RICH WESTCOTT has served on the staffs of various newspapers and magazines in the Philadelphia area during more than 40 years as a writer and editor.

Westcott is the author of 19 books, including two new ones entitled The Mogul - Eddie Gottlieb, A Philadelphia Sports Legend and Pro Basketball Pioneer and The Fightin' Phils – Oddities, Insights, and Untold Stories .

Among his other books are The Phillies Encyclopedia , a local best-seller now in its third edition, Philadelphia 's Old Ballparks, A Century of Philadelphia Sports, and Veterans Stadium – Field of Memories . Westcott also wrote the widely acclaimed book on the local baseball legend entitled Mickey Vernon -The Gentleman First Baseman . 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 20 th 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. More recently, Rich was 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 material used around the ballpark.

Considered a leading authority on Phillies history, Westcott was commissioned by the team to write A Century of Phillies Baseball (2000). He also wrote the team's history for its web site. Rich wrote the chapter on the Phillies for the Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball Team Histories, National League published by Meckler Books.

Westcott was the editor of two series, Baseball in America and Baseball Encyclopedias of North America, published by Temple University Press. 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 , and the Official 1996 Baseball All-Star Game Program. He also served for 12 years as a regular feature writer for Baseball Hobby News . Rich has also contributed articles to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

He 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 three TV productions of Major League Baseball, Unhittable on no-hitters, Cathedrals of the Game on the baseball stadiums of Philadelphia , and a new documentary on Phillies history.. Westcott also appeared in a documentary, Richie Ashburn: A Baseball Lifer , produced by the Phillies, and in three TV specials, 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 was previously one of the official scorers at Phillies games. He serves on the selection committee for the Philadelphia Baseball Hall of Fame, is first vice president of the Philadelphia Sports Writers' Association, is an advisor to the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, and a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. He has also been a journalism instructor at La Salle and Temple Universities . Westcott has been inducted into the Delaware County Athletes Hall of Fame, the 21 st Ward (Roxborough) Athletic Association Sports Hall of Fame, and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

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.