This article concludes the short series on race and baseball in Philadelphia. The previous two pieces focused on how African-Americans used baseball as a way to integrate society. Octavius Catto and his Pythian Base Ball Club used the game as an engine for racial equality during the late 19th century. The Pythians broke through barriers by playing white-only teams and Octavius Catto used his popularity to push African-Americans to vote. Eventually the major leagues enacted a gentleman's agreement whereby teams would no longer allow African-Americans to play major league baseball. This policy is at the root of the negro leagues in the early 20th century. But in 1947, Brooklyn Dodgers' general manager Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson to a professional contract, breaking the gentleman's agreement set decades before.
Other negro leaguers soon broke into the major league ranks, with Bob Trice and John Kennedy being Philadelphia's first black players. However, while Robinson, Cleveland's Larry Doby, New York's Willie Mays and others had great success, Trice and Kennedy did not and their major league careers were short lived. Philly baseball fans waited 16 years before the city's first black superstar arrived in red pinstripes.
Dick Allen made his first appearance in red pinstripes on September 3, 1963 in Milwaukee. Allen arguably became the most controversial baseball player in Philadelphia baseball history and his on-field and off-field actions still resonate to this day. Allen's career in baseball and the conversation he still generates are almost too titanic to put into words.
Richard Anthony Allen was born on March 8, 1942 in Wampum, Pennsylvania and was one of nine children raised by his mother, Era. He was a star athlete at Wampum High School and was eventually signed to a contract by the Philadelphia Phillies (two of Allen's brothers – Ronnie and Hank – also signed with the Phillies).
He rose quickly through the club's minor league system and was the Phillies' top prospect. He was on the path to becoming a possible star for the Phillies, a team with a troubled past when it came to black athletes.
The Phillies were late to integrate because the club won the 1950 National League pennant with an all white roster and ownership did not see integration as necessary. But the "Whiz Kids" were a shooting star; despite losing three of four games by one run against the Yankees, that team's nucleus never truly competed again. The team finished last in the National League standings from 1958 through 1961, with the 1961 team posting a 47-107 record and finishing 46 games behind the National League champion Cincinnati Reds. In short, the Phillies were in dire need of help at the major league level. Although the Phillies integrated in 1957, developing a potential superstar black player was not viewed as a priority. But the societal tumblers were in motion, and the Phillies finally agreed to rebuild and find the best players available, regardless of race.
Allen's rise through the system did not come without challenges. He was raised in racially tolerant Wampum, Pennsylvania and while he understood that there were racial issues throughout America, he had yet to experience major conflict on a regular basis. Historian William Kashatus explained Allen's trials when he arrived to play for the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate in Little Rock, Arkansas.
"At Little Rock, Allen was immersed in a racist environment that operated on stereotypes of African Americans as 'troublemakers,' 'criminals,' and 'ignorant laborers.' His emotional response was anger, confusion, and alienation. On opening night a capacity crowd of 7,000 fans packed Little Rock's Ray Winder Stadium to see history in the making. Outside, signs that read 'Don't Negro-ize baseball' and 'Nigger Go Home' greeted Allen at the park. Inside sat Governor Orval Faubus, best known for his unsuccessful attempt to bar black students from Little Rock's Central High School just six years earlier. Faubus was waiting to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Allen was scared."
The racial threats and tension continued while Allen played in Little Rock. His experience was a typical one that black players dealt with for decades when they played ball in the south. But the Phillies had alienated Allen and didn't prepare for Little Rock's integration properly. Allen noted this in his autobiography Crash: The Life and Times of Dick Allen.
"I didn’t know anything about the racial issue in Arkansas, and didn’t really care. Maybe if the Phillies had called me in, man to man, like the Dodgers had done with Jackie Robinson, at least I would have been prepared. Instead, I was on my own."
He was called up to the Phillies on September 3, 1963 against Milwaukee and appeared in 10 games where he hit .292 with two doubles and a triple. By 1964, both Allen and the Phillies were poised for an incredible season that eventually left the fans, Allen, and the Phillies scratching their heads.
Allen made the team after a terrific 1964 Spring Training and filled a need for right-handed power in the lefty-heavy lineup. His impact on the team, and the league, were almost immediate. In May, Philadelphia Daily News reporter Larry Merchant penned one of the finest compliments to the young star. "The rumors are that [rookie] Allen is not returning with the Phillies to Connie Mack Stadium on Wednesday. He’s going directly to the Hall of Fame."
By August, Allen was hitting over .300 and the Phillies were atop the National League and continued their charge toward the World Series. On September 20, the team held a 6.5 game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals but the team soon faltered and lost 10 straight games, lost their lead in the standings, and registered one of the most infamous collapse in the modern era.
During that legendary swan dive, Allen put forth his best effort. In fact, the fact that his efforts alone coincided with a 10 game losing streak is mind-boggling. He compiled an 11 game hitting streak and hit a Ty Cobb-esque .429. On October 4, with the Phillies needing a win over Cincinnati and a Cardinals loss to force a playoff, Allen went three for five and hit two home runs in a 10-0 drubbing of the Cincinnati Reds.
Allen finished his rookie season with a .318 batting average, 29 home runs, and 91 RBI. He topped the National League in runs scored with 125 and was the only Phillie in 1964 to play in all 162 games. To say Dick Allen had a "good year" was an understatement. He was recognized as the National League Rookie of the Year for 1964.
There was no question that Dick Allen could get on base often and hit with power. During his 15 year career, Allen excelled in batting average, home runs, RBI, slugging, and on-base percentage. He was a seven-time all-star and played multiple defensive positions in the both the infield and outfield throughout his career. I
n 1972, as a member of the Chicago White Sox, Allen was awarded the American League's MVP award where he led the league in home runs (37), RBI (113), walks (99) and OPS (1.023). He was, without a doubt, one of the most talented players of his era, finishing his career with at or near Hall of Fame numbers; his career slash being .292/.378/.534. His Hall of Fame statistics place him among the few who deserve consideration (see below).
Yet, Allen never garnered more than 18.9% of BBWAA votes for Hall of Fame consideration. As I mentioned above, Allen was not only a great hitter, he remains one of the most controversial players in Phillies history.
Dick Allen's largest barrier to earning induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame is his reputation. He spoke his mind, which at times, did not sit well with management or the fans. This reputation was set in stone in 1985, when the now-renowned baseball statistician and historian Bill James published his Historical Baseball Abstract where he dryly wrote his opinion of Allen: “Dick Allen did more to keep his teams from winning than anyone else who ever played major league baseball.” It was a scathing remark made without providing any context or statistical proof. The fact is, Allen was an offensive giant between 1964 and 1976. James implied that, despite his skill, it was Allen's attitude was detrimental to the success o the teams he played on.
On July 3, 1965 the Phillies prepared for a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Connie Mack Stadium. Johnny Callison taunted teammate Frank Thomas while Thomas took batting practice, who lashed out at Allen saying "Who are you trying to be, another Muhammad Clay?" The comment struck a nerve and Allen punched Thomas in the jaw. Thomas retaliated by hitting Allen on the shoulder with a bat. Thomas was placed on irrevocable waivers after the game.
Although players were told they'd be fined if they spoke of the fight to the press, news of the incident spread and Allen was vilified by the fans for his role in the fight. Some fans even hung pro-Thomas signs from the upper deck at Connie Mack Stadium. Allen was unmoved and was quoted in the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin on July 9 saying, "The people in this town like to boo, but I just play it as hard as I can and don't listen." The comment did not sit well with fans and they continued to ride Allen throughout his first period in Philadelphia (1963-1969).
Fans throw smoke bombs at Dick Allen during a game at Connie Mack Stadium. Image courtesy Mark Carfagno
Allen was suspended a few times during his career for lateness. One particular instance is eye opening. On June 24, 1969, Allen was at a horse track in New Jersey but did not realize the first game of that day's doubleheader was moved up one hour earlier. Instead of arriving late to Shea Stadium, Allen returned home to Philadelphia and missed both games of the doubleheader. Phillies' manager Bob Skinner commented that the suspension would last as long as Allen wanted it to, suggesting that he desired a talk with Allen. Allen finally met with Phillies owner Bob Carpenter 26 days later and agreed to return to the field while Carpenter promised to trade Allen at season's end. When he returned to the field, he began to write words in the dirt at first base. It caused such a stir that Commissioner Bowie Kuhn demand that Allen stop which propelled the story into the August 22, 1969 issue of Life magazine.
Allen made several comments in the press that he wanted out of Philadelphia and was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in October 1969 in a deal that included Cardinal outfielder Curt Flood going to the Phillies. The trade and Flood's refusal to play for Philadelphia spawned a battle that led to the demise of the century old reserve clause and implementation of free-agency.
The actions and comments followed Allen for the rest of his career but were put aside by Philadelphians in 1975 when the Atlanta Braves traded Allen's rights back to the Phillies. He was welcomed back with a standing ovation by the fans at Veterans Stadium on May 14, 1975. Unfortunately, Allen's skills decreased and he was released following the 1976 season and was out of baseball by 1978.
The issues and situations reviewed above are what most people, including Bill James, remember about Dick Allen. Unfortunately, those "character issues" lack any context or opposing commentary. Don Lock, Phillies center fielder in 1967 and 1968 said that Allen did not have any clubhouse enemies when he was in Philadelphia and former White Sox teammate Wilbur Wood said the same when Allen was in Chicago.
Mitchell Nathanson, a Professor of Law at Villanova University and author of the upcoming book God Almighty Hisself: The Life and Legacy of Dick Allen, says that Allen's numbers compare to Hall of Famers Jim Rice, Tony Perez, Ron Santo and others. Nathanson believes that Allen's reputation is keeping him out of the Hall of Fame. "I think it's the so-called 'character' issue." Few sportswriters liked Allen because he was not always the most approachable person or engaging personality. Indeed, White Sox teammate Carlos May stated that "[Allen] danced by his own song."
But these events took place over 40 years ago and, as Nathanson says, the context behind Allen's reputation is fading, leaving Allen's story incomplete and unchallenged. People simply "know" Allen was a headache in the clubhouse but do not know the context behind how Allen gained a negative reputation. If they did know the backstory, their opinion of Allen might be different. God Almighty Hisself, which will be released on March 23, 2016, attempts to reinfuse the story with context, providing a comprehensive picture of Dick Allen.
Post Script
A lot is written about Dick Allen and his career and reputation have undergone a reevaluation recently. One can find a multitude of articles on the internet about his chances of Hall of Fame induction. In fact, Allen was a finalist on the Golden Era ballot for Hall of Fame induction but came up one vote shy of enshrinement. When asked about the Hall of Fame, Allen says that he doesn't care about the Hall of Fame which is why he doesn't lobby for his induction. That task is left to fans like former Phillies groundskeeper Mark "Frog" Carfagno, who at Allen's son's urging, started a campaign to get Allen in the Hall of Fame. Because of his job as groundskeeper, Carfagno saw first hand how Allen was treated early in his career.
"Dick Allen is the most misunderstood player, and person, I've met in my life. I'll argue until my teeth turn blue that this man belongs in the Hall of Fame. You're talking about a guy who played in Philadelphia during those times. I saw the way he was abused. They called him every name in the book. Every racial epithet. I couldn't believe he could play with all of that pressure on him. He would come in and hang out with us on the grounds crew after games. We understood him. Nobody else did.'' (USA Today)
Despite falling one vote short of induction, Carfagno continues to press for Allen's induction into the Hall of Fame. The Golden Era committee will again consider candidates for voting in 2016 for induction in 2017. If elected, Allen would be the first African-American Phillie inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Current Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney encapsulated what Allen means to Philadelphia baseball history in a Philadelphia Daily News article by the late Stan Hochman:
"He was our Jackie Robinson…Robinson was under orders to not respond to the taunts. Allen came along a lot later and spoke his mind."
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Images courtesy Getty Images, baseball-reference and Mark Carfagno..
Information for this article was obtained from: Dick Allen and Tim Whitaker, Crash: The Life and Times of Dick Allen, (New York: Ticknor & Fields, 1989). Bill James, The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, (Free Press, 2003). William Kashatus, September Swoon: Richie Allen, the '64 Phillies, and Racial Integration, (State College: Penn State University Press, 2004). Christopher Threston, The Integration of Baseball in Philadelphia, (North Carolina: McFarland & Co., 2003). Rich D'Ambrosio, "Dick Allen" SABR BioProject. Ray W. Kelly, "Why Isn't Dick Allen in the Hall of Fame? (dickallenbelongs.wordpress.com). Baseball-reference. Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. Philadelphia Daily News (Philly.com). USA Today (USAtoday.com). Mitchell Natanson (personal correspondence).
Matt Alberston (@mdalbert88) is a historical columnist on Philliedelphia.com.
