Baseball lost a great man today.
    Philadelphia lost even more.
    Richie Ashburn, the long time Philadelphia Phillie both as a player and a
broadcaster, passed away today at the age of 70.
    Ashburn, who was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1995, played 
enterfield
for the Phillies for several years, including the 1950 "Whiz Kids."  He 
retired after being named the MVP for the 1962 New York Mets.
    Most people know him more as a broadcaster than as a player.  I grew up 
listening to Harry and Whitey, one of the great broadcasting tandems in 
sports.  It really didn't hit me until I watched today's game against the 
ets
and he wasn't there.
    Whitey was a guy who broadcast the game as if you were watching the game 
with your grandfather.  In contrast to many of today's color analysts with 
their punchy nicknames, flashy calls, and MTV-style presentations, Ashburn 
called the game in a laid back manner.  He never once prepared for a game, 
instead simply called the game off the top of his head.  While many in the 
business carry novels of note and stats with them, the only thing that Richie 
relied on was his vast knowledge and deep understanding of the game.  This 
was even extended to his Hall of Fame speech, where he decided against a 
prepared speech and spoke on the podium the way he always had.
    Richie Ashburn was an icon in Philadelphia, in a city where baseball is 
secondary and where bad baseball has become regular.  Yet even during the 
worst of seasons, Ashburn could make the game enjoyable enough to listen, 
ven
if it was just to hear his insight.
    I will always remember a moment last season.  I was flipping through the 
channels, and baseball had fallen way off my radar screen (I watched fewer 
than five games last year.)  But for three innings, just after Tommy Lasorda 
retired, Asburn and the Norristown native went on talking about the game in 
what was an entertaining and enlightening experience.  The wit and humor that 
made Asburn who he was, combined with the charisma of Lasorda made baseball 
what it should be for the hour or so that they were on.
    Richie Ashburn will be missed.
--- GEcho 1.00
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