Sherwood Boehlert: “I rise to announce the passing of baseball Hall-of-Famer Richie Ashburn. Richie Ashburn was my first boyhood hero when…”

“I rise to announce the passing of baseball Hall-of-Famer Richie Ashburn. Richie Ashburn was my first boyhood hero when he began his career with the Utica Blue Sox back in 1945. Mr. Ashburn played center field, primarily with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1948 to 1962. Ashburn became the starting center fielder in 1948, after the incumbent and previous year's batting champion, Harry ``The Hat'' Walker, broke his foot in spring training. By the time Walker was ready to return, Ashburn had won the job by hitting .348 and was the only rookie named to that year's All-Star game. Ashburn finished the year hitting .333 and led the league with 32 stolen bases and was named by the Sporting News as rookie of the year. In his 15-year career, Ashburn hit .300 or better nine times, won two batting titles, and finished with a lifetime batting average of .308. Despite these impressive hitting numbers, Ashburn was best known for his fielding skills. He set new records by recording 500 or more putouts in 4 different seasons and 400 or more putouts in 9 different seasons. He tied a major league record by leading the league in that category nine times.”