Richie Asburn, also known as "Whitey" by the color of his hair, was one of the most talented leadoff men and centerfielders of his era. His exploits on the field and later in the booth make him one of the most famous Philadelphia sports icons of all-time.
The speedy outfielder was never much of a power hitter, only accumulating 29 home runs in his career. However, he accumulated 2574 hits in 15 seasons, most of them with the Phillies.
Asburn first came up with the Phillies and became known as one of the Whiz Kids. They would win the 1950 National League Pennant, but never pulled out a World Series victory.
From 1948-1959, he played for the Phillies. After that, he was shipped to Chicago to play center for the Cubs for two seasons. His final season came in 1962, when he became the New York Mets first All-Star. That season was rough and proved to be his final one though, since they won just 40 games.
As great as his playing days were, he was also an accomplished color commentator for the Phillies. He would work with them all the way up to his death, totaling over thirty years in the booth. One of his main partners in the booth was the late Harry Kalas, a legend in his own right.
A couple years before his death from a heart attack in 1997, Ashburn was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995. The Veteran's Committee was able to get him in the same ceremony as another Philadelphia legend, Mike Schmidt was.
