RICH WESTCOTT has served on the staffs of various newspapers and magazines in the Philadelphia area during more than 50 years as a writer and editor.
Westcott is the author of 28 books, including 19 on Philadelphia sports. The most recent one is Amazing Phillies Feats – The Greatest Player Performances in Philadelphia Phillies History. Biz Mackey – A Giant Behind the Plate, was his previous book. Other recent books include: The Champions of Philadelphia-The Greatest Eagles, Phillies, Sixers, and Flyers Teams, Great Stuff-Baseball’s Most Amazing Pitching Feats, and Philadelphia’s Top 50 Baseball Players. Westcott has also authored the widely acclaimed Mickey Vernon - The Gentleman First Baseman, and The Mogul - Eddie Gottlieb, A Philadelphia Sports Legend and Pro Basketball Pioneer.
Among his Phillies books are The Phillies Encyclopedia, a local best-seller now in its third edition, The Philadelphia Phillies – Past and Present, The Fightin’ Phils—Insights, Oddities, and Untold Stories, Tales from the Phillies Dugout (the third edition was published in 2012), Phillies ’93 An Incredible Season, Back Again – The Story of the 2009 Phillies. and Phillies Essential.
Rich has written three books on Philadelphia ball fields--Philadelphia’s Old Ballparks, Veterans Stadium – Field of Memories, and ShibePark/Connie Mack Stadium. He also wrote A Century of Philadelphia Sports. He has authored three books that are collections of interviews and profiles of some 120 former major league baseball players. Other books include Great Home Runs of the 20th Century, Winningest Pitchers—Baseball’s 300-Game Winners, and No-Hitters –The 225 Games Between 1893 and 1999.
Westcott, was the founding owner and for 14 years the publisher and editor of Phillies Report, a newspaper covering the local major league baseball team. Rich was also a member of a five-person committee assigned to plan and produce the permanent interior historical exhibits displayed at the Phillies’ Citizens Bank Park. He was chief writer of the original material used around the ballpark.
Considered the leading authority on Phillies history, Westcott, writes occasional articles for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Delaware County Daily Times. He has written for numerous national publications, including Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, Baseball America, The Diamond, Baseball Digest, Sports Collectors Digest, Fan magazine, National Pastime, Philly Man, and the Official Baseball All-Star Game Program. A sports writer with the Daily Times early in his career, he also served for 12 years as a regular feature writer for Baseball Hobby News.
He penned the introduction for the 2010 reprinted edition of My 66 Years in the Big Leagues by Connie Mack, originally published in 1950. Westcott was also the editor of two series, Baseball in America and Baseball Encyclopedias of North America, published by Temple University Press.
Rich has appeared frequently on radio and television shows, and has made numerous speaking appearances, including one at the Baseball Hall of Fame. He is featured in 10 film documentaries, including six productions by Major League Baseball--Unhittable on no-hitters, Cathedrals of the Game on the baseball stadiums of Philadelphia, Phillies Memories, on Phillies history, Baseball’s Great Rivalries -- the Phillies and New York Mets, Prime 9 Strikeouts and Prime 9 Switch-Hitters. Westcott also appeared in a documentary, Richie Ashburn: A Baseball Lifer, produced by the Phillies, and in three others, one on Veterans Stadium produced by NFL Films, one on the Philadelphia Athletics by Autumn Road Productions, and one called Baseball’s Golden Era by Fox Sports Network.
Westcott is a past president and a long-time board member of the Philadelphia Sports Writers' Association. He has been inducted into four halls of fame, including the Delaware County Athletes Hall of Fame, the 21st Ward (Roxborough) Athletic Association Sports Hall of Fame, the Delco chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, and the Penn Charter School Honor Society.
He is also an advisor to the Philadelphia Sports Museum and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. Rich was previously one of the official scorers at Phillies games. He has been a journalism instructor at La Salle and Temple Universities.
A pitcher throughout his early years, Rich is a graduate of the William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia. He has a bachelor's degree from Drexel University and a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University. Westcott and his wife, Lois, have four children and live in Springfield, Pa.