Card Statistics
Richie Ashburn is presented in Helmar’s T4 series with Philadelphia in full stride, leaning into a sharp turn as though rounding a base or accelerating into the next phase of a play. The cream pinstriped Phillies uniform, bright red cap, red undersleeves, and red stockings give the figure a strong Philadelphia identity, while the forward-driving posture creates one of the more kinetic compositions in the series. Ashburn’s left arm extends outward for balance as his body angles through the turn, and the lifted rear foot reinforces the impression of speed and continuous movement.
The original artwork was painted by Natalia Valiukavich in watercolor. She develops the pale pinstriped uniform with soft cream, gray, ochre, and muted blue-green washes, allowing the narrow red stripes to remain visible across the moving figure. The bright red cap, undersleeves, chest lettering, and stockings provide the principal color accents, while the darker belt and shoes anchor the composition. The background is deliberately restrained, with a low, blurred grandstand and a broad pale sky providing only enough setting to place Ashburn within the ballpark. This simplicity keeps attention firmly on the diagonal movement of the player.
Don Richard “Richie” Ashburn became one of the finest leadoff hitters and defensive center fielders of the postwar National League. He joined the Philadelphia Phillies in 1948 and quickly established himself as an exceptional contact hitter with outstanding speed and plate discipline. Ashburn rarely hit for power, but his ability to reach base, use the entire field, and cover enormous ground in center field made him one of Philadelphia’s most valuable players throughout the 1950s.
Ashburn won two National League batting championships, hitting .338 in 1955 and .350 in 1958, and led the league in hits three times, walks four times, and on-base percentage four times. He was selected to six All-Star teams and was an important member of the 1950 “Whiz Kids” Phillies club that won the National League pennant. Ashburn finished his fifteen-season major-league career with 2,574 hits, a .308 batting average, and a .396 on-base percentage. After his playing career, he became equally familiar to Philadelphia fans through his long tenure as a Phillies broadcaster.
Numbered #34, the Ashburn card captures one of the game’s great speed-and-contact players in a pose that emphasizes movement rather than batting or fielding. The sharp body angle, extended balancing arm, bright red Philadelphia colors, and spare ballpark background give card #34 a particularly lively visual character within the T4 series. Ashburn’s two batting titles, six All-Star selections, 2,574 career hits, and central role on Philadelphia’s 1950 pennant-winning club make him one of the most historically significant Phillies subjects in the issue. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995.
Original watercolor artwork by Natalia Valiukavich.
- Description: Rounding base; cloudy & grey
- Team: Philadelphia Phillies
- Population (# Sold): 16
- First Date Sold: 2022-09-13
- Latest Date Sold: 2026-06-16
- Card Status: Active
- # Sold in past year: 4
- Highest Auction: $ 108.00
- Average Auction Result: $ 31.83
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Visit these teammates on the Philadelphia Phillies in the Helmar T4 series
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