| Richie Ashburn | |
|---|---|
 Ashburn with the Philadelphia Phillies, c. 1953 | |
| Center fielder | |
| Born: March 19, 1927 Tilden, Nebraska, U.S. | |
| Died: September 9, 1997 (aged 70) New York City, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 20, 1948, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 30, 1962, for the New York Mets | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .308 |
| Hits | 2,574 |
| Home runs | 29 |
| Runs batted in | 586 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1995 |
| Election method | Veterans Committee |
Don Richard Ashburn (March 19, 1927 – 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 All-Star player and member of the 1950 National League pennant winning Whiz Kids.
Ashburn was a two-time National League (NL) batting champion, and finished with a .308 career batting average.[1] He also excelled as a defensive player, routinely leading the league in putouts.[2] His 5,803 career putouts ranks third among center fielders in Major League Baseball history behind only Willie Mays and Tris Speaker.[3] 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.[1] In 1995, following a lengthy fan-led effort for his inclusion, Ashburn was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.[1] 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.[4]
- ^ a b c "Richie Ashburn at the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame". baseballhall.org. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- ^ "Richie Ashburn career statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Putouts as Center Fielder". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
- ^ "Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame Inductees". Retrieved August 3, 2009.