Dick Allen
2025 Baseball Hall Of Fame
One of the greatest Phillies players of all time, and one of the best hitters of his generation, has been inducted by the Veterans Committee to the Baseball Hall of Fame. This decision was long overdue. Allen became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 1983 and seems to have been kept out purely out of a combination of racism and spite from sportswriters who disparaged the sluggers name throughout his fifteen year career.
Allen remained on the Hall of Fame ballot from 1985 through 1997 and never got higher than 18.9% of the votes (with 75% being the threshold for induction) despite a career slash line of .292/.378/.534 which tops many players who had been enshrined before him. From 1964 to 1974, he had a .299 batting average, hit 319 home runs, and had an OPS of .940 which is second only to Hank Aaron over that eleven year span. His career OPS+ was the second highest of any retired player who hadn't been inducted to the Hall of Fame, with only Mark McGwire's steroid inflated numbers ahead of his. Despite the slander from sportswriters who couldn't stand the idea of an African American man who didn't kowtow to them, he was also an excellent teammate and a clubhouse leader to whom dozens of players, including Mike Schmidt, called their mentor.
Dick Allen passed away four years ago, so the sportswriters have unfortunately succeeded in robbing the man in having a moment to honor his legendary career in Cooperstown, but his family and his fans can celebrate that his plaque will hang where it should have been placed 41 years ago in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
