Quote:
Originally Posted by tedzan
Besides having a great BB career, Richie was the Phillies radio & TV color commentator from 1963 - 1997. He had an enormous following.
TED Z
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This quote is spot on. Obviously, rookie cards of Hall of Famers are always going to be in demand. But Ashburn was beloved like almost no other figure in Philadelphia sports history. I am 40 years old, so Ashburn was already retired as a player for 10 years by the time I was born. But two generations of fans in the Philadelphia area grew up with him as the voice of the Phillies (along with Harry Kalas).
When Ashburn died, the outpouring from fans really showed how beloved he was in the Philadelphia area. Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton may have been the best players in Phillies history, but they weren't universally beloved like Ashburn was.