Alan Ashby

About

Alan Dean Ashby (born July 8, 1951) is an American former professional baseball catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) and former radio and television sports commentator. A switch hitter, he played for the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston Astros between 1973 and 1989.
The Astros reached the postseason three times with Ashby as the primary catcher, with his 900 games behind the plate being a franchise record until 2005. He hit the first postseason home run in Astros history in Game 1 of the 1981 National League Division Series, which was also a walk-off home run. In addition to home runs (69) and RBIs (388), Ashby also caught three no-hitters for the club, which are each a record in franchise history. After retiring as a player, he managed in the Texas–Louisiana League and has held several positions in broadcasting, including his most recent job as the lead color commentator for the Astros until 2016.

Ashby grew up a die-hard Los Angeles Dodgers fan in San Pedro, California, and was in attendance at Sandy Koufax’s perfect game in 1965. The all-switch-hitting infield of the 1965 and 1966 Dodgers, consisting of Wes Parker, Maury Wills, Junior Gilliam and…