Black legends detail their stories, love for game at Players Alliance dinner

PHILADELPHIA -- Richard Allen remembers the sound of rocks crashing through his family's windows.

He recalls his father, Phillies legend Dick Allen, avoiding the mailbox because of death threats that arrived, and the criticism he endured for occasionally skipping batting practice out of concern for his safety.

It is a part of Dick Allen's story his son believes is overlooked.

"They thought they were hurting him, but it was the entire family," Richard said. "He still had to perform and focus ... at a high level against the best in the world."

So standing on the Players Alliance Game Changers Black Carpet in downtown Philadelphia was especially meaningful, because it reflected his father's journey.

Held annually during All-Star Week, the event welcomed individuals whose influence has shaped baseball’s growth. Each year, the organization recognizes trailblazers connected to the host city while celebrating the legacy they leave for future generations.

This year's honorees included Dick Allen, Bill White, Claire Smith, Dave Cash, Domonic Brown, Doug Glanville, Garry Maddox, Jimmy Rollins, Mahlon Duckett, Marlon Anderson, Mo'ne Davis and Ryan Howard.

Dick Allen, who died in 2020, was honored posthumously, with Richard accepting the award on his father's behalf.

"It blew me away when I saw my father's jersey in the stands," Richard said after attending several All-Star Week events, including the HBCU Swingman Classic. "That meant a lot to me."

The celebration of Allen's legacy fit alongside another baseball pioneer in White, the former Major Leaguer, longtime National League president and soon-to-be Buck O'Neil Award recipient at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

"I had a tough life," White said. "My grandmother [Tamer Young] and my family [inspired me] because they had tougher lives. I wanted to make sure to change things and I did."

White attended Hiram College intending to become a doctor, playing baseball simply to help pay for school.

"[But] I loved playing baseball," White said. "I had a good time."

To be among legends on the carpet was also special for former Major Leaguer and current broadcaster Doug Glanville. The game that connects them all has always been a part of his soul.

"I associate it so much with my childhood, love and passion, but also with an opportunity to be able to make changes," Glanville said.

To him, when you have a sport at the center, regardless of personal viewpoints, ethnicities or backgrounds, it creates a shared sense of togetherness. From there, people can begin to see one another through a collective humanity.

"The sport is a venue and platform by which to reinforce how that change happens," Glanville said. "Once you appreciate that and live it ... [you] start to see that this actually transcends sports."

Being back in Philadelphia made that even more meaningful.

"I'm surrounded by former teammates and friends," Glanville said. "That really allows us to see how powerful it could be."

Smith understands that power as well as anyone.

The first woman to cover a Major League beat full-time with the Yankees, Smith used her words to tell stories that needed to be told, and refused to ever stop.

"I never lost sight of the fact that there are people who feel like they don't have a voice," Smith said. "I hope to have given them a voice. I grew up in the media during the era where Blacks were basically [told], 'You can play for us, you can entertain us, but you can’t be a manager.'”

Smith remembers hearing that Black people were told that they didn't have "the necessities" to become managers, so she continued telling stories that reflected their experiences.

Jackie and Rachel Robinson, along with Smith's parents, inspired that perseverance.

“I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for their story, their fight, their perseverance, and my parents were my Jackie and Rachel Robinson,” Smith said. “They loved this country that didn’t offer them love back, but they never stopped loving and hoping for better.”

The impact of pioneers like Smith continues to resonate with the next generation, including Davis, who is preparing for another historic chapter.

After stepping away from baseball for six years, Davis rediscovered her passion for the game, and will suit up for the Los Angeles Queens when the inaugural Women's Professional Baseball League begins Aug. 1.

When asked whether she ever imagined becoming one of baseball's trailblazers, her answer came immediately.

"No," Davis said with a chuckle.

"I never thought I'd be looked at as kind of a pioneer in baseball," she said. "Then hearing it from so many different people ... it's just a great feeling because you know you're on a great path in life."

Players Alliance executive director and CEO Dr. Jamil Northcutt said that's exactly why Game Changers exists.

"To make sure that we're getting people a visceral overflow of individuals who can accomplish so much," Northcutt said. "So [younger generations] can understand that they stand on the shoulders [of people who came before them]."

For Northcutt, one of those shoulders belongs to Negro Leagues founder Rube Foster.

"He's somebody that's inspired me," Northcutt said, recalling a picture of Foster hanging in his grandfather's house. "Even in my office now, I've got a picture of Rube Foster."

And as the evening honored generations of baseball trailblazers, White left those who will follow with one final message.

“Whatever you do," White said, "be number one."