Baseball: About Richie Ashburn

First of all, I want to tell everyone I am NOT looking for any kind of personal soothing, congratulations, strokes or any other kind of positive feedback for Trivia Question #18 and its "Richie Ashburn" answer and accompanying facts.

But since so many of you are either from Philly or from nearby areas, and since he was their broadcaster for something like the last 34 years of his life--and was, as I understand it, a beloved figure in Philly (though not in his native Nebraska, according to my nephew-in-law)--I would have expected a lot of comments about him.

You know, either comments of amazement that he was THAT great a player... both as a guy who towers over all other OF's ever in terms of putouts per games played and 500-putout seasons (what if he'd played to age 42, like Mays, and not to age 35 because he got stuck on the 1962 Mets?), AND as a guy who was terrific on a regular basis in almost all of the non-power stats, including the big one: on-base percentage.

Until I read Bill James, I had no clue Ashburn was that great--even defensively, much less offensively. James' first two sentences on him, in an earlier book, were something like, "Richie Ashburn has the greatest defensive stats of any outfielder who ever lived. It's not close." Now that I know the skinny on him, he's probably in my Top 10 CF's, and when you know who the Top 5 CF's are (absolute immortals, all), that's a hell of a statement.

May I please ask what the reactions are of those of you from that neck of the woods? Surely some of you used to listen to this guy call games, and heard at least something about his exploits as a ballplayer. Am I right in believing he was the most beloved figure in Philly history, in between Grover Cleveland Alexander (a billion years ago) and Mike Schmidt? Well, maybe other than Robin Roberts?

BHN

Just stickin' my nose in (since I'm obviously not from the Philly area). When you first posted this question, there was a name that kept popping into my head but I KNEW it wasn't the right answer. I kept thinking "Dick (Don't call me Richie) Allen" who did spend some time with the Phillies, but he was an infielder and not a HOFer.

But when I saw the answer, Richie Ashburn, the whole Richie Allen thing kinda made sense. To me, anyway.

Dick Allen is a whole different subject... one I'd love to write about at length someday, but not today, because I have a Duplicate Bridge game in 27 minutes.

Thanks for the response, Y.R.

BHN