Phillies legend Dick Allen dies at 78

Dick Allen, the former

Phillies slugger who won over a generation of fans by blasting home runs that often left Connie Mack Stadium, died Monday at his home in Wampum, Pa. He was 78.

Mr. Allen played nine of his 15 major-league seasons in Philadelphia, beginning his career as the Rookie of the

Year for the star-crossed 1964 Phillies. He hit .318 as a rookie with 29 home runs, which frequently soared over the ballpark’s left-field roof and into North Philadelphia.

Mr. Allen was a seven-time All-star and won the American League MVP Award in 1972 with the White Sox. He also played for the Cardinals, Dodgers, and Athletics and finished his career in 1977 with a .292 batting average and 351 home runs.

“I’m just a name,” Mr. Allen said in 1976. “God put some talent in this body and I just use it. I don’t think of the aches and pains. I just thank God for the talent that I have.”

Mr. Allen is considered to be one of the greatest players to

not yet reach the Hall of Fame. There was hope that that would change this month when the Hall of Fame was scheduled to vote on Allen’s candidacy, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the Hall to postpone the vote to December 2021. Mr. Allen was one vote shy in 2014.

Mr. Allen was baseball’s best hitter over the first decade of his career, as Allen’s 165 OPS+ from 1964 to 1973 led the majors, better than all-time greats such as Hank Aaron, Harmon Killebrew, and Willie Mccovey. From 1880 to 1990, 24 players registered a slugging percentage of .510 or better over at least 6,300 plate appearances. Allen is the only one not in the Hall of Fame.

Mr. Allen said in August after the Phillies retired his No. 15 that he already considered himself a Hall of Famer because he was inducted into the Negro League Hall of Fame in 2018.

“That’s the real Hall for me,” Allen said. “They are a very elite group. They’re part of the legends. And to me, the way that it’s going, it could be a little political the way (the Baseball Hall of Fame) does things, but however, it’s beyond me. I pay no attention to it.”