Dick Allen Snubbed Again

Dick Allen was never the most loved player, teammate or even human being. However, he was one of the premier power hitters of the 1960's and early 1970's. Dick Allen broke into the majors as the Phillies first African-American star (It took the Phillies 10 years to even have an African-American player on the roster, let alone a star like Allen) and faced a constant stream of racial bigotry in that role. The Phillies and Philadelphia were long known for their racial attitudes and Allen faced the brunt of it throughout the first part of his career. Allen debuted in September 1963, a mere 16 years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ken Burns wrote the following comment concerning Robinson's first appearance in Philadelphia, where Robinson received hundreds of death threats, unrelenting abuse from the crowd and constant racial epitaphs: On April 22, 1947, during a game between the Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, Phillies players called Jackie a "nigger" from their dugout and yelled that he should "go back to the cotton fields." Branch Rickey would later recall that Phillies manager Ben Chapman"did more than anybody to unite the Dodgers. When he poured out that string of unconscionable abuse, he solidified and united thirty men." So, with that history, it was no surpise that Dick Allen faced similar abuse as the Phillies first African American star. The saddest and most telling commentary on the racial issues of the Phillies of that time was that it took over 10 years between Jackie Robinson's debut and Phillies breaking their own self-imposed color barrier.

It was in this type of divisive atmosphere that Allen cut his teeth as a Major Leaguer. Dick Allen was born in raised in rural Pennsylvania in the 40's and 50's. To those that don't know, rural Pennsylvania is/was probably more racially divided than the Deep South. Considering that atmosphere, it is no surprise that Allen always had a certain defensiveness about him. It is no surprise that he was crucified in the press for his supposed bad attitude. To understand this phenomenon, merely look at the difference in treatment of Roger Clemens versus Barry Bonds. Sure, both are guilty as sin, but it took far longer for the public to nail Rocket to the cross than Bonds. Consider that background when looking at Allen's accomplishments on the field and his personal issues off it.

In an era dominated by pitching, Allen was a beast at the plate. His career numbers are some of the highest of any player not in the Hall of Fame. In over 14 seasons, he batted .292 with a .378 OBP and .534 SLG. Consider the fact that he posted a .912 OPS in an era dominated by guys like Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, and Steve Carlton. He managed to chip in 351 homeruns and knock in 1,152 runs along with a career OPS+ of 156 (good for 19th all-time). For reference, his OPS+ is the same as Willy Mays and better than guys like Joe DiMaggio, Manny Ramirez, and Frank Robinson.

Allen was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1964, American League Most Valuable Player in 1972 and a seven-time All-Star. Despite all of his prodigious talent and accomplishments on the field, Allen was made a scapegoat off the field. Allen was blamed for the Phillies famous collapse in September 1964 despite hitting a brisk .438 in the team's final 12 games. Allen was considered a trouble maker and was often overshadowed by his supposed personality issues. Despite these accusations, his managers considered him an excellent teammate and a clubhouse leader. Chuck Tanner, his manager on the White Sox made the following telling statement about Allen, "Dick was the leader of our team, the captain, the manager on the field. He took care of the young kids, took them under his wing. And he played every game as if it was his last day on earth."

Looking back with the clarity and distance of nearly 40 years, it is far easier to admire Dick Allen's amazing accomplishments with the bat in a pitcher-dominated era and ignore his personal faults. By the numbers, Dick Allen deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and maybe one day he will make it in by the grace of God and the Veterans Committee.