Legendary Slugger Dick Allen Passes Away

2020 has surely been a tough year.  

Surprisingly tough for baseball fans who have had to seen all-time greats passing away at an alarming rate.  

The list of players who have died in 2020 includes Lou Brock, Joe Morgan, Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Al Kaline, Don Larsen, among others; that's an incredible compilation of all-time, all-timers.

On Monday, the list got a little longer as we heard the sad news that ex-Phillie/White Sox, Dick Allen had passed away at his home in Wampum, PA at the age of 78.

Dick Allen is enshrined on the Phillies Wall of Fame and it was announced earlier this year that his #15 would be retired by the Phillies... he is also named as infielder on our All-Time Phillies team (I'll let you decide which of those accolades carries the greatest significance).

It is also speculated that he could end up voted in on the next Veteran's Committee "Golden Days" ballot (he was one vote short the last time they voted); a Golden Days vote scheduled for August was pushed back 12 months due to Covid so, rather unfortunately, if Allen is selected for enshrinement, he will have passed away without getting the official Call From the Hall.

The broader storylines that surround the "Wampum Walloper" and the debate that hangs over his Hall of Fame candidacy is complex, at best.  His enshrinement is not as cut and dry as it probably could have been but Allen wasn't cut and dry.  

He was controversial, rebellious, unapologetic, brash and somewhat reckless (his autobiography is titled, "Crash," for what it's worth).  He stood up for himself (held out for higher pay and didn't cater to the media) and chose not to fall in line at a time when black athletes were being asked to conform.  

He also skipped batting practices, drank too much, fought with teammates and feuded with management/ownership/the City of Philadelphia to the point where he was suspended 31 games for missing a team flight and eventually traded, presumably for the betterment of all parties involved.

He was ahead of his time, in some ways but he was a lightning rod, nonetheless.

What is NOT debatable... in his prime, Dick Allen was one of the most ferocious sluggers to ever play the game.  His towering home run shots are forever part of baseball lore.  From 1964 to 1974 (Allen's prime years), he boasted an OPS+ of 165 which is the best of any player with 5,000 plate appearances during that particular span... better than Willie McCovey, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays among  many other all-time greats.  Further, Allen's career OPS+ of 156 ranks 18th all-time.  In short, he could truly hit the cover off the ball... but he had some off years and the off-field stuff carved a wedge between him and the Hall of Fame voters (he never crossed 20% support during his 14 years on the ballot)... complex, for sure.

Regardless, of where you stand on his Hall of Fame candidacy, we are all thinking of Allen's family and friends today.

I found a great article at Cooperstown Cred that dives deeper into Dick Allen and his Hall of Fame credibility.  If you have some time, check it out.