Remembering Dick Allen: How the slugger batted his way into the record books despite being a victim of racism
For the late slugger Dick Allen, taking the mound to hit a few out of the park wasn't the only challenge. In a career that saw him smoke 351 home runs in 15 major league seasons and cement his name in the pantheon of greats as a seven-time All Star—thrice with the Philadelphia Phillies, once with the St Louis Cardinals, and thrice with the Chicago White Sox — he also endured a harsh share of racism in his playing days.
According to New York Times, Phillies Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt recounts that Allen played in front of crowds that were "products of the racist era," He added: “Dick was a sensitive Black man who refused to be treated as a second-class citizen.” Allen, aged 78, died on Monday, December 7, at Wampum.
The club confirmed the news and issued a statement that read: "Dick will be remembered as not just one of the greatest and most popular players in our franchise’s history, but also as a courageous warrior who had to overcome far too many obstacles to reach the level he did."
Schmidt also threw in several instances where Allen was a victim of racism. He played the game alongside "racist teammates" at a time when the rules were different for Whites and Blacks. “Fans threw stuff at him,” he said, “and thus Dick wore a batting helmet throughout the whole game. They yelled degrading racial slurs. They dumped trash in his front yard at his home," Schmidt recollected.
One of the unfortunate incidents in his career was his fight with fellow Philly, Frank Thomas. Two players who were eyewitnesses said Thomas was fired after swinging a bat at Allen hitting him on the shoulder. The then manager of the team, Pat Corrales confirmed Allen was hit and added that Thomas needled him by making racially divisive remarks. This further enraged fans who felt that Allen cost a White player his job.
And despite the racial animosity, Allen slugged his way to fame and the record books. According to ESPN's stats, he was the fifth player to score 300+ home runs (319) in an 11-year span behind four Hall of Famers: Hank Aaron (391), Harmon Killebrew (336), Willie Stargell (335) and Willie McCovey (327). His .940 OPS during that time was second to Aaron's .941. He batted over .300 thrice and was named the National League's Rookie in '64 during his time with the Phillies.
His achievements saw him inducted into the Baseball Reliquary's Shrine of the Eternals in 2004. His jersey, 15, was retired by the Phillies in September.
