homers in a game. It was the only four-homer game in the majors during the 1980s.
Horner had a compact swing and never had more than 75 strikeouts in a season. He hit .277 for his career and had three seasons with more than 30 homers, including a career-high 35 in 1980. He was an All-Star in 1982 when he hit .261 with 32 homers and drove in 97 runs.
Horner left the Braves after the 1986 season, signing to play one season in Japan before returning to the major leagues to play for St. Louis in 1988. He retired during spring training before the 1989 season.
In their tribute to Horner, the Braves said the third baseman “built a career out of being first” while noting he was the first overall draft pick in 1978, the first Braves draftee to skip the minor leagues and the organization's first player to hit four homers in a game.
At Arizona State, Horner was the MVP of the 1977 College World Series and won the first Golden Spikes Award as the top player in college baseball in 1978 after setting the NCAA career record with 56 homers. The record now is held by Oklahoma State's Pete Incaviglia, who hit 100 from 1983-85.
In 2006, Horner was inducted into the inaugural class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame.
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FILE - St. Louis Cardinals Tom Herr, center, lets out a yell as he advances safely to third ahead of the tag by Atlanta Braves' Bob Horner (5) in the eighth inning of Game 1 of the National League playoffs at St. Louis, Oct. 8, 1982. Third base coach Chuck Hiller is at left. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy, File)
FILE - Atlanta Braves captain and third baseman Bob Horner, right, exults with teammate Chris Chambliss after they beat the Cincinnati Reds, April 23, 1982, at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Joe Sebo, File)
FILE - Atlanta Braves players Bob Horner, left, and Dale Murphy pose for a photo in Atlanta in 1978. (Louie Favorite/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File)
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Alexis Tsipras, the combative Greek anti‑austerity leader who railed against Brussels during the country's debt crisis, returned to politics Tuesday ahead of elections next year.
The former prime minister launched a new left-wing political party, the Greek Left Alliance, cheered on by supporters at an outdoor event beneath the Acropolis.
“We cannot stand by and watch society suffocate,” Tsipras said, arguing that the center-right government's pro-business agenda has worsened income inequality. “We don’t want to get used to a world of war and injustice.”
At 51, Tsipras is returning after three years away from active politics. He remains a polarizing figure.
He rose to power in 2015 on promises to end the harsh austerity measures demanded by Greece’s European creditors and the International Monetary Fund. The standoff rattled global markets as Greece came close to crashing out of the euro currency bloc. Athens eventually accepted new loans and more austerity.
Tsipras now hopes to peel away support — and potentially lawmakers — from rival opposition parties as he seeks to challenge conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his bid for a third term.
In launching the new party, Tsipras focused heavily on affordable housing, stronger labor protections and widening economic inequality, themes his allies believe could resonate with younger and lower-income voters squeezed by rising living costs. He also criticized the government's close ties with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Despite a cost-of-living crunch and a corruption scandal that has dogged his government, Mitsotakis continues to lead comfortably in opinion polls, buoyed by steady economic growth and falling unemployment.
Greece’s opposition landscape remains deeply fragmented with seven parties currently represented in parliament.
Several newcomers and smaller groups are competing to gain traction ahead of the vote. Last week, the mother of a 19-year-old university student killed in Greece’s 2023 rail disaster launched an anti-corruption party, adding further pressure on established opposition groups.
Tsipras’ supporters argue he shielded ordinary Greeks during the country’s darkest economic years and made painful compromises to avert national disaster.
Critics, however, accuse him of betraying voters by campaigning against austerity only to later sign a tough bailout agreement.
“No matter how hard Mr. Tsipras tries — investing in communication that has no substance — to bury his record deep in the ground, the truth will follow him forever,” government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said.
Kantouris reported from Thessaloniki, Greece
The logo of ELAS, the new party founded by former left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, is displayed on giant screens ahead of next year's elections in Athens on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Former left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras waves to supporters in front of ancient Acropolis at an event to launch a new political party ahead of elections next year, in Athens, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Former left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras speaks to supporters in front of ancient Acropolis at an event to launch a new political party ahead of elections next year, in Athens, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Suporters clap hands as they listen to a speech by former left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at an event to launch a new political party ahead of elections next year, in Athens, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Former left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras holds the founding manifesto of his new political party as speaks to supporters in front of the ancient Acropolis , ahead of elections next year, in Athens, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
