The Grave Digger Richie Hebner

The Ultimate Collectors Show was held in Oaks (PA), which is fairly close north of Philadelphia. Richie Hebner spent two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and eleven across the state with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He spent the last two seasons of his 18 year career with my Chicago Cubs.
Hebner was a very popular player wherever he went. Having spent so long playing for Pennsylvania teams, Hebner was especially popular in this region. He drew a large line at the show.
I did surprise him though, when I told him my best memories of him occurred during his stint with the Cubs. I usually liked players better when they played in Chicago, but Hebner had the extra rub of being a part of the 1984 NL East division champs.
Hebner laughed and said he was proud to contribute to that team and be a part of that experience. He had been to the playoffs before, even winning a World Series in Pittsburgh in 1971, but helping the Cubs to their first playoff appearance since 1945 was a great memory.
I told him it was a great memory for Cubs fan, too. I thanked him for his part. He was a super nice guy. I can see why he was so popular during his career.

Richie Hebner and me in Oaks, PA-October 2009.