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Philadelphia Phillies finally give Dick Allen his due

By David Hill

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 31: Past player Dick Allen of the Philadelphia Phillies during the Pat Burrell "Wall of Fame" Induction ceremony before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park on July 31, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 9-3. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 31: Past player Dick Allen of the Philadelphia Phillies during the Pat Burrell "Wall of Fame" Induction ceremony before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park on July 31, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 9-3. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /
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The Philadelphia Phillies are changing a long standing requirement by retiring Dick Allen’s number, and it is long overdue.

The Philadelphia Phillies had a policy when it came to retiring numbers – the player in question had to be a member of the MLB Hall of Fame. It did not matter how much they meant to the franchise; they would not be honored with a retired number.

But that policy is changing. The Phillies have announced that they will retire #15 in honor of Dick Allen, making him the eighth member of the franchise to have their number retired.

Allen was a star for the Phillies in the 1960s, a fearsome power hitter who was a key run producer. In his nine years with the franchise, he put together a .290/.371/.530 batting line, with 204 homers and 204 doubles. While those numbers may not seem impressive, most of his time in Philadelphia came in the middle of the second Dead Ball Era, a time when Allen was one of the best players in the game.

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His Hall of Fame candidacy, much like his playing days, is touched with controversy. Allen was outspoken about racial issues, his demands of equality leaving him to be labeled as a malcontent. He had retired in 1974, abruptly walking out on the White Sox before coming back and being traded to Atlanta. However, he refused to play for the Braves, leading to a return to Philadelphia.

His overall numbers would be a better fit for the Hall of Very Good than the Hall of Fame. He produced an overall .292/.378/.534 batting line with 351 homers and 1119 RBI. Allen was a seven time All Star, the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year, and the 1972 AL MVP. However, based on different metrics for Hall of Famers, he would be just about average for induction.

The Phillies have also opened the door for other important players to be honored. Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Ryan Howard are not likely to be enshrined in Cooperstown, but were all key parts of the team’s rise to prominence in the late 2000s and into the 2010s. Now those players can be honored as well.

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The Philadelphia Phillies are set to retire Dick Allen’s number. It is an honor that is long overdue.

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