Dick Allen elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame

Dick Allen, one of the greatest sluggers of his generation, has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame as voted on by the 16-member Classic Baseball Era Committee. Allen, who died on Dec. 7, 2020, at age 78, will posthumously be inducted in Cooperstown on July 27, 2025.

“I am overjoyed that the Classic Baseball Era Committee has recognized that Dick is worthy of being immortalized in the Baseball Hall of Fame,” said Phillies Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer John Middleton. “It has been a long time coming. The Phillies look forward to celebrating this honor with Dick’s family.”

Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, Allen’s teammate from 1975-76 added, “It’s a great day for Dick Allen’s family, the Phillies, those who have been a part of supporting his candidacy, and his teammates, one of which I was lucky to be. I look forward to greeting the Allen family in Cooperstown this summer.”

“What a tremendous, well-deserved honor for my friend Dick who has always been a Hall of Famer to me,” said Larry Bowa, another teammate of Allen’s during the 1975-76 seasons. “He meant so much to the Phillies organization throughout the years. His experience and leadership were instrumental in the development of players like Schmidt, Bob Boone, Greg Luzinski, Gary Maddox and myself. He taught me how to play the game the right way. I am elated that he is finally going into the Hall of Fame.”

During his 15-year major league career, Allen posted a slash line of .292/.378/.534 (.912 OPS) with 320 doubles, 79 triples, 351 home runs, 1,119 RBI, 1,099 runs scored and 133 stolen bases in 1,749 games. The 1964 National League Rookie of the Year made seven All-Star teams, including three with the Phillies, and was named Most Valuable Player of the American League in 1972. Allen played for the Phillies (1963-69; 1975-76), St. Louis Cardinals (1970), Los Angeles Dodgers (1971), Chicago White Sox (1972-74) and Oakland Athletics (1977).

From 1964-74, Allen was one of the premier power hitters in the game. Among major league players with at least 3,000 plate appearances during that 11-year span, he was first in OPS+ (165; per Baseball Reference) and wRC+ (163; per FanGraphs), second in OPS (.940) and slugging percentage (.554), third in extra-base hits (670) and fourth in fWAR (59.2). Only Hank Aaron had a higher OPS (.941) and slugging percentage (.561) than Allen. He was tied with Aaron for the most seasons (10) with at least 20 homers and an OPS of .850 or higher during that span.

Allen posted six seasons with more than 30 home runs, setting a career high with 40 in 1966. He batted .300 or better in six qualifying seasons while recording two qualifying seasons with an OPS above 1.000. Allen led the AL in home runs twice (1972 and 1974) and led his respective league in OPS four times (1966-67, 1972 and 1974). During his MVP season in 1972, he led the majors in on-base percentage (.420), OPS (1.023) and OPS+ (199; per Baseball Reference). Allen remains just one of 12 players since 1900 to post a season with at least 100 runs, 25 doubles, 10 triples and 40 home runs, which he accomplished in 1966. For his career, he averaged 30 doubles, seven triples, 33 homers, 104 RBI, 102 runs and 83 walks per 162 games.

The Phillies signed Allen out of high school in 1960, and in 1963, he made his major league debut with the team as a 21-year-old. He played nine years in Philadelphia over two separate stints and batted .290 with 204 doubles, 64 triples, 204 home runs, 655 RBI, 517 walks and a .902 OPS in 1,070 games with the Phillies. He ranks third all-time in Phillies history with a .530 slugging percentage and 10^th in home runs. A 1994 inductee into the Phillies Wall of Fame, Allen had his No. 15 retired by the club on Sept. 3, 2020.