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Phillies: Story of Richie Ashburn, baseball’s unluckiest fan

A look at the sign of Ashburn Alley (Photo by L Redkoles/Getty Images)

Phillies great Richie Ashburn once struck a fan with a foul ball twice in the same at-bat.

“Brotherly love indeed! A foul hit by Richie Ashburn of this team broke a lady’s nose; as she got carted out, a second broke her leg,” said Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, presenting the clue on a recently aired episode. A contestant buzzed in: “Who are the Phillies?”

“Philadelphia Phillies, right,” replied Trebek.

The story seems impossible, but it is true.

RELATED | Richie Ashburn: A Philadelphia legend

It was a day game on August 17, 1957, opposite the New York Giants at Connie Mack Stadium.