Alan Ashby

Alan Ashby
Ashby in 2014
Catcher
Born: (1951-07-08) July 8, 1951 (age 73)
Long Beach, California, U.S.
Batted: Switch
Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 3, 1973, for the Cleveland Indians
Last MLB appearance
May 9, 1989, for the Houston Astros
MLB statistics
Batting average.245
Home runs90
Runs batted in513
Teams

Alan Dean Ashby (born July 8, 1951) is an American former professional baseball catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) and former radio and television sports commentator.[1] A switch hitter, he played for the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston Astros between 1973 and 1989.

The Astros reached the postseason three times with Ashby as the primary catcher, with his 900 games behind the plate being a franchise record until 2005. He hit the first postseason home run in Astros history in Game 1 of the 1981 National League Division Series, which was also a walk-off home run.[2] In additions to home runs (69) and RBIs (388), Ashby also caught three no-hitters for the club, which are each a record in franchise history.[3] After retiring as a player, he managed in the Texas–Louisiana League and has held several positions in broadcasting, including his most recent job as the lead color commentator for the Astros until 2016.

  1. ^ "Alan Ashby statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
  2. ^ "Dandy dozen: Revisit every walkoff win in Astros playoff history". October 12, 2022.
  3. ^ "Hot take: 5 best catchers in Astros history". MLB.com.