PHILADELPHIA — Dick Allen’s No. 15 was retired by the Philadelphia Phillies in a ceremony Thursday, a long overdue honor for one of the franchise’s greatest players who fought against racism during a tumultuous period with the team in the 1960s.
The 78-year-old Allen thanked Phillies managing partner John Middleton, who broke from the team’s longstanding “unwritten” policy of only retiring the number of players who are in the Hall of Fame.
Allen is certainly worthy -- Over 15 Major League seasons, he hit .292 with 351 HR's and 1119 RBI's.
He won the 1972 American League MVP award while with the Chicago White Sox, but had his best years in Philadelphia.
After debuting with the Phillies in 1963, Allen would go on to spend nine years with the club, and hit 204 HR's with 605 RBI's.
Allen batted a solid .290 during his time in Philadelphia, and walked about half as much as he struck out.
In recent years, there have been many calls for Allen to make the Hall-of-Fame.
During the era he played, he was one of the best hitters, with career numbers to show for it.
