Outfielder, New
York Mets
Age: 35
1st season
with Mets
Bats – Left,
Throws – Right
Height: 5’10” Weight: 170
Prior to 1962:
A native of
Tilden, Nebraska, Ashburn, who had a twin sister, was the son of a blacksmith
and semipro baseball player. He played baseball and basketball in his youth.
While playing American Legion baseball, he was originally a catcher. Utilizing
his speed in the outfield when not behind the plate, Ashburn compensated for a
weak throwing arm by charging in on balls hit toward him, a technique that he
would utilize throughout his career. Drawing the interest of major league
scouts, Ashburn twice signed contracts that were voided. The first in 1943,
when he was 16, was voided by Commissioner Landis because he was still in high
school. The second with the Chicago Cubs in 1944 was nullified because of a
technicality. Following a semester at Norfolk Junior College, Ashburn signed
with the Philadelphia Phillies and reported to the Utica Blue Sox of the Class
A Eastern League in 1945. Starting out as a catcher, he demonstrated his speed
in a game where he beat the runner to first base on a ground ball and made the
putout. He quickly became a full-time center fielder. Due to his light blonde
hair he also obtained the nickname “Whitey”, which proved lasting. For the
season he batted .312 with a .408 on-base percentage and 21 stolen bases but
was a work in progress in the outfield. Drafted into the Army, he missed the
1946 season. Returning to Utica in 1947, he set a league record with 191 hits
that included 21 doubles, 12 triples, 3 home runs, and batted .362 with 113
walks drawn, a .476 OBP, and 24 stolen bases. Ashburn was invited to spring
training with the Phillies in 1948 and not only made the team but he replaced
the reigning NL batting champ, Harry Walker in left field and as leadoff hitter
in the lineup. He had an excellent rookie season, hitting .333 with a
league-leading 32 stolen bases and .410 OBP. He was an All-Star, finished
eleventh in league MVP voting, and received Rookie of the Year recognition from
The Sporting News while placing third in BBWA Rookie of the Year
balloting. During the All-Star Game, slugger Ted Williams of the Red Sox tagged
Ashburn with the nickname "Putt-Putt” because he thought the rookie ran as
if he had an outboard motor in the seat of his pants. Ashburn slumped mildly in
1949, batting .284 with 11 triples, 9 stolen bases, and a .343 OBP. His
defensive play in center field was outstanding. The 1950 Phillies, known
as the “Whiz Kids” won the NL pennant and Ashburn hit .303 with a .372 OBP, and
a league-leading 14 triples. In the season’s final game against Brooklyn, with
the pennant on the line, Ashburn’s running throw on a ninth inning line-drive
by Dodger slugger Duke Snider managed to put baserunner Cal Abrams out at the
plate while attempting to score the go-ahead run from second. The Phillies won
on a tenth-inning home run. In his only taste of World Series action, Ashburn
hit only .176 as the New York Yankees won in a four-game sweep. With the
Phillies sliding to fifth in 1951, Ashburn topped the NL with 221 hits while batting
.344 with a .393 OBP. He also led NL center fielders with 532 putouts and
finished seventh in NL MVP voting. In 1952, bothered by a stomach ulcer,
Ashburn led the league with 702 plate appearances and hit .282 with 31 doubles,
6 triples, 93 runs scored, 42 RBIs, 16 stolen bases, and a .362 OBP. More
consistent in the field than at bat, he led NL center fielders with 413 putouts
and 19 assists. His average jumped to .330 in 1953 while he led the NL with 205
hits. He also contributed a .394 OBP and once again led NL center fielders in
putouts (487) and assists (17). In 1954 Ashburn topped the league in walks
drawn (125) and OBP (.441) while batting .313 and continuing to excel in the
outfield. Ashburn was rewarded with a $30,000 contract in 1955, but a stint on
the disabled list ended his consecutive game playing streak at 731. He
recovered to go on to win the NL batting title by hitting .338. He also again
led the circuit with a .449 OBP. He placed fourteenth in league MVP balloting. Ashburn
remained a solid performer in 1956 and ’57, batting .303 with a .384 OBP and 190
hits in the first year and .297 with 186 hits and a .390 OBP, helped by his
league-leading 94 walks drawn, in 1957. Defensively, he remained the top NL
center fielder in putouts both seasons (500 and 499 respectively) and led in
assists (17) in 1957. He won a second NL batting championship in 1958, hitting .350
and further topping the circuit in hits (215), triples (13), walks drawn (97),
and OBP (.440). Defensively, he led NL center fielders in putouts for the ninth
time with 494 and finished seventh in league MVP voting. Ashburn’s performance
dropped off significantly in 1959 as he batted only .266 with a .360 OBP. Defensively,
his 359 putouts in center field placed third. In the offseason, the Phillies
traded him to the Chicago Cubs, and at 33 he rebounded significantly with his
new club in 1960, batting .291 and leading the NL in walks drawn (116) and OBP
(.415). With his speed diminishing in 1961, he hit a lowly .257 with a .373
OBP, and he was no longer covering as much ground in the outfield. With the
Cubs committing to a youth movement (which cut into his 1961 playing time),
Ashburn was sold to the expansion Mets in the offseason to provide an
experienced lefthanded hitter in the outfield.
1962 Season Summary
Appeared in 135
games
CF – 54, RF – 45, PH – 37, LF – 8, PR – 4, 2B – 2
[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]
Batting
Plate
Appearances – 473
At Bats – 389
Runs – 60
Hits – 119
Doubles – 7
Triples – 3
Home Runs – 7
RBI – 28
Bases on Balls
– 81 [3]
Int. BB – 2
Strikeouts – 39
Stolen Bases – 12
[17, tied with four others]
Caught Stealing
– 7 [11, tied with eleven others]
Average - .306 [Non-qualifying]
OBP - .424 [Non-qualifying]
Slugging Pct. -
.393
Total Bases – 153
GDP – 4
Hit by Pitches
– 0
Sac Hits – 1
Sac Flies – 2
Midseason snapshot: HR - 5, RBI - 18, AVG - .293, OBP - .402
---
Most hits, game
– 4 (in 5 AB) at St. Louis 7/28
Longest hitting
streak – 13 games
HR at home – 6
HR on road – 1
Most home runs,
game – 2 (in 4 AB) vs. Houston 6/23
Multi-HR games
– 1
Most RBIs, game
– 3 vs. Houston 6/23, at LA Dodgers 6/29
Pinch-hitting – 13 for 31 (.419) with 1 2B, 4 R & 1 RBI
Fielding
Chances – 201
Put Outs – 187
Assists – 9
Errors – 5
DP – 1
Pct. - .975
Awards & Honors:
All-Star
---
In their
inaugural season, the Mets went 40-120 to finish tenth in the NL, 60.5 games
behind the pennant-winning San Francisco Giants, while leading the league in
most walks drawn (616), fewest hits (1318), and lowest batting average (.240). The
“Amazing Mets”, guided by veteran manager Casey Stengel (who turned 72 during
the season) and with a roster filled by veteran castoffs and young prospects,
rose as high as ninth in the newly expanded league thanks to a 9-3 May spurt,
but settled into the cellar on the way to setting a record-for futility, often
in amazingly inept fashion. The popular and highly publicized underdogs drew
922,530 fans to the Polo Grounds, their temporary home while awaiting construction
of a new ballpark in Queens. Ashburn was named team MVP following the season
and commented that “to be voted the MVP on the worst team in the history of
baseball is a dubious honor for sure.”
Aftermath of 1962:
Ashburn’s one season with the Mets marked the end of his playing career. Unwilling to return for another season with the inept expansion team, he agreed to go into broadcasting as a color commentator on Phillies games. For his major league playing career, he batted .308 with 2574 hits that included 317 doubles, 109 triples, and 29 home runs. He scored 1322 runs and compiled 586 RBIs, 234 stolen bases, and a .396 OBP, a testament to his drawing 1198 walks. His defensive prowess was reflected in leading NL center fielders in putouts nine times and three times in assists. A six-time All-Star, Ashburn finished in the top 10 in NL MVP voting three times, won two batting championships, and led the league in walks drawn on four occasions. With his natural charm, down-to-earth nature, and candor, he remained a broadcaster for the Phillies until his death in 1997 at age 70, two years after his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He also wrote regular columns for Philadelphia newspapers. The Phillies retired his #1 and honored him with a plaque on its Wall of Fame on Ashburn Alley behind center field at Citizen’s Bank Park.
---
Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league
in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum
of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who
led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a
minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between
the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc.
players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the
postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.
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