In a thirteen-year career, he hit .275 with 151 home runs and 737 runs batted in (RBIs) in 1,373 games for the Indians, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Athletics, Milwaukee Braves and Boston Red Sox.
[1] He received a $500 signing bonus and began playing for the Indian's Class C team in Wausau, Wisconsin.
[1] After the 1942 season, Boone enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II, putting his baseball career on hold.
The training center had a baseball team, which Boone played for on the weekends alongside Bob Lemon and George Vico, both future major leaguers.
[1] Boone initially decided to play in the majors, but after sitting on the bench for three weeks, he made the transition back to the minors as a backup.
[1] In 87 games in the Texas League, Boone batted .353 over 318 at-bats, producing 48 RBIs, 16 doubles, nine triples, and three home runs.
The Senators won the game and the Indians dropped in league rankings to fall behind the New York Yankees.
[1] The Tigers switched Boone from shortstop (then occupied by the future Rookie of the Year Harvey Kuenn) to third base.
He produced one go-ahead home run against pitcher Sid Hudson in the seventh inning, along with two walks, a double, and a single.
[1] The rest of the 1953 season, Boone hit four grand slams, tying the major league record at the time.
Boone hit a career high in RBIs, which tied him for first place in the American League with Jackie Jensen.
Boone experienced worsening health problems, and had to make multiple trips to medical clinics to receive cortisone shots in his knees.
[1] On June 15, 1958, Ray Boone was traded to the Chicago White Sox along with Bob Shaw in exchange for Bill Fischer and Tito Francona.
Combined figures from Boone's time with the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers in 1958 included 360 at-bats, 61 RBIs, and 13 home runs.
[1] On May 3, 1959, Boone was traded from the White Sox to the Kansas City Athletics in exchange for Harry “Suitcase” Simpson.
During that season, Boone batted .211 and produced one home run and 15 RBIs over 51 games (34 with the Red Sox, 17 with the Milwaukee Braves).
[1] Near the end of the 1960 season, after having undergone back surgery and retiring from playing, Boone was invited to watch a game on TV with then-Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey.
[1] Boone's scouting territory included all of Arizona and New Mexico, as well as California south of Laguna Beach.
Regarding his determination on whether to recommend a particular prospect to the Red Sox, Boone said, “I don’t worry if a kid gets four hits in a game.
[13] Following Boone's death, the Red Sox held a moment of silence in his honor during Game four of a playoff series with the Yankees at Fenway Park.
That's what Gramps was.”[13] Boone is buried in El Camino Memorial Park in San Diego, California.