Phillies legend Dick Allen was finally elected to join the Baseball Hall of Fame this past weekend after years of fans waiting for that fabled announcement.
Phillies’ legend Dick Allen inducted into Hall of Fame
Just a few years ago, the team officially retired #15 in honor of Allen, who sadly passed away just a couple of months later. The policy prior to the retirement was that a jersey couldn’t be retired until they were enshrined in the Hall of Fame, but the Phillies made an exception for the seven-time All Star, giving him his flowers in September of 2020.
Allen is not only remembered for his legendary play, that saw him tally 351 home runs over his career, with 9 of his 15 years spent in the City of Brotherly Love, but his resilience to battle through some awful racism during the 1960’s.
During his jersey retirement ceremony, Mike Schmidt shared some beautiful words on what made Allen so special:
“He was a sensitive black man that refused to be treated as a second-class citizen.”
Allen posted a stunning 68.5 offensive WAR from 1964-1974 and would end his career with numbers more than worthy of finishing in the Hall of Fame along with an AL MVP award to his name, but it’s his character and the way he played the game, with super-human power and passion that will ensure he’s remembered for countless generations to come.
Photo Credit: Philadelphia Phillies
