Sometimes as a Phillies game progresses, whether the Phillies are winning or the Phillies are losing, I sometimes think to myself, what would Whitey say about that play?
For instance, in Tuesday night's game, Bobby Abreu led off the second inning with a triple, and the next three Phillies came to the plate and failed to score him, ending the inning. My guess is that Whitey would have said, "Hard to believe, Harry."
After reading Richie Ashburn Remembered, by Fran Zimniuch, it becomes even easier to hear a game in His Whiteness's voice. Leafing through the 109 pages -- filled with anecdotes, Ashburnisms, pictures, and re-prints of many of Ashburn's columns in the Daily News and Bulletin -- portions of the summers of my youth begin to come back, remembering things that I didn't realize affect the way I watch a baseball game.
When a player gets on base, I try and determine if he looks "runnerish" and when a batter strikes out looking at a curveball, I subconsciously utter, "Froze 'em." And of course, because of Whitey, we know that is only sensible to get the married men off of the field during a rout. But we also know that if there is nothing to say during a broadcast -- all of the necessary birthday wishes and get wells have already been called out to listeners -- then silence is perfectly fine, no need to fill in the gaps with idle talk...unless of course Harry has just read the game's trivia question, in which case you can keep on guessing until Harry gives you the answer.
As we all know, Ashburn was not just a broadcaster, he was a Hall of Fame centerfielder for the Phillies in the 1950's, an integral part of the 1950 Whiz Kids that won the National League pennant. During his career, which closed out with the Cubs and Mets, Ashburn hit over .300 nine times and led the National League in batting average twice. Ashburn led the National League in walks and runs scored four times, and hits and triples three times. According to Zimniuch, Ashburn got at least one hit in 75 percent of the games in which he appeared. And he could do more than hit as he led the NL in outfield putouts nine times.
As a matter of fact, Dodger fans know Ashburn more for his throwing arm than anything else. In 1950, Ashburn threw out Cal Abrams -- attempting to score from second off a Duke Snider single -- to preserve a tie in the final game of the season. The game went to extra innings and Dick Sisler hit a home-run in the bottom of the 10th to win the game and the pennant for the Phillies over the Dodgers.
Richie Ashburn Remembered is a great book to reminisce about one of Philadelphia's icons, and I recommend it highly. The book is divided into several parts which focus on his last days, his playing career, broadcasting career, his family life, and his induction into the Hall of Fame in 1995 after a long wait.
But if you really want to feel nostalgic about Whitey, turn on a Phillies game, mute the sound, and let yourself go. You might just be surprised at whose voice you hear.
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A Call to Comments
It would be fun and interesting for everyone if all who reads this were to go to the comments section and post their favorite [and if it is already listed, their second favorite] Ashburn anecdote or Ashburnism.
