Fifty-seven years to the day after he made his major league debut — he went 1-for-3 with a double off Braves left Denny Lemaster in Milwaukee — Dick Allen will have his iconic #15 retired by the Philadelphia Phillies.
“Humbled,” was the 78-year old slugger’s one-word response on Twitter after he learned the news.
When Allen’s banner is hung on the bricks beyond the centerfield wall at Citizen Bank’s Park on September 3, joining Hall of Famers Richie Ashburn (1), Jim Bunning (14), Mike Schmidt (20), Steve Carlton (32), Roy Halladay (34) and Robin Roberts (36) as the only Phillies in team history to have their numbers retired, it will complete a remarkable career circle in Philadelphia.
Allen went from prized prospect in 1963 to Rookie of the Year on a team that just missed the World Series in 1964 to misunderstood superstar from 1965-69 who was run out of town by the boobirds to returning hero in 1975.
Along the way, he thrilled fans with his legendary power. An entire generation of fans grew up telling tales of Allen’s long home runs disappearing into the darkness over the Coca Cola sign on top of the leftfield roof, or the 447-foot sign on the centerfield fence or the towering right-field scoreboard at old Connie Mack Stadium. One Philly sportswriter even came up with a name for the neighborhood kids who chased down Allen’s mammoth home runs: Asphalt Outfielders.
Only through the benefit of time and perspective have people come to understand his true greatness as a player performing at an elite level in Philadelphia, then Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Chicago, where he singlehandedly saved the struggling franchise from moving with his electrifying MVP season in 1972. Over the last few years, local politicians and veterans groups have passed measures recognizing Allen’s triumph over adversity.
While it is unfortunate fans will not be able to be present for the ceremony in September, the organization will also honor Allen next season when fans will be in attendance and can properly salute his storied career.
By then, Mark “Frog” Carfagno, who has spearheaded the “Dick Allen Belongs in the Hall of Fame” campaign for several years, hopes Allen will have been elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame. Carfagno thanked the Phillies for stepping up the plate just a few months before the Golden Days committee votes in December at the Winter Meetings.
Carfagno was in San Diego in 2014 when Allen fell one vote short of election. The disappointment only fueled his passion, bringing Dick Allen’s story to baseball players in the Philadelphia Public and Catholic league and into high school classrooms throughout the city.
“We have been working nonstop for the last several years to educate people about his incredible career and how it was accomplished under very difficult circumstances,” said Carfagno, who became a close friend of Allen’s during his time as a member of the Phillies’ ground crew. “We look forward to celebrating with Dick, his family, and his many fans in Cooperstown in 2021.”
In making the announcement, Phillies Managing Partner John Middleton said the organization is “thrilled to give Dick and his family this honor that recognizes his Hall of Fame-worthy career and his legacy as one of the greatest Phillies of all time.
“Dick Allen burst onto the 1964 Phillies and immediately established himself as a superstar,” said Middleton. “His legendary performance on the field gave millions of fans lasting memories, and he helped cement my love for baseball and the Phillies as a young boy.”
Allen spent nine of his 15 major league seasons (1963-77) with the Phillies and won National League Rookie of the Year in 1964. During his time with the club, Allen batted .290 with 204 doubles, 204 home runs, 655 RBI, a .371 on-base percentage and a .530 slugging percentage (.902 OPS) in 1,070 games. His slugging percentage is second-best in Phillies history, behind only Hall of Famer Chuck Klein (.553), and he ranks 10th in home runs. Allen led his league in OPS four times in his career, including twice with the Phillies in 1966 (1.027) and 1967 (.970).
One of the premier sluggers of his era, Allen had the fifth-most home runs (319) among all major league players over an 11-year span (1964-74) behind four Hall of Famers: Hank Aaron (391), Harmon Killebrew (336), Willie Stargell (335) and Willie McCovey (327). Also during that time, his combined .940 OPS was second best, narrowly trailing Aaron (.941).
Finally, over those 11 years, his cumulative WAR of 58.3 was tied for the sixth-highest among all players, including 37 Hall of Famers to play in that time span. Allen twice led the American League in home runs, including the 1972 season when he was named MVP after hitting .308 with 37 home runs, 113 RBI, 99 walks, a .420 on-base percentage and a 1.023 OPS.
A seven-time All-Star (1965-67; 1970; 1972-74), Allen played nearly every position on the field during his career but is widely known as a first and third baseman. In addition to his time with the Phillies (1963-69; 1975-76), he donned a major league uniform for the St. Louis Cardinals (1970), Los Angeles Dodgers (1971), Chicago White Sox (1972-74) and Oakland A’s (1977).
Allen became one of the all-time greats in Phillies history after being signed by the team in 1960 to his first professional contract. He joined the Phillies front office in 1994 as a fan representative and, later, a club ambassador.
. Allen was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 1994.
REFLECTIONS ON DICK ALLEN’S CAREER
(Courtesy of Tollin Productions)
“[Dick] was a fine ballplayer. He did some great things and hit the ball much further than I did. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.”
-Hank Aaron, HOF
“I had the pleasure and the privilege of being Dick Allen’s teammate my rookie season. Knowing what he did, and what he accomplished in his career, the greatest player I ever saw play was Dick Allen. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.”
-Goose Gossage, HOF
“[Dick] could hit the ball farther than anybody that I’ve seen. He was, and still is, a Hall of Famer as far as I’m concerned.”
-Willie Mays, HOF
“Everyone who ever played with or against Dick would say that he was one of the most talented, intimidating, and smart five-tool players in baseball history. You can compare him as a hitter to Hank Aaron. In his prime, Dick might have been more feared, more dynamic, and stronger than Hank. On a personal level, Dick and I became good friends, and he helped me become a better player, as he did many of my teammates.”
-Mike Schmidt, HOF
“There is nobody who played the game better than Dick Allen. He could run the bases, hit for power, knock in the winning run. He did everything that you could ask from the guy. He was the leader of our team on the field and in the clubhouse. He helped the young guys and improved the old guys, and he was so intelligent. Dick Allen belongs in the Hall of Fame.”
-Chuck Tanner, Manager White Sox
“[Dick] had special talent. He was a student of the game. He knew his abilities were special. There is no question that he was an impact player, and when you were on the other side of the field, he frightened you. He was a game-breaker and certainly could elevate a team to another level.”
-Joe Torre, HOF
“The only person in the entire history of the game who may have had an edge on Dick Allen for pure power is Babe Ruth.”
-Bill Jenkinson, Baseball Hall of Fame Historian
“If you look at his numbers, [Dick] was probably one of the most feared hitters when he played. He dominated when he went out there. You ask any pitcher from that era, they didn’t want to face him. He was in an elite class.”
-Larry Bowa, Phillies Teammate
“Dick made it very clear when he first stepped in that locker room in 1975 that he was there to help our ball club win. He wanted to help us get to the World Series.”
-Greg Luzinski, Phillies Teammate
“Dick played the game like it is supposed to be played. He played the game right. He played the game hard. I used to say to him, ‘God gave you that gift that you have. What you do is a gift from God.’”
-Tony Taylor, Phillies Teammate
Dick Allen Belongs in the Hall of Fame 