Richie Ashburn
Richie 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 radio/television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) 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 and member of the 1950 National League (NL) pennant winning “Whiz Kids.”
Ashburn was a two-time NL batting champion and finished with a .308 career batting average. He also excelled as a defensive player, routinely leading the league in putouts. His 5,803 career putouts ranks third among center fielders in MLB history, behind only Willie Mays and Tris Speaker. He ended his playing career with the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets.
Ashburn excelled from 1948 to 1959 with the Phillies as the prototypical leadoff hitter and center fielder. Defensively, Ashburn set outfield marks with nine years of 400 or more putouts, and four years with 500 or more. He holds six of the top-10 season records for outfielder putouts, including second place (538 putouts in 1951) and third place (514 in 1949).
After leaving the field of play, Ashburn began a second career when he returned to Philadelphia as a member of the media. He joined the Phillies’ radio and television broadcasting team in 1963, where he would combine perceptive commentary with a wry sense of humor for 35 years.
Richie Ashburn was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995.
Zenos Frudakis created ten-foot tall bronze statues of four of Philadelphia's Hall of Famers, including the sculpture of Richie Ashburn. Ashburn's statue was unveiled by his family during the opening of Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park. The sculpture now welcomes sports fans at the entrance to the stadium’s Ashburn Alley, located behind centerfield, which also features the team’s Walk of Fame.
“The statue really hit home.”
Center Fielder
Elected into the Hall of Fame in 1995
Size: 10-feet high
Media: Bronze
Unveiled: Unveiled: April 12, 2004 during the opening of the new Citizens Bank ballpark
Location: Ashburn Alley, Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
Inscription on Plaque in Ashburn Alley: DEDICATED TO RICHIE ASHBURN. ALL STAR PLAYER, BROADCASTER AND FRIEND. APRIL 12, 2004