Believe It Or Not …. Richie Ashburn was not the kind of lady-killer this absolutely true Robert Ripley story sort of makes him out to be, but the facts on this one have long been witnessed, evidenced, written about and epistled into one the minor halls of bizarre baseball history. Once upon a time, during an August 17, 1957 home game between his Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Giants, future Hall Famer and virtuoso foul ball pitch count-booster Richie Ashburn managed to hit the same female fan twice in a single time at bat with hard struck foul balls. The first one hit Alice Roth in the head. That hard stroke was enough to raise the “Alice Doesn’t Sit Here Anymore” sign above her dangerously close stadium seat location and put her on a stretcher as the first step in her transportation to a hospital.
Once was not enough for Richie Ashburn. He subsequently managed to line a second stinger off poor Alice’s leg as she was about to be carried away.
Here is a link to one of several great stories about the this curiously arcane moment in baseball history:
I liked the above referenced article because of the views we get on her grandson’s reaction to the experience. Want more? Just Google “Ashburn hits woman twice in one time at bat” and watch what falls your way.
Believe it Or Not …. Cartoon Creator Robert Ripley had a reputation for either consciously or consciously connecting his two lesser stories in each of these newspaper versions. Ashburn is obviously the headliner in the above featured triad, but we are left to answer a couple of questions for ourselves about what Robert Ripley was thinking.
Believe It Or Not …. What is more deadly? …. Touching the skin of a Golden Poison Dirt Frog? … Or sitting close enough at a game to feel the touch of a baseball fouled off your head and leg within two minutes of the same Rich Ashburn time at bat?
Believe It Or Not …. Which is faster? …. A ticking clock at the top of Mount Everest? …. Or a decision by Richie Ashburn at any altitude to steal a base – or foul off another dumb pitch?
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Alice’s Resting Spot
… with a tip of the cap to some earlier times, Arlo Guthrie, and the idea-world-horizon menu at Alice’s Restaurant …. all rolled into one.
You can get all the foul balls you want – at Alice’s Resting Spot
But some of those fouls come in pretty hot – at Alice’s Resting Spot
Sit right down – but try to watch your back
When guys like Richie – take a foul ball hack
You can get all the foul balls you want – at Alice’s Resting Spot
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Publisher, Editor, Writer
The Pecan Park Eagle
Houston, Texas
The Pecan Park Eagle 
March 8, 2017 at 2:42 am |
I liked people who preferred to be called Richie vs Dick. No one should choose to be called penis. Dick Nixon yes. He was truly a dick