Dick Allen, truly a Phillies legend
The first time I ever saw Dick Allen was at the Hershey Sports Arena. He was the point guard on the Wampum, Pa., high school basketball team that reached the state championship three consecutive years. Wampum won the state title in 1958 and '60, Allen's sophomore and senior years. Watched him lead the team to the championship 60 years ago.
But, his ability to hit a baseball overshadowed his hoop skills. Baseball scouts began following Dick as a junior. Scouts in those days doubled as salesmen. Era Allen served as her son’s negotiator. She was most comfortable with a 66-year-old Phillies scout, John Ogden. Upon graduating from school in 1960, Allen signed a pro baseball contract that included a $60,000 bonus.
Allen was a gifted athlete, strong and quick. His instincts on the baseball field were exceptional. And he was driven to win.
Four years out of high school, after tearing up the Minor Leagues, Allen he went to Spring Training in Clearwater and was put at third base, a new position. He had played shortstop, second base and the outfield. He had some kind of a season, earning Rookie of the Year honors.
Swinging a 42-ounce bat, he could punish the baseball. His titanic home runs at Connie Mack Stadium are legendary.
On May 29, 1965, Dick hit a monster home run over the Coca-Cola sign atop the roof in left-center field, in first inning against the Cubs’ Larry Jackson. Sandy Grady, an Evening Bulletin columnist, was at the game. He asked how far the ball traveled. I had no idea. So, he and I left the park and tried to figure out the distance. A man sitting on his porch showed us where the ball had landed. We began measuring by walking in three-foot lengths. Then we had to estimate the depth of the left field stands and the distance from home plate. We finally came up with 529 feet. Scientific? Hardly.
Two years later, Allen became the first player to hit a home run over the center-field fence between the stands and the flagpole at Connie Mack Stadium since the fence was raised to 32 feet in 1934. The homer came off Nellie Briles in a 4-3 win over St. Louis.
Since I didn’t travel often in the early years, watching the games on TV became routine. When Dick was due to bat, I didn’t raid the fridge. Didn’t want to risk missing something special. Every game for every player was recorded in a stat book -- game, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, triples, etc., for hitters. He was one of the few players that always had something else posted in his line other than a game number. Granted, many times it was a strikeout or multiple ones, a fact about which I’ve often kidded him.
His Phillies years were sprinkled with controversy. He became a target of the boo birds and wanted out of Philadelphia. In his autobiography, "Crash," he admitted, “I always was rebellious. I liked doing things my own way.”
So, he left the Phillies and played on three other teams.
In early May of 1975, general manager Paul (Pope) Owens called me into his office. “What do you think would be the fan and media reaction if we brought Dick Allen back?” he asked. I couldn’t answer right away because I was stunned. The Pope wanted a veteran bat between Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski. Finally, I said I thought the fans would welcome him, but I wasn’t sure about the media. Dick and the media were like oil and water.
We had a press conference in the Veterans Stadium Press Club on May 7. The room was packed. Afterward we went to the field for some photo ops. He was a slugger so a bat was needed. Dick took some swings while the cameras clicked. That swing was no mistake. It belonged to Dick Allen.
Ten years after his 529-foot home run, No. 15 returned to the Phillies. Seven days after the press conference, he singled in his first at-bat and drew a standing ovation. It was a night I’ll never forget.
We were both rookies in 1964. Now we’re both graying old-timers. He doesn’t miss the Toyota Alumni Weekends. The fans love him. All former Phillies love him. It’s an annual hug-a-thon. His infectious laugh can be heard often all weekend.
Next month, Allen's No. 15 will be retired and his name will join Hall of Famers Robin Roberts, Richie Ashburn, Steve Carlton, Jim Bunning and Roy Halladay in displays at Citizens Bank Park. He’s eligible for the Hall of Fame in December. Hopefully, his plaque will be added next summer. He certainly belongs.
He truly is a Phillies legend.