It isn’t a misnomer to say that Allen was a star almost automatically with Philadelphia. He was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1964 and was a power hitter in the dead-ball era. With Philadelphia, Allen had three 30 Home Run seasons (again, this was very good for this era) and a 40 Home Run campaign in 1966. He also had four straight .300 seasons (1946-67) and was the National League leader in On Base Percentage in 1967.
While his bat made him popular with some fans, his atrocious fielding made him the target of others. Allen would twice lead the National League in Errors and regardless of what position he played there was no way to even label him as even average on a Major League level. He also refused to play along with media (actually, we like that) and was painted as a villain in some circles, especially after fighting with a white teammate (Frank Thomas) who was subsequently kicked off of the team, though the latter should have as he struck Allen’s shoulder with a baseball bat.
Dick Allen would ask to be traded from Philadelphia and he openly discussed his disdain for the city. He would be traded to St. Louis and would later win an MVP as a member of the Chicago White Sox. As the proverb of “time heals all wounds” would prove, Allen would be traded back to Philadelphia and was no longer a hated figure in the city. He was not the same player he once was, but he was home.With Philadelphia, Allen blasted 204 Home Runs, batted .290, and had 1,143 Hits. The Phillies added Allen to their Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame in 1993. The team retired his number 15 in 2020, shortly before he died.
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