Former Philadelphia Phillies star Dick Allen receiving a mural in Philadelphia. This mural will be completed sometime during the spring of 2024. In 2020, the Phillies retired the No. 15 that Allen wore with the team. The next thing that needs to be done is to put Allen in the Hall of Fame. This move is long overdue. In 2014 and 2021, Allen fell one vote short of induction during consideration by the Golden Days Committee. The next time Allen will be on the ballot in front of the committee is in 2026. During that 2014 vote, Tony Olivia also fell one vote short of induction. Olivia has been inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Allen has not been voted in yet.
The Hall Of Fame Case
In 15 seasons, nine with the Phillies, Allen had a .292/.378/.534 line with 351 home runs and 1119 RBI, along with 133 stolen bases. Additionally, Allen had a 58.7 WAR and a 156 OPS+ during his career. Additionally, Allen won the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year award with the Phillies and the 1972 AL MVP award with the Chicago White Sox, where Allen spent three seasons. During that 1964 rookie campaign, Allen led the major leagues in triples with 13. Allen also led the majors in runs scored that season with 125 while leading the NL in total bases with 352. During the 1972 MVP campaign, Allen led OBP, SLG, and OPS majors with a .308/.420/.603 line, an AL-leading 37 home runs, 113 RBI, and a 199 OPS+ that season.
During his career, Allen made seven All-Star appearances. Three of those seven appearances came while Allen played for the Phillies. The 1966 season Allen had was the best season of his career outside of 1964 and 1972. That season, Allen had a .317/.396/. The 632 line has 40 home runs and 110 RBI. That SLG and OPS led the major leagues that season. The home run total was a career-best for Allen. Furthermore, Allen had an NL-best 8.3 oWAR during the 1966 season. In MVP voting that year, Allen finished fourth, his best finish in MVP voting outside of his 1972 MVP season. In three of the 15 seasons Allen played, he finished in the top 10 in MVP voting.
The Case Continued
Harold Baines is one of the most controversial Baseball Hall of Fame inductees. Looking at Baines’s stats compared to Allen, it is clear who was the better player. Allen had a better career WAR, more stolen bases, and a better slash line than Baines. Moreover, the WAR comparison is not even close, with a 19.9 bWAR win for Allen. In the oWAR and dWAR departments, Allen also wins. The dWAR difference is closer than the oWAR difference. The career OPS+ Allen had was 35 points better than Baines’s. During his career, Allen had a 50.1 win probability added compared to Baines, who added a 32.3 win probability. In terms of awards, Allen had more All-Star appearances and won more MVPs than Baines.
Dick Allen Receiving A Mural
The mural will be located on South Broad Street near Citizens Bank Park and honor Allen’s time with the Phillies. Ernel Martinez designed the mural. Giving Allen a mural is a well-deserved honor for a Phillies legend. This mural of Allen will join the long list of murals depicting Philadelphia icons in the city. Unlike some teams, the Phillies rarely retire uniform numbers. So Allen having his number retired by the team and being part of the Phillies Wall of Fame speaks to his playing success. Besides Jackie Robinson, whose No. 42 is retired by every team in the majors, Allen is one of seven players to have their number retired by the Phillies.
Main Photo Credits: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
