Bob Boone, the steady catcher behind the plate for the Philadelphia Phillies' first World Series championship, has died. He was 78.

His son Bret Boone announced the death Tuesday on social media. No cause was given.

"It was a privilege to call him my father. Baseball lost a great one today," Bret Boone wrote.

A family like no other

Boone was part of baseball's first three-generation family. His father, Ray Boone, played 13 seasons in the majors and was a two-time All-Star with Detroit. His sons Bret and Aaron both had long big league careers. Bret was a three-time All-Star mostly with Seattle, while Aaron now manages the New York Yankees.

The Yankees said the values Bob Boone embodied are carried forward "by his son, Aaron, in his leadership of the Yankees."

The heart of the 1980 Phillies

Boone was a sixth-round pick out of Stanford in 1969 as a third baseman. He moved behind the plate in the minor leagues and went on to catch 1,095 games for Philadelphia, second-most in team history.

He was the first Phillies catcher to win a Gold Glove, in 1978 and 1979. He hit .412 in the 1980 World Series against Kansas City to lead the team.

In the clinching Game 6 he caught the final out when Tug McGraw struck out Willie Wilson. Earlier that inning a foul pop bounced out of his mitt and straight into Pete Rose's glove for an out. Phillies fans have watched that play countless times since.

Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt said Boone gave up third base in the minors so Schmidt could play it. "Our lives and careers were intertwined," Schmidt said. "We lost a close friend. Rest in peace, Bob."

A long life in the game

Boone played 10 seasons with the Phillies, seven with the California Angels and two with the Kansas City Royals. He caught 2,225 games over 19 seasons and won his seventh Gold Glove at 41 with the Royals in 1989.

He later managed the Royals and the Cincinnati Reds, going 371-444. He joined the Washington Nationals' front office in 2005, the same year the Phillies added him to their Wall of Fame.