Richie Ashburn

American baseball player and broadcaster (1927–1997)

Baseball player

Richie Ashburn

Ashburn with the Philadelphia Phillies, c. 1953

Center fielder
Born: (1927-03-19)March 19, 1927
Tilden, Nebraska, U.S.
Died: September 9, 1997(1997-09-09) (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
Teams

* Philadelphia Phillies (1948–1959)
* Chicago Cubs (1960–1961)
* New York Mets (1962)

Career highlights and awards

* 6× All-Star (1948, 1951, 1953, 1958, 1962, 1962²)
* 2× NL batting champion (1955, 1958)
* NL stolen base leader (1948)
* Philadelphia Phillies No. 1 retired
* Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame

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]

## Career

[edit]

### Early baseball career

[edit]

Ashburn was born in Tilden, Nebraska. His mother gave birth twice, each time to twins; Richie and sister Donna were the younger pair.[5] He began playing baseball in 1935 in the Tilden Midget Baseball League when he was eight-years-old.[6] He played as a catcher because his father advised him that it would be the fastest route to becoming a major league player.[6]

Ashburn played baseball and basketball for Tilden High School then graduated to American Legion Baseball with the Neligh Junior Legion team while continuing to play as a catcher.[6] 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.[6]

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.[6] 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.[6] After the two contracts were nullified, Ashburn decided to enroll at Norfolk Junior College however, after one semester he would sign a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.[6]

Ashburn and Nick Picciuto as members of the Utica Blue Sox in 1945

At the age of eighteen, Ashburn made his professional baseball debut with the Utica Blue Sox of the Eastern League in 1945 and it was there that his manager, Eddie Sawyer, converted him into a center fielder to take advantage of his impressive running speed.[6] During his time with the Utica Blue Sox, his teammates began calling him Whitey because of his light blond hair, and the nickname stayed with him for the rest of his life.[6]

Ashburn was drafted by the United States Army early in the 1945 season however, he was allowed to finish the season, in which the Blue Sox won the Eastern League pennant while Ashburn led the team with a .312 batting average.[6] 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.[7] Ashburn finished second in the Eastern League batting championship with a .362 batting average, and had 191 hits in 137 games, setting a league record for the most hits in a season.[6][8] After the 1947 season he returned to Norfolk Junior College for a second semester, where he met his future wife, Herberta Cox.[6]

### Major League Baseball

[edit]

Ashburn's 1952 Bowman Gum baseball card 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,[9] Ashburn made his major league debut with the Phillies on Opening Day 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.[6] He played as a left fielder for the first 12 games of the season before replacing Walker as the regular center fielder.[6]

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.[6][10] Ashburn was the only rookie chosen to the 1948 National League All-Star team where, he hit a single on the first pitch of the game and scored the first run of the game.[11]

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 instead threw a fastball to the Dodgers' Duke Snider.[12]

The following year Ashburn displayed his fielding skill on the national stage in the All-Star Game at 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."[13] He was also the last Phillies player to collect eight hits in a 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.[14]

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.[15] Ashburn and Roth maintained a friendship for many years, and the Roths' son later served as a Phillies batboy.

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 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.

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, 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 the 10th-place Mets. The infamous first-year Mets club won only a quarter of its games, and Ashburn decided to retire from active play. The last straw might have been during the Mets' 120th loss, when Ashburn, in the final plate appearance of his career, hit into a triple play 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."[16]

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

[edit]

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 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.[citation needed]

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.[17]

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!"[18] 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.

## Death

[edit]

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 Phillies-Mets game at Shea Stadium, Ashburn died from an apparent heart attack at his hotel room at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan, aged 70.[19] A large crowd of fans paid tribute to him, passing by his casket in 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

[edit]

See also: List of Major League Baseball retired numbers § List of retired numbers

A Richie Ashburn banner in Ashburn Alley at Citizens Bank Park 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 after a long fan campaign to induct him, which included bumper stickers that read, "Richie Ashburn: Why The Hall Not?"[20] He accompanied Phillies great Mike Schmidt, who was inducted in the same ceremony. Over 25,000 fans, mostly from Philadelphia, 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.[4]

Each year, the Phillies present the Richie Ashburn Special Achievement Award to "a member of the organization who has demonstrated loyalty, dedication and passion for the game."[21]

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 Park in 1953.

At Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies' radio broadcast booth is named the 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' 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

[edit]

* 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

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Richie Ashburn at the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame". baseballhall.org. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
2. ^ "Richie Ashburn career statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
3. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Putouts as Center Fielder". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
4. ^ a b "Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame Inductees". Retrieved August 3, 2009.
5. ^ "Pennsylvania Center for the Book". pabook.libraries.psu.edu. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Kearney, Seamus. "The Baseball Biography Project: Richie Ashburn". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
7. ^ "1947 Eastern League overview". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
8. ^ "1947 Eastern League Batting Leaders". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
9. ^ "Phils Buy Ashburn". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. April 9, 1948. p. 41.
10. ^ "Richie Ashburn 1948 batting log". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
11. ^ Baumgartner, Stan (July 14, 1948). "American All-Stars Rally to Defeat Nationals, 5-2". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 41.
12. ^ Breslin, Jimmy, Can't Anybody Here Play This Game? (The Viking Press, 1963), p. 103
13. ^ "Jubilant Nationals See End of American Loop 'Reign of Terror'". Ellensburg Daily Record. July 11, 1951. p. 8.
14. ^ "Batting Season Finder – Baseball-Reference PI". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
15. ^ Nash, Bruce; Zullo, Alan. Baseball Hall of Shame 3. New York: Pocket Books. 1988. p. 13. ISBN 0-671-68147-8.
16. ^ Breslin, Jimmy, Can't Anybody Here Play This Game? (The Viking Press, 1963), p. 54
17. ^ Book excerpt on Google.com Retrieved July 15, 2010
18. ^ ESPN.com article mentioning Celebre's Pizza Retrieved August 5, 2010
19. ^ Fitzpatrick, Frank (September 10, 1997). "A Phillie For the Ages, Richie Ashburn Dies". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. A1. "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"
20. ^ Google Books reference to "Richie Ashburn Remembered" book with reference Retrieved August 10, 2010
21. ^ McKee, Don (November 28, 2011). "Jerry Clothier, Phillies vice president for business and finance". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 28, 2011.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Richie Ashburn.

* Richie Ashburn at the Baseball Hall of Fame
*   * Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
* Richie Ashburn at the SABR Baseball Biography Project
* Richie Ashburn at Baseball Almanac
* Richie Ashburn at Baseball Gauge
* Richie Ashburn at Baseballbiography.com
* Richie Ashburn at Ultimate Mets Database
* Richie Ashburn at The Deadball Era
* Richie Ashburn Baseball Foundation
* "Richie Ashburn: Why The Hall Not" book site
* Richie Ashburn at Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame (1997, no bio available)

* v
* t
* e

National League batting champions

* 1876: Barnes
* 1877: White
* 1878: Hines
* 1879: Hines
* 1880: Gore
* 1881: Anson
* 1882: Brouthers
* 1883: Brouthers
* 1884: Kelly
* 1885: Connor
* 1886: Kelly
* 1887: Thompson
* 1888: Anson
* 1889: Brouthers
* 1890: Glasscock
* 1891: Hamilton
* 1892: Brouthers
* 1893: Hamilton
* 1894: Duffy
* 1895: Burkett
* 1896: Burkett
* 1897: Keeler
* 1898: Keeler
* 1899: Delahanty
* 1900: Wagner
* 1901: Burkett
* 1902: Beaumont
* 1903: Wagner
* 1904: Wagner
* 1905: Seymour
* 1906: Wagner
* 1907: Wagner
* 1908: Wagner
* 1909: Wagner
* 1910: Magee
* 1911: Wagner
* 1912: Zimmerman
* 1913: Daubert
* 1914: Daubert
* 1915: Doyle
* 1916: Chase
* 1917: Roush
* 1918: Wheat
* 1919: Roush
* 1920: Hornsby
* 1921: Hornsby
* 1922: Hornsby
* 1923: Hornsby
* 1924: Hornsby
* 1925: Hornsby
* 1926: Hargrave
* 1927: Waner
* 1928: Hornsby
* 1929: O'Doul
* 1930: Terry
* 1931: Hafey
* 1932: O'Doul
* 1933: Klein
* 1934: Waner
* 1935: Vaughan
* 1936: Waner
* 1937: Medwick
* 1938: Lombardi
* 1939: Mize
* 1940: Garms
* 1941: Reiser
* 1942: Lombardi
* 1943: Musial
* 1944: D. Walker
* 1945: Cavarretta
* 1946: Musial
* 1947: H. Walker
* 1948: Musial
* 1949: Robinson
* 1950: Musial
* 1951: Musial
* 1952: Musial
* 1953: Furillo
* 1954: Mays
* 1955: Ashburn
* 1956: Aaron
* 1957: Musial
* 1958: Ashburn
* 1959: Aaron
* 1960: Groat
* 1961: Clemente
* 1962: Davis
* 1963: Davis
* 1964: Clemente
* 1965: Clemente
* 1966: Alou
* 1967: Clemente
* 1968: Rose
* 1969: Rose
* 1970: Carty
* 1971: Torre
* 1972: Williams
* 1973: Rose
* 1974: Garr
* 1975: Madlock
* 1976: Madlock
* 1977: Parker
* 1978: Parker
* 1979: Hernandez
* 1980: Buckner
* 1981: Madlock
* 1982: Oliver
* 1983: Madlock
* 1984: Gwynn
* 1985: McGee
* 1986: Raines
* 1987: Gwynn
* 1988: Gwynn
* 1989: Gwynn
* 1990: McGee
* 1991: Pendleton
* 1992: Sheffield
* 1993: Galarraga
* 1994: Gwynn
* 1995: Gwynn
* 1996: Gwynn
* 1997: Gwynn
* 1998: L. Walker
* 1999: L. Walker
* 2000: Helton
* 2001: L. Walker
* 2002: Bonds
* 2003: Pujols
* 2004: Bonds
* 2005: Lee
* 2006: Sanchez
* 2007: Holliday
* 2008: Jones
* 2009: Ramírez
* 2010: González
* 2011: Reyes
* 2012: Posey
* 2013: Cuddyer
* 2014: Morneau
* 2015: Gordon
* 2016: LeMahieu
* 2017: Blackmon
* 2018: Yelich
* 2019: Yelich
* 2020: Soto
* 2021: Turner
* 2022: McNeil
* 2023: Arráez

* v
* t
* e

National League season stolen base leaders

* 1886: Andrews
* 1887: Ward
* 1888: Hoy
* 1889: Fogarty
* 1890: Hamilton
* 1891: Hamilton
* 1892: Ward
* 1893: Brown
* 1894: Hamilton
* 1895: Hamilton
* 1896: Kelley
* 1897: Lange
* 1898: Delahanty
* 1899: Sheckard
* 1900: Donovan & Van Haltren
* 1901: Wagner
* 1902: Wagner
* 1903: Chance & Sheckard
* 1904: Wagner
* 1905: Devlin & Maloney
* 1906: Chance
* 1907: Wagner
* 1908: Wagner
* 1909: Bescher
* 1910: Bescher
* 1911: Bescher
* 1912: Bescher
* 1913: Carey
* 1914: Burns
* 1915: Carey
* 1916: Carey
* 1917: Carey
* 1918: Carey
* 1919: Burns
* 1920: Carey
* 1921: Frisch
* 1922: Carey
* 1923: Carey
* 1924: Carey
* 1925: Carey
* 1926: Cuyler
* 1927: Frisch
* 1928: Cuyler
* 1929: Cuyler
* 1930: Cuyler
* 1931: Frisch
* 1932: Klein
* 1933: Martin
* 1934: Martin
* 1935: Galan
* 1936: Martin
* 1937: Galan
* 1938: Hack
* 1939: Hack & Handley
* 1940: Frey
* 1941: Murtaugh
* 1942: Reiser
* 1943: Vaughan
* 1944: Barrett
* 1945: Schoendienst
* 1946: Reiser
* 1947: Robinson
* 1948: Ashburn
* 1949: Robinson
* 1950: Jethroe
* 1951: Jethroe
* 1952: Reese
* 1953: Bruton
* 1954: Bruton
* 1955: Bruton
* 1956: Mays
* 1957: Mays
* 1958: Mays
* 1959: Mays
* 1960: Wills
* 1961: Wills
* 1962: Wills
* 1963: Wills
* 1964: Wills
* 1965: Wills
* 1966: Brock
* 1967: Brock
* 1968: Brock
* 1969: Brock
* 1970: Tolan
* 1971: Brock
* 1972: Brock
* 1973: Brock
* 1974: Brock
* 1975: Lopes
* 1976: Lopes
* 1977: F. Taveras
* 1978: Moreno
* 1979: Moreno
* 1980: LeFlore
* 1981: Raines
* 1982: Raines
* 1983: Raines
* 1984: Raines
* 1985: Coleman
* 1986: Coleman
* 1987: Coleman
* 1988: Coleman
* 1989: Coleman
* 1990: Coleman
* 1991: Grissom
* 1992: Grissom
* 1993: Carr
* 1994: Biggio
* 1995: Veras
* 1996: Young, Sr.
* 1997: Womack
* 1998: Womack
* 1999: Womack
* 2000: Castillo
* 2001: Pierre & Rollins
* 2002: Castillo
* 2003: Pierre
* 2004: Podsednik
* 2005: Reyes
* 2006: Reyes
* 2007: Reyes
* 2008: W. Taveras
* 2009: Bourn
* 2010: Bourn
* 2011: Bourn
* 2012: Cabrera
* 2013: Young Jr.
* 2014: Gordon
* 2015: Gordon
* 2016: Villar
* 2017: Gordon
* 2018: Turner
* 2019: Acuña Jr.
* 2020: Story
* 2021: Turner
* 2022: Berti
* 2023: Acuña Jr.

* v
* t
* e

Sporting News MLB Rookie of the Year Award

MLB Rookie|

* 1946: Ennis
* 1947: J. Robinson
* 1948: Ashburn
* 1950: Ford

AL Rookie|

* 1949: Sievers
* 1951: Miñoso
* 1952: Courtney
* 1953: Kuenn
* 1954: Grim
* 1955: Score
* 1956: Aparicio
* 1957: Kubek & Bouchee
* 1959: Allison
* 1960: Hansen
* 1962: Tresh
* 2004: Crosby
* 2005: Street
* 2006: Verlander
* 2007: Pedroia
* 2008: Longoria
* 2009: Bailey
* 2010: Jackson
* 2011: Trumbo
* 2012: Trout
* 2013: Myers
* 2014: Abreu
* 2015: Correa
* 2016: Fulmer
* 2017: Judge
* 2018: Ohtani
* 2019: Álvarez
* 2020: Lewis
* 2021: García
* 2022: Rodríguez
* 2023: Henderson

NL Rookie|

* 1949: Newcombe
* 1951: Mays
* 1952: Black
* 1953: Gilliam
* 1954: Moon
* 1955: Virdon
* 1956: F. Robinson
* 1957: Sanford
* 1959: McCovey
* 1960: Howard
* 1962: Hubbs
* 2004: Bay
* 2005: Taveras
* 2006: Ramírez
* 2007: Braun
* 2008: Soto
* 2009: Happ
* 2010: Heyward
* 2011: Kimbrel
* 2012: Miley
* 2013: Fernández
* 2014: deGrom
* 2015: Bryant
* 2016: Seager
* 2017: Bellinger
* 2018: Acuña Jr.
* 2019: Alonso
* 2020: Cronenworth
* 2021: India
* 2022: Strider
* 2023: Carroll

AL Rookie
Player|

* 1958: Pearson
* 1961: Howser
* 1963: Ward
* 1964: Oliva
* 1965: Blefary
* 1966: Agee
* 1967: Carew
* 1968: Unser
* 1969: C. May
* 1970: Foster
* 1971: Chambliss
* 1972: Fisk
* 1973: Bumbry
* 1974: Hargrove
* 1975: Lynn
* 1976: Wynegar
* 1977: Page
* 1978: Molitor
* 1979: Putnam
* 1980: Charboneau
* 1981: Gedman
* 1982: Ripken Jr.
* 1983: Kittle
* 1984: Davis
* 1985: Guillén
* 1986: Canseco
* 1987: McGwire
* 1988: Harvey
* 1989: Worthington
* 1990: Alomar Jr.
* 1991: Knoblauch
* 1992: Listach
* 1993: Salmon
* 1994: Hamelin
* 1995: G. Anderson
* 1996: Jeter
* 1997: Garciaparra
* 1998: Grieve
* 1999: Beltrán
* 2000: Quinn
* 2001: Suzuki
* 2002: Hinske
* 2003: Gerut

AL Rookie
Pitcher|

* 1958: Duren
* 1961: Schwall
* 1963: Peters
* 1964: Bunker
* 1965: M. López
* 1966: Nash
* 1967: Phoebus
* 1968: Bahnsen
* 1969: Nagy
* 1970: Blyleven
* 1971: Parsons
* 1972: Tidrow
* 1973: Busby
* 1974: Tanana
* 1975: Eckersley
* 1976: Fidrych
* 1977: Rozema
* 1978: Gale
* 1979: Clear
* 1980: Burns
* 1981: Righetti
* 1982: Vande Berg
* 1983: Boddicker
* 1984: Langston
* 1985: Higuera
* 1986: Eichhorn
* 1987: Henneman
* 1988: Harvey
* 1989: Gordon
* 1990: Appier
* 1991: Guzmán
* 1992: Eldred
* 1993: Sele
* 1994: B. Anderson
* 1995: Tavárez
* 1996: Baldwin
* 1997: Dickson
* 1998: Arrojo
* 1999: Hudson
* 2000: Sasaki
* 2001: Sabathia
* 2002: R. López
* 2003: Soriano

NL Rookie
Player|

* 1958: Willey
* 1961: B. Williams
* 1963: Rose
* 1964: Allen
* 1965: Morgan
* 1966: Helms
* 1967: L. May
* 1968: Bench
* 1969: Laboy
* 1970: Carbo
* 1971: E. Williams
* 1972: Rader
* 1973: Matthews
* 1974: Gross
* 1975: Carter
* 1976: Herndon
* 1977: Dawson
* 1978: Horner
* 1979: Leonard
* 1980: Smith
* 1981: Raines
* 1982: Ray
* 1983: Strawberry
* 1984: Samuel
* 1985: Coleman
* 1986: Thompson
* 1987: Santiago
* 1988: Grace
* 1989: Walton
* 1990: Justice
* 1991: Bagwell
* 1992: Karros
* 1993: Piazza
* 1994: Mondesí
* 1995: Jones
* 1996: Kendall
* 1997: Rolen
* 1998: Helton
* 1999: Wilson
* 2000: Furcal
* 2001: Pujols
* 2002: Wilkerson
* 2003: Podsednik

NL Rookie
Pitcher|

* 1958: Cepeda
* 1961: Hunt
* 1963: Culp
* 1964: McCool
* 1965: Linzy
* 1966: Sutton
* 1967: Hughes
* 1968: Koosman
* 1969: Griffin
* 1970: Morton
* 1971: Cleveland
* 1972: Matlack
* 1973: Rogers
* 1974: D'Acquisto
* 1975: Montefusco
* 1976: Metzger
* 1977: Owchinko
* 1978: D. Robinson
* 1979: Sutcliffe
* 1980: Burns
* 1981: Valenzuela
* 1982: Bedrosian
* 1983: McMurtry
* 1984: Gooden
* 1985: Browning
* 1986: Worrell
* 1987: Dunne
* 1988: Belcher
* 1989: Benes
* 1990: Harkey
* 1991: Osuna
* 1992: Wakefield
* 1993: Rueter
* 1994: Trachsel
* 1995: Nomo
* 1996: Benes
* 1997: Morris
* 1998: Wood
* 1999: Williamson
* 2000: Ankiel
* 2001: Oswalt
* 2002: Jennings
* 2003: Willis

* v
* t
* e

Philadelphia Phillies

* Established in 1883
* Formerly the Philadelphia Quakers and the Philadelphia Blue Jays
* Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Franchise|

* History
* Seasons
* Records
* Players
* Owners and executives
* Managers
* Broadcasters
* Opening Day starting pitchers
* First-round picks
* No-hitters
* Award winners and league leaders

Ballparks|

* Recreation Park
* Baker Bowl
* Shibe Park
* Veterans Stadium
* Citizens Bank Park

Spring training

Cape May Athletic Park
The Ballpark (Gainesville)
Latta Park Baseball Field
Broad Street Park
Bolton Street Park
Southern Pines Country Club
Rickwood Field
Fogel Field
Sunset Ball Park
Coffee Pot Park
Wearn Field
Fleming Field
Cooke Field
Ninth Street Park
Denison Field
Biloxi Stadium
Landa Park
Flamingo Field
Wilmington Park
Clearwater Athletic Field
Jack Russell Stadium
Carpenter Complex/BayCare Ballpark

Culture|

* Ashburn Alley
* Baseball Wall of Fame
* By Saam
* Curse of Billy Penn
* Dan Baker
* Franchise awards
* "High Hopes"
* Hot Pants Patrol
* "Kashmir"
* Maje McDonnell
* Pattison station
* Paul Richardson
* Philadelphia Phillies (NFL)
* Phillie Phanatic (David Raymond)
* Phillies Turn Back the Clock
* Sports Hall of Fame
* The Winning Team
* Summer Catch
* "The Sound of Philadelphia"
* "Dancing on My Own"
* "A-O-K"
* South Philadelphia Sports Complex
* Tony Lucadello

Lore|

* 1993 World Series Game 6
* 2018 MLB Little League Classic
* Bedlam at the Bank
* Black Friday
* Black Saturday
* The Cardiac Kids
* Chase Utley's throw home
* Dick Sisler's home run
* The Four Aces
* Macho Row
* Perfect games
* Jim Bunning
* Roy Halladay
* Pete Rose catch
* The Phold
* Roy Halladay's postseason no-hitter
* Whiz Kids
* Wheeze Kids

Rivalries|

* New York Mets
* Philadelphia Athletics (City Series)
* Pittsburgh Pirates
* Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos (former)

Important figures|

| Wall of Fame
members|

* Grover Cleveland Alexander
* Dick Allen
* Richie Ashburn
* Bob Boone
* Larry Bowa
* Jim Bunning
* Pat Burrell
* Johnny Callison
* Steve Carlton
* Ruly Carpenter
* Gavvy Cravath
* Darren Daulton
* Ed Delahanty
* Del Ennis
* Dallas Green
* Pat Gillick
* Roy Halladay
* Billy Hamilton
* Granny Hamner
* Willie Jones
* Harry Kalas
* Chuck Klein
* John Kruk
* Mike Lieberthal
* Greg Luzinski
* Garry Maddox
* Sherry Magee
* Charlie Manuel
* Bake McBride
* Tug McGraw
* David Montgomery
* Paul Owens
* John Quinn
* Ron Reed
* Robin Roberts
* Scott Rolen
* Juan Samuel
* Curt Schilling
* Mike Schmidt
* Chris Short
* Curt Simmons
* Tony Taylor
* Jim Thome
* Sam Thompson
* Manny Trillo
* John Vukovich
* Cy Williams

|

Franchise
record holders|

* John Coleman
* Bill Duggleby
* Lenny Dykstra
* Kid Gleason
* Ryan Howard
* George McQuillan
* Jonathan Papelbon
* Lefty O'Doul
* Jimmy Rollins
* Curt Schilling
* Kent Tekulve
* Chase Utley

Retired numbers|

* 1
* 14
* 15
* 20
* 32
* 34
* 36
* 42
* P
* P

Key personnel|

* Owner: Limited partnership (John S. Middleton, Jim & Pete Buck, Stanley Middleman, Estate of David Montgomery, & Pat Gillick)
* President: David Dombrowski
* General Manager: Sam Fuld
* Manager: Rob Thomson

World Series
championships (2)|

* 1980
* 2008

NL pennants (8)|

* 1915
* 1950
* 1980
* 1983
* 1993
* 2008
* 2009
* 2022

Division
championships (11)|

* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1980
* 1983
* 1993
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011

Wild Card titles (2)|

* 2022
* 2023

Minor league
affiliates|

Triple-A

Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Double-A

Reading Fightin Phils
High-A

Jersey Shore BlueClaws
Single-A

Clearwater Threshers
Rookie

FCL Phillies
DSL Phillies Red
DSL Phillies White
Rosters

Minor league rosters

Broadcasting|

| Television|

* NBC Sports Philadelphia
* WCAU

|

Radio|

* 94 WIP (English flagship station)
* El Pasaporte (Spanish flagship station)
* Phillies radio network affiliates

Broadcasters|

* Tom McCarthy
* John Kruk
* Ben Davis
* Mike Schmidt
* Rubén Amaro Jr.
* Scott Franzke
* Larry Andersen
* Kevin Stocker

Seasons (142)

1880s|

* 1880 · 1881 · 1882 ·  1883
* 1884
* 1885
* 1886
* 1887
* 1888
* 1889

1890s|

* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899

1900s|

* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909

1910s|

* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919

1920s|

* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929

1930s|

* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939

1940s|

* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949

1950s|

* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959

1960s|

* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969

1970s|

* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979

1980s|

* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989

1990s|

* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999

2000s|

* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009

2010s|

* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019

2020s|

* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

Category

* v
* t
* e

Philadelphia Phillies retired numbers

* P Grover Cleveland Alexander
* P Chuck Klein
* 1 Richie Ashburn
* 14 Jim Bunning
* 15 Dick Allen
* 20 Mike Schmidt
* 32 Steve Carlton
* 34 Roy Halladay
* 36 Robin Roberts

* v
* t
* e

Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Famers

Inducted as a Phillie|

* Grover Cleveland Alexander
* Richie Ashburn
* Dave Bancroft
* Jim Bunning
* Steve Carlton
* Ed Delahanty
* Billy Hamilton
* Chuck Klein
* Robin Roberts
* Mike Schmidt
* Sam Thompson

Inductees who played for the Phillies|

* Sparky Anderson
* Chief Bender
* Dan Brouthers
* Roger Connor
* Hugh Duffy
* Johnny Evers
* Elmer Flick
* Jimmie Foxx
* Roy Halladay
* Billy Hamilton
* Ferguson Jenkins
* Hughie Jennings
* Jim Kaat
* Tim Keefe
* Nap Lajoie
* Pedro Martínez
* Tommy McCarthy
* Joe Morgan
* Kid Nichols
* Tony Pérez
* Eppa Rixey
* Scott Rolen
* Ryne Sandberg
* Casey Stengel
* Jim Thome
* Lloyd Waner
* Hack Wilson

Phillies managers|

* Bucky Harris
* Harry Wright

Phillies executives|

* Herb Pennock
* Pat Gillick

Frick Award|

* By Saam
* Harry Kalas

BBWAA Career Excellence Award|

* Allen Lewis (Philadelphia Inquirer)
* Ray Kelly (Philadelphia Bulletin)
* Bus Saidt (The Trentonian and Trenton Times)
* Bill Conlin (Philadelphia Daily News)
* Paul Hagen (Philadelphia Daily News)
* Jayson Stark (Philadelphia Inquirer)

* v
* t
* e

Members of the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame

Inducted as
Phillies|

* Roberts
* Ashburn
* Klein
* Alexander
* Ennis
* Bunning
* Delahanty
* Williams
* Hamner
* Owens
* Carlton
* Schmidt
* Bowa
* Short
* Simmons
* Allen
* Jones
* Thompson
* Callison
* Luzinski
* McGraw
* Cravath
* Maddox
* Taylor
* Magee
* Hamilton
* Boone
* Green
* Vukovich
* Samuel
* Kalas
* Daulton
* Kruk
* Lieberthal
* Schilling
* Manuel
* Burrell
* Thome
* Gillick
* Halladay
* Abreu
* Trillo
* McBride
* Reed
* Carpenter
* Quinn
* Rolen
* Montgomery

Inducted as
Athletics|

* Mack
* Foxx
* Grove
* Simmons
* Cochrane
* Dykes
* Plank
* Waddell
* Collins
* Moses
* Johnson
* Valo
* Bender
* Coombs
* Baker
* Shantz
* Joost
* Rommel
* Fain
* Miller
* Chapman
* Earnshaw
* Zernial
* Walberg
* Oldring

* v
* t
* e

Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1995

BBWAA Vote|

* Mike Schmidt (96.5%)

Veterans Committee|

* Richie Ashburn
* Leon Day
* William Hulbert
* Vic Willis

J. G. Taylor Spink Award|

* none

Ford C. Frick Award|

* Bob Wolff

* v
* t
* e

Members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame

Pitchers|

* Alexander
* Bender
* Blyleven
* M. Brown
* R. Brown
* Bunning
* Carlton
* Chesbro
* Clarkson
* Cooper
* Coveleski
* Day
* Dean
* Dihigo
* Drysdale
* Eckersley
* Faber
* Feller
* Fingers
* Ford
* B. Foster
* Galvin
* B. Gibson
* Glavine
* Gomez
* Gossage
* Grimes
* Grove
* Haines
* Halladay
* Hoffman
* Hoyt
* Hubbell
* Hunter
* Jenkins
* R. Johnson
* W. Johnson
* Joss
* Kaat
* Keefe
* Koufax
* Lemon
* Lyons
* Maddux
* Marichal
* Marquard
* P. Martínez
* Mathewson
* McGinnity
* Méndez
* Morris
* Mussina
* Newhouser
* Nichols
* Niekro
* Paige
* Palmer
* Pennock
* Perry
* Plank
* Radbourn
* Rivera
* Rixey
* Roberts
* Rogan
* Ruffing
* Rusie
* Ryan
* Seaver
* H. Smith
* L. Smith
* Smoltz
* Spahn
* Sutter
* Sutton
* Vance
* Waddell
* Walsh
* Welch
* Wilhelm
* J. Williams
* Willis
* Wynn
* Young

Catchers|

* Bench
* Berra
* Bresnahan
* Campanella
* Carter
* Cochrane
* Dickey
* Ewing
* Ferrell
* Fisk
* J. Gibson
* Hartnett
* Lombardi
* Mackey
* Mauer
* Piazza
* Rodríguez
* Santop
* Schalk
* T. Simmons

First basemen|

* Anson
* Bagwell
* Beckley
* Bottomley
* Brouthers
* Cepeda
* Chance
* Connor
* Foxx
* Gehrig
* Greenberg
* Helton
* Hodges
* G. Kelly
* Killebrew
* Leonard
* McCovey
* McGriff
* Mize
* Murray
* Pérez
* Sisler
* Suttles
* Taylor
* Terry
* Thomas
* Thome

Second basemen|

* Alomar
* Biggio
* Carew
* E. Collins
* Doerr
* Evers
* Fox
* Frisch
* Gehringer
* Gordon
* Herman
* Hornsby
* Lajoie
* Lazzeri
* Mazeroski
* McPhee
* Morgan
* J. Robinson
* Sandberg
* Schoendienst

Third basemen|

* Baker
* Beltré
* Boggs
* Brett
* J. Collins
* Dandridge
* J. Johnson
* Jones
* Kell
* Lindstrom
* Mathews
* Molitor
* B. Robinson
* Rolen
* Santo
* Schmidt
* Traynor
* D. White
* J. Wilson

Shortstops|

* Aparicio
* Appling
* Bancroft
* Banks
* Boudreau
* Cronin
* Davis
* T. Jackson
* Jennings
* Jeter
* Larkin
* Lloyd
* Maranville
* Reese
* Ripken Jr.
* Rizzuto
* Sewell
* O. Smith
* Tinker
* Trammell
* Vaughan
* Wagner
* Wallace
* Ward
* Wells
* Yount

Left fielders|

* Brock
* Burkett
* Clarke
* Delahanty
* Goslin
* Hafey
* Henderson
* Irvin
* Kelley
* Kiner
* Manush
* Medwick
* Miñoso
* Musial
* O'Rourke
* Raines
* J. Rice
* A. Simmons
* Stargell
* Wheat
* B. Williams
* T. Williams
* Yastrzemski

Center fielders|

* Ashburn
* Averill
* Bell
* W. Brown
* Carey
* Charleston
* Cobb
* Combs
* DiMaggio
* Doby
* Duffy
* Griffey Jr.
* Hamilton
* Hill
* Mantle
* Mays
* Puckett
* Roush
* Snider
* Speaker
* Stearnes
* Torriente
* L. Waner
* H. Wilson

Right fielders|

* Aaron
* Clemente
* Crawford
* Cuyler
* Dawson
* Flick
* Guerrero
* Gwynn
* Heilmann
* Hooper
* R. Jackson
* Kaline
* Keeler
* K. Kelly
* Klein
* T. McCarthy
* Oliva
* Ott
* S. Rice
* F. Robinson
* Ruth
* Slaughter
* Thompson
* Walker
* P. Waner
* Winfield
* Youngs

Designated hitters|

* Baines
* E. Martínez
* Ortiz

Managers|

* Alston
* Anderson
* Cox
* Durocher
* R. Foster
* Hanlon
* Harris
* Herzog
* Huggins
* La Russa
* Lasorda
* Leyland
* López
* Mack
* J. McCarthy
* McGraw
* McKechnie
* W. Robinson
* Selee
* Southworth
* Stengel
* Torre
* Weaver
* D. Williams

Executives
and pioneers|

* Barrow
* Bulkeley
* Cartwright
* Chadwick
* Chandler
* Comiskey
* Cummings
* Dreyfuss
* Fowler
* Frick
* Giles
* Gillick
* Grant
* Griffith
* Harridge
* Hulbert
* B. Johnson
* Kuhn
* Landis
* La. MacPhail
* Le. MacPhail
* Manley
* Miller
* O'Malley
* O'Neil
* Pompez
* Posey
* Rickey
* Ruppert
* Schuerholz
* Selig
* Spalding
* Veeck
* Weiss
* S. White
* Wilkinson
* G. Wright
* H. Wright
* Yawkey

Umpires|

* Barlick
* Chylak
* Conlan
* Connolly
* Evans
* Harvey
* Hubbard
* Klem
* McGowan
* O'Day

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* United States

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