His 1 was retired in Four years ago, I began writing a series of Philadelphia Phillies mini-biographies. The series was inspired by my twin interests in the Phillies ball club and the subject of history in general.
In the winter of , I keyed on shortstops. Last year it was the catching position. What has now grown to an chapter series will extend by five more over the next couple of months. This year, I have chosen to cover some of the most important players in Phillies history. The five players who have both played with the team and who also have actually had a uniform number retired by the club.
Those five ball players will be presented in numerical order, beginning with this piece on Richie Ashburn. Tilden lies exactly in the middle of nowhere, about miles northwest of Omaha. Ashburn tried to play all the sports — except football; his father ruled that out because of the threat of injury, but baseball and basketball were his favorites. Richie played both baseball and basketball for his high school team and also played American Legion ball.
He was signed three different times by big-league organizations. The Cleveland Indians first inked Ashburn at age 16, but that deal was nixed by the Commissioner as teams were prohibited then from signing high schoolers.
He then was signed by the Chicago Cubs, but that deal was also shot down due to an illegal contract clause. In at age 18, Ashburn had a contract approved with the Phillies. Ashburn would spend the and seasons playing with the Phillies farm club in Utica, New York. The nickname would stick for the rest of his life.
He missed the campaign entirely after being drafted into the U. Army and being sent to serve in, of all places, Alaska. On his return the fleet-footed Ashburn hit.
Ashburn would never play another day in the minors. He impressed enough to open the season as the Phillies starting center fielder, a position that he would hold down for a dozen years. During that rookie campaign, Ashburn hit. He was also a National League All-Star for the first of what would be five times in his career and received MVP votes for the first of eight years. A win for the host Dodgers would force a one-game playoff between the two clubs for the pennant.
The two teams exchanged single runs in the 6th inning and then rode ace pitchers Robin Roberts and Don Newcombe into the 9th inning. Newcombe set the Phillies down in the top of the 9th, and the so the Dodgers came to the plate with a chance to win it.
Cal Abrams led off with a walk, moving to second base when Pee Wee Reese followed with a single to left. That brought Duke Snider to the plate. The Dodgers three-hole hitter delivered what seemed a sure game-winning, standings-tying base hit to center.
But Ashburn had other ideas. He charged, fielded the base hit cleanly, and fired home. Backup catcher Stan Lopata took the throw and tagged Abrams, who tried to dance around him, for the first out.
The Phillies were still alive. Following an intentional walk to Jackie Robinson to load the bases, Roberts coaxed Carl Furillo to pop out and then retired Gil Hodges on an easy fly to right field to get out of that 9th inning jam.
The two teams now moved on to extra-innings. Roberts helped himself by leading off the top of the 10th frame with a base hit. When Eddie Waitkus followed with a single the Phillies had a threat of their own going.
That brought Ashburn to the plate. He tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt, a play that he would later admit to despising. He hits. Ashburn led the league in on base percentage and walks a career high one-hundred twenty-five in , and again in on base percentage in while also wining his first bating title that season with a.
He again topped the National League NL in walks in and did so once more in while capturing another bating crown. Ashburn slumped in and was then dealt by the Phillies to the Cubs. He rebounded in to hit. After one more season with the Cubs , Ashburn finished his career with the horrible expansion New York Mets.
He rose above the team record setting one-hundred twenty losses by batting. Frustrated by the Mets ineptness, Ashburn called it quits after the season and is one of few players to end his career with a. Richie Ashburn batted. He won two batting titles, led the National League in hits three times, and on base percentage and walks four times. Ashburn once singled eight times in a doubleheader. Today, walks are valued more than when Ashburn played, although astute managers realized they often were the difference between winning and losing.
Frankie Frisch knew what he was saying when he lamented, "Oh, those bases on balls. Ashburn played from with the Phillies and was traded to the Chicago Cubs on Jan. Ashburn played 15 seasons.
If his career had started in instead of in , he would not make the Hall of Fame because players are evaluated by different standards in the 21st century. Ashburn won batting titles in The problem is that center field is considered a power position, and Ashburn didn't hit with power.
He batted. A tremendous negative is that Ashburn's on-base percentage was 14 points better than his slugging average. Only of his 2. Although Ashburn didn't have a strong throwing arm, he made one of the most important throws in baseball history.
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