View source for Richie Ashburn

{{Short description|American baseball player and broadcaster (1927–1997)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Richie Ashburn
|position=[[Center fielder]]
|image=Richie Ashburn 1953.jpg
|caption=Ashburn with the Philadelphia Phillies, {{Circa|1953}}
|bats=Left
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{birth date|1927|3|19}}
|birth_place=[[Tilden, Nebraska]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1997|9|9|1927|3|31}}
|death_place=[[New York City]], New York, U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 20
|debutyear=1948
|debutteam=Philadelphia Phillies
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 30
|finalyear=1962
|finalteam=New York Mets
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.308
|stat2label=[[Hit (baseball)|Hits]]
|stat2value=2,574
|stat3label=[[Home run]]s
|stat3value=29
|stat4label=[[Runs batted in]]
|stat4value=586
|teams=
* [[Philadelphia Phillies]] ({{mlby|1948}}–{{mlby|1959}})
* [[Chicago Cubs]] ({{mlby|1960}}–{{mlby|1961}})
* [[New York Mets]] ({{mlby|1962}})
|highlights=
* 6× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1948 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1948]], [[1951 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1951]], [[1953 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1953]], [[1958 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1958]], [[1962 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game)|1962]], [[1962 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)|1962²]])
* 2× [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|NL batting champion]] (1955, 1958)
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders|NL stolen base leader]] (1948)
* [[Philadelphia Phillies#Retired numbers|Philadelphia Phillies No. 1]] retired
* [[Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame]]
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate=[[1995 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1995]]
|hofmethod=Veterans Committee
}}
'''Don Richard Ashburn''' (March 19, 1927{{spnd}}September 9, 1997), also known by the nicknames "'''Putt-Putt'''", "'''the Tilden Flash'''", and "'''Whitey'''" (due to his light-blond hair), was an American professional [[baseball]] player and television [[sports commentator]]. He played in [[Major League Baseball]] as a [[center fielder]] from 1948 to 1962, most prominently as a member of the [[Philadelphia Phillies]], where he was a four-time [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] player and member of the [[1950 Philadelphia Phillies season|1950]] [[List of National League pennant winners|National League pennant]] winning team known as the [[Whiz Kids (baseball)|Whiz Kids]].

Ashburn was a two-time [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|batting champion]], and finished with a .308 career batting average.<ref name="Richie Ashburn at the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame">{{cite web |url=https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/ashburn-richie |title=Richie Ashburn at the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame |work=baseballhall.org |access-date=4 September 2023 }}</ref> He also excelled as a defensive player, routinely leading the league in [[putout]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/ashburi01.shtml |title=Richie Ashburn career statistics |publisher=Baseball Reference |access-date=11 September 2023 }}</ref> His 5,803 career putouts ranks third among center fielders in Major League Baseball history behind only [[Willie Mays]] and [[Tris Speaker]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/PO_cf_career.shtml |title=Career Leaders & Records for Putouts as Center Fielder |publisher=Baseball Reference |access-date=11 September 2023 }}</ref> He ended his playing career with the [[Chicago Cubs]] and the [[New York Mets]].

Following his playing career, from 1963 until his death in 1997, Ashburn was a [[color commentator]] for television broadcasts of Philadelphia Phillies games, and developed into one of the most beloved sports figures in [[Philadelphia]] sports history.<ref name="Richie Ashburn at the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame"/> In 1995, following a lengthy fan-led effort for his inclusion, Ashburn was inducted into the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|National Baseball Hall of Fame]].<ref name="Richie Ashburn at the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame"/> In 1997, he was inducted into The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame. He was posthumously inducted into the inaugural class of the [[Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame]] in 2004.<ref name="Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame Inductees">{{cite web |title=Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame Inductees  |url=http://www.phillyhall.org/inductees.asp |access-date=August 3, 2009}}</ref>

==Career==
===Early baseball career===
Ashburn was born in [[Tilden, Nebraska]]. His mother gave birth twice, each time to twins; Richie and sister Donna were the younger pair.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pennsylvania Center for the Book |url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/Ashburn__Richie |access-date=April 13, 2022 |website=pabook.libraries.psu.edu}}</ref> He began playing baseball in 1935 in the Tilden Midget Baseball League when he was eight years old.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn">{{cite web|url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/richie-ashburn/|title=The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn|last=Kearney|first=Seamus|publisher=Society for American Baseball Research|access-date=September 9, 2023}}</ref> He played as a [[catcher]] because his father advised him that it would be the fastest route to becoming a major league player.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn"/>

Ashburn played baseball and [[basketball]] for Tilden High School then graduated to [[American Legion Baseball]] with the [[Neligh, Nebraska|Neligh]] Junior Legion team while continuing to play as a catcher.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn"/> At the 1944 American Legion Junior Baseball East/West All-Star game at the [[Polo Grounds]], [[Philadelphia Athletics]] manager [[Connie Mack]] advised him to play another position due to his remarkable running speed.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn"/>

Ashburn signed a contract with the [[Cleveland Indians]] in 1943 at the age of 16, but Baseball Commissioner [[Kenesaw Mountain Landis]] voided the contract because the rules then prohibited the signing of players who were still attending high school.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn"/> He then signed a contract with the [[Chicago Cubs]] to play for their Nashville farm team in 1944, but Landis nullified the Cubs contract because of an illegal clause that would have paid Ashburn if the Nashville franchise was sold while he was playing there.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn"/> After the two contracts were nullified, Ashburn decided to enroll at [[Northeast Community College|Norfolk Junior College]]. After one semester, however, he signed a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. Unlike the first two attempts, this one stuck.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn"/>
[[File:Ashburn-Picciuto.jpg|thumb|left|Ashburn and [[Nick Picciuto]] as members of the Utica Blue Sox in 1945]]
In 1945, at the age of eighteen, Ashburn made his professional baseball debut with the [[Utica Blue Sox]] of the [[Eastern League (1938–present)|Eastern League]]. It was there that his manager, [[Eddie Sawyer]], converted him into a center fielder, taking advantage of his impressive running speed.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn"/> During his time with the Utica Blue Sox, Ashburn's teammates began calling him "Whitey" because of his light blond hair, a nickname which stayed with him for the rest of his life.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn"/>

Ashburn was drafted by the United States Army early in the 1945 season. He was allowed to finish the season, however, in which the Blue Sox won the Eastern League [[Pennant (sports)|pennant]]. Ashburn led the team with a .312 batting average.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn"/> He served with the Army in Alaska in 1946, then returned to the Blue Sox in 1947, where his team once again won the Eastern League championship.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=df3e6976 |title=1947 Eastern League overview |publisher=Baseball Reference |access-date=11 September 2023 }}</ref> Ashburn finished with the second best batting average in the Eastern League at .362. His 191 hits (in 137 games) set a league record for the most hits in a season.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/leader.cgi?type=bat&id=df3e6976 |title=1947 Eastern League Batting Leaders |publisher=Baseball Reference |access-date=9 September 2023 }}</ref> After the 1947 season, he returned to Norfolk Junior College for a second semester, where he met his future wife, Herberta Cox.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn"/>

===Major League Baseball===
[[File:Richie Ashburn.jpg|thumb|Ashburn's 1952 [[Bowman Gum]] baseball card]] 
[[File:Richie Ashburn plaque.jpg|thumb|Ashburn's plaque on the [[Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame]] at [[Citizens Bank Park]]]]
The Phillies purchased Ashburn's contract from their [[Toronto]] minor league affiliate on April 8, 1948,<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=April 9, 1948|title=Phils Buy Ashburn|url= |work=Philadelphia Inquirer|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|page=41}}</ref> Ashburn made his major league debut with the Phillies on Opening Day [[1948 Philadelphia Phillies season|1948]] as a 21-year-old rookie. He started as the [[left fielder]] and replaced veteran [[Harry Walker]], the reigning NL batting champion, as the team’s [[leadoff hitter]].<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn"/> He played as a left fielder for the first 12 games of the season before replacing Walker as the regular center fielder.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn"/>

By June 5, Ashburn had produced a .380 batting average and had a 23-game hitting streak while his level of defensive play had impressed [[Shibe Park]] spectators.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=ashburi01&t=b&year=1948 |title=Richie Ashburn 1948 batting log |publisher=Baseball Reference |access-date=11 September 2023 }}</ref> Ashburn was the only rookie chosen to the [[1948 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1948 National League All-Star team]] where, he hit a [[Single (baseball)|single]] on the first pitch of the game and scored the first run of the game.<ref>{{cite news |last=Baumgartner|first=Stan|date=July 14, 1948 |title=American All-Stars Rally to Defeat Nationals, 5-2 |url= |work=Philadelphia Inquirer|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|page=41}}</ref>

In 1950, in the last game of the regular season, Ashburn threw out [[Cal Abrams]] of the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] at home plate to preserve a 1–1 tie and set the stage for [[Dick Sisler]]'s pennant-clinching home run that sent the Phillies to the [[1950 World Series]]. In the play, Ashburn was positioned in to back up a pick-off throw on a pitchout, but Phillies' pitcher [[Robin Roberts (baseball)|Robin Roberts]] instead threw a fastball to the Dodgers' [[Duke Snider]].<ref>{{harvnb|Breslin|1963|page=103}}</ref>

The following year Ashburn displayed his fielding skill on the national stage in the [[1951 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]] at [[Tiger Stadium (Detroit)|Tiger Stadium]] in Detroit. The Associated Press reported, "Richie Ashburn, fleet footed Philadelphia Phillies outfielder, brought the huge Briggs Stadium crowd of 52,075 to its feet with a brilliant leaping catch in the sixth inning to rob [[Vic Wertz]] of a near homer. Ashburn caught the ball in front of the right centerfield screen 400 feet distant after a long run."<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 11, 1951 |title=Jubilant Nationals See End of American Loop 'Reign of Terror' |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0i8KAAAAIBAJ&pg=6477,3543815&dq=1950+world+series&hl=en |access-date=2025-01-01 |work=Ellensburg Daily Record|via=Google News|agency=Associated Press |page=8}}</ref> He was also the last Phillies player to collect eight hits in a [[Doubleheader (baseball)|double-header]] when he singled eight times in a twinbill at [[Pittsburgh]] on May 20, 1951.

Ashburn was a singles hitter rather than a slugger, accumulating over 2,500 hits in 15 years against only 29 home runs. In his day he was regarded as the archetypal "spray hitter", stroking the ball equally well to all fields, thus making him harder to defend against. Ashburn accumulated the most hits (1,875) of any batter during the 1950s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/bsl_finder.cgi#n1=&as=result_batter&offset=0&sum=1&min_year_season=1950&max_year_season=1959&isActive=either&isHOF=either&bats=any&throws=any&exactness=anypos&games_prop=50&games_tot=&pos_pitcher=1&pos_catcher=1&pos_first_base=1&pos_designated_hitter=1&pos_second_base=1&pos_third_base=1&pos_shortstop=1&pos_left_field=1&pos_center_field=1&pos_right_field=1&pos_out_field=1&qualifiersSeason=nomin&minpasValS=502&mingamesValS=100&qualifiersCareer=nomin&minpasValC=3000&mingamesValC=1000&c1val=0&c2val=0&c3val=0&c4val=0&min_season=1&max_season=-1&min_age=0&max_age=99&lg_ID=lgAny&lgAL_team=tmAny&lgNL_team=tmAny&lgFL_team=tmAny&lgAA_team=tmAny&lgPL_team=tmAny&lgUA_team=tmAny&lgNA_team=tmAny&orderby=H&layout=full&c1bsl=&c1gtlt=gt&c2bsl=&c2gtlt=gt&c3bsl=&c3gtlt=gt&c4bsl=&c4gtlt=gt&location=pob&locationMatch=is&pob=&pod=&pcanada=&pusa= |title=Batting Season Finder – Baseball-Reference PI |access-date=August 17, 2008 |work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509184939/http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/bsl_finder.cgi#n1=&as=result_batter&offset=0&sum=1&min_year_season=1950&max_year_season=1959&isActive=either&isHOF=either&bats=any&throws=any&exactness=anypos&games_prop=50&games_tot=&pos_pitcher=1&pos_catcher=1&pos_first_base=1&pos_designated_hitter=1&pos_second_base=1&pos_third_base=1&pos_shortstop=1&pos_left_field=1&pos_center_field=1&pos_right_field=1&pos_out_field=1&qualifiersSeason=nomin&minpasValS=502&mingamesValS=100&qualifiersCareer=nomin&minpasValC=3000&mingamesValC=1000&c1val=0&c2val=0&c3val=0&c4val=0&min_season=1&max_season=-1&min_age=0&max_age=99&lg_ID=lgAny&lgAL_team=tmAny&lgNL_team=tmAny&lgFL_team=tmAny&lgAA_team=tmAny&lgPL_team=tmAny&lgUA_team=tmAny&lgNA_team=tmAny&orderby=H&layout=full&c1bsl=&c1gtlt=gt&c2bsl=&c2gtlt=gt&c3bsl=&c3gtlt=gt&c4bsl=&c4gtlt=gt&location=pob&locationMatch=is&pob=&pod=&pcanada=&pusa= |archive-date=May 9, 2008  }}</ref>

[[Ted Williams]] gave Ashburn the nickname "Putt-Putt" because he "ran so fast you would think he had twin motors in his pants".  The origin of the nickname also has been attributed to [[Stan Musial]].

During a game on August 17, 1957, Ashburn hit a foul ball into the stands that struck spectator Alice Roth, wife of ''[[Philadelphia Bulletin]]'' sports editor Earl Roth, breaking her nose. When play resumed Ashburn fouled off another ball that struck her while she was being carried off in a stretcher.<ref>{{cite book|last=Nash|first=Bruce|last2=Zullo|first2=Alan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eqlguKlTa6sC&dq=%22alice+roth%22+%22richie+ashburn%22&pg=PT22|title=Baseball Hall of Shame 3|location=New York|publisher=Pocket Books|year=1988|page=13|ISBN=0-671-68147-8}}</ref> Ashburn and Roth maintained a friendship for many years, and the Roths' son later served as a Phillies batboy.  1958 marked the ninth year he had over four hundred putouts as an outfielder, a record.

Ashburn was traded to the [[Chicago Cubs]] following the 1959 season for three players.  He went on to anchor center field for the North Siders in 1960 and 1961. Anticipating a future career behind a microphone, Ashburn sometimes conducted a post-game baseball instruction clinic at [[Wrigley Field]] for the benefit of the youngsters in the [[WGN-TV]] viewing audience.

Ashburn was purchased by the expansion [[New York Mets]] for the 1962 season and was the first batter in franchise history. He had a good year offensively, batting .306, and was the team's first [[1962 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game)|All-Star Game]] representative. It was, however, a frustrating year for the polished professional, who had begun his career with a winner and found himself playing for the least successful team in modern baseball history (with a record of 40–120), a record of futility unmatched for another 62 years that followed, until it was finally surpassed by the [[2024 Chicago White Sox season|2024 Chicago White Sox]].

Ashburn retired after the 1962 season.

One oft-told story is that on short flies to center or left-center, center fielder Ashburn would collide with shortstop [[Elio Chacón]]. Chacón, from [[Venezuela]], spoke little English and had difficulty understanding when Ashburn was calling him off the ball. To remedy matters teammate Joe Christopher taught Ashburn to say "Yo la tengo", Spanish for "I’ve got it." When Ashburn first used this phrase it worked fine, keeping Chacón from running into him. But then left fielder [[Frank Thomas (outfielder)|Frank Thomas]], who did not speak a word of Spanish, slammed into Ashburn. After getting up Thomas asked Ashburn, "What the heck is a Yellow Tango?" This anecdote inspired the name of the American [[indie rock]] group [[Yo La Tengo]].

In his last five seasons, Ashburn played for the 8th-place Phillies, the 7th-place Cubs and, in his final year, the 1962 10th-place Mets. That infamous first-year Mets club won only a quarter of its games; after the season Ashburn decided to retire from active play. The last straw might have been during the Mets' 120th loss, when Ashburn, in the final game of his career, was involved in a [[triple play]] in the 8th inning pulled off by his former teammates, the 9th-place Cubs. According to Jimmy Breslin, it was the prospect of sitting on the bench that led Ashburn to retire: "He sat on the bench for a while with another team once and it bothered him badly. And he said that if he ever had to be a benchwarmer for the New York Mets he'd commit suicide."<ref>{{harvnb|Breslin|1963|page=54}}</ref>

Throughout his playing career, Ashburn, who lived in his hometown of Tilden during the offseason, officiated high school basketball games throughout Nebraska as a way to stay in playing condition.  He became a well-respected official, but retired from officiating when he retired from baseball.

==Broadcasting career==
[[File:PHI1997R38-01.jpg|thumb|A September 1997 Phillies jersey at the Ashburn memorial]]
Starting in 1963, Ashburn became a radio and TV [[color commentator]] for the Phillies, his original big-league team. He first worked with long-time Phillies announcers [[Bill Campbell (sportscaster)|Bill Campbell]] and [[Byrum Saam]]. In 1971 Campbell was released by the Phillies and replaced by [[Harry Kalas]]. From 1971 to 1976, Ashburn worked together with Saam and Kalas who would both be [[Ford C. Frick Award]] winners. Saam retired in 1976, and Ashburn continued working with Kalas for the next two decades, the two growing to be best friends.  Kalas often referred to Ashburn as "His Whiteness", a nickname Kalas used for most of Ashburn's life for the man he openly adored.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shenck |first1=Larry |title=Behind the Microphones |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/phillies-alumni-announcers-history#:~:text=Saam%2C%20Ashburn%20and%20Campbell%20initially,broadcasting%20a%20Phillies%2DMets%20game. |website=MLB.com}}</ref>

He was well known for his dry humor as a broadcaster. On one occasion, he was talking to Harry Kalas about his superstitions during his playing days. He said that he once had a habit of keeping a successful baseball bat in bed with him between games, not trusting the clubhouse crew to give him the same bat the next day.  Ashburn told Kalas that he had "slept with a lot of old bats" in his day.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=3d7TouZUHIwC&dq=richie+ashburn+old+bats&pg=PA53 Book excerpt on Google.com] Retrieved July 15, 2010</ref>

When calling late innings, Ashburn would occasionally ask on-air if the staff of Celebre's Pizza, a nearby pizzeria in [[South Philadelphia]], was listening to the radio.  Pizza would then arrive at the radio booth 15–20 minutes later. The Phillies requested that Ashburn discontinue the practice, since Celebre's was not a Phillies sponsor and it was considered free advertising. However, Ashburn was allowed to make on-air birthday and anniversary wishes during Phillies games. To circumvent the Phillies' request, he started to say, "I'd like to send out a special birthday wish to the Celebre's twins – Plain & Pepperoni!"<ref>[https://www.espn.com/classic/hof02/s/2002/0728/1411194.html ESPN.com article mentioning Celebre's Pizza] Retrieved August 5, 2010</ref> [[Harry Kalas]] was heard on radio in 2007 making a similar wish.

Ashburn regularly wrote columns on the Phillies and Major League Baseball for the ''[[Philadelphia Bulletin]]'' and the ''[[Philadelphia Daily News]]''.

Following the 1972 season, Ashburn interviewed for the Phillies’ vacant managerial position that was ultimately filled by [[Danny Ozark]].

==Death==
According to Ashburn's mother, he planned to retire from broadcasting at the end of the 1997 season. On September 9, 1997, hours after broadcasting a [[Mets–Phillies rivalry|Phillies-Mets game]] at [[Shea Stadium]], Ashburn died from an apparent [[heart attack]] at his hotel room at the [[Hyatt Grand Central New York|Grand Hyatt Hotel]] in [[Manhattan]], aged 70.<ref>{{cite news|quote=Mr. Ashburn, 70, had performed his normal duties during the Phillies' 13–4 win Monday night...Back in his room at midtown Manhattan's Grand Hyatt hotel, he contacted the Phillies' traveling secretary, Eddie Ferenz, and complained of chest pains. Ferenz summoned team trainer Jeff Cooper, but Mr. Ashburn was dead, apparently of a heart attack, by the time they entered his room about 5 am|title=A Phillie For the Ages, Richie Ashburn Dies|date=September 10, 1997|first=Frank|last=Fitzpatrick|newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|page=A1}}</ref> A large crowd of fans paid tribute to him, passing by his casket in [[Memorial Hall (Philadelphia)#Richie Ashburn viewing|Memorial Hall]], located in Philadelphia's [[Fairmount Park]]. He is interred in the suburban Gladwyne Methodist Church Cemetery in [[Gladwyne, Pennsylvania]] in suburban [[Philadelphia]].

==Legacy==
{{See also|List of Major League Baseball retired numbers#List of retired numbers}}
[[File:Ashburn.jpg|thumb|A Richie Ashburn banner in [[Ashburn Alley]] at [[Citizens Bank Park]]]]
[[File:PhilsAshburn.PNG|thumb|The Phillies retired Richie Ashburn's number in 1979]]
The book, ''Richie Ashburn: Why The Hall Not?'', is about Richie's journey to the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]]; Ashburn was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Hall's [[Veterans Committee]] in [[1995 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1995]] after a long fan campaign to induct him, which included bumper stickers that read, "Richie Ashburn: Why The Hall Not?"<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=3d7TouZUHIwC&dq=richie+ashburn+why+the+hall+not+bumper+sticker&pg=PA72 Google Books reference to "Richie Ashburn Remembered" book with reference] Retrieved August 10, 2010</ref> He accompanied Phillies great [[Mike Schmidt]], who was inducted in the same ceremony. Over 25,000 fans, mostly from the Philadelphia area, traveled to [[Cooperstown, New York]] for the ceremony.

Ashburn was inducted into The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame in 1997. He was posthumously inducted into the inaugural class of the [[Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame]] in 2004.<ref name="Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame Inductees"/>

Each year, the Phillies present the [[List of Philadelphia Phillies award winners and league leaders#Richie Ashburn Special Achievement Award|Richie Ashburn Special Achievement Award]] to "a member of the organization who has demonstrated loyalty, dedication and passion for the game."<ref>{{cite web|first=Don|last=McKee|title=Jerry Clothier, Phillies vice president for business and finance|date=November 28, 2011|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/20111128_of_finance_Jerry_Clothier_dies_of_cancer_at_66.html|access-date=November 28, 2011}}</ref>

The center field entertainment area at [[Citizens Bank Park]], the Phillies' home stadium, is named [[Ashburn Alley]] in his honor after numerous fans urged the Phillies to name their new stadium after Ashburn. Ashburn's 47 seasons of service to the Phillies organization was second in length in Philadelphia baseball history only to [[Connie Mack]], who was honored by the renaming of [[Shibe Park]] as Connie Mack Stadium in 1953.

At Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies' radio broadcast booth is named the [[Philadelphia Phillies#Radio and television|Richie 'Whitey' Ashburn Broadcast Booth]] in Ashburn's honor. It is directly next to the television broadcast booth, which was renamed "The Harry Kalas Broadcast Booth" after Kalas's death in 2009.

[[Rubén Amaro Jr.]], former general manager of the Phillies and son of former Phillies shortstop and coach [[Rubén Amaro Sr.]], co-founded the Richie Ashburn Foundation, which provides admission to baseball camp for free to 1,100 underprivileged children in the [[Delaware Valley]] and awards grants to area schools and colleges.

==See also==
* [[List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders]]
* [[List of Philadelphia Phillies team records]]
* [[Major League Baseball consecutive games played streaks]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
*{{cite book|last=Breslin|first=Jimmy|title=Can't Anybody Here Play This Game?|publisher=The Viking Press|year=1963|authorlink=Jimmy Breslin}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Baseball Hall of Fame profile|ashburn-richie}}
*{{baseballstats|mlb=110349|espn=17748|br=a/ashburi01|fangraphs=1000335|brm=ashbur001ric|retro=A/Pashbr101}}
*{{SABR Baseball Biography Project|cda44a76}}
*[https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=ashburi01 Richie Ashburn] at Baseball Almanac
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100611213655/http://thedeadballera.com/Obits/Obits_A/Ashburn.Richie.Obit.html Richie Ashburn] at The Deadball Era

{{NL batting title}}
{{NL stolen base champions}}
{{Sporting News MLB Rookie of the year}}
{{Philadelphia Phillies}}
{{Philadelphia Phillies retired numbers}}
{{Philadelphia Phillies HOF}}
{{Philly Baseball Wall of Fame}}
{{1995 Baseball HOF}}
{{Baseball Hall of Fame members}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashburn, Richie}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:1997 deaths]]
[[Category:American twins]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Nebraska]]
[[Category:Chicago Cubs players]]
[[Category:Opposite-sex twins]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball broadcasters]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball center fielders]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers]]
[[Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:National League All-Stars]]
[[Category:National League batting champions]]
[[Category:National League stolen base champions]]
[[Category:New York Mets players]]
[[Category:People from Tilden, Nebraska]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Phillies announcers]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Phillies players]]
[[Category:Utica Blue Sox players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]