Phillies, White Sox legend Dick Allen passes away at 78

Phillies and White Sox great Dick Allen has passed away.

Dick Allen is one of the few players from the 1960s that both older and younger fans hold in high regard. While those who saw him play marveled at his power, younger fans want Allen’s legacy to be remembered due to his impressive stats. Unfortunately, one of the greatest players in the history of both the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago White Sox passed away this afternoon.

Allen’s official Twitter account confirmed that he passed away at his home in Wampum at the age of 78. Allen leaves behind a career in which he hit .292 with 351 home runs and seven All-Star game nominations.

Dick Allen’s numbers should put him in the Hall of Fame

After winning rookie of the year with the Phillies in 1964, Allen embarked on a six-year stretch that saw him average a .300 batting average, 34 home runs and 103 RBI per 162 games. His 164 OPS+ is among the best in the league during that stretch. After a year with the Dodgers, Allen ended up on the Chicago White Sox, where he won an MVP and led the AL in home runs twice during a three-year stint.

Allen, who fell just one vote short of election to the Baseball Hall of Fame via the Veterans Committee last time around, likely would’ve been voted in yesterday if the committee’s voting day wasn’t postponed because of COVID-19.

His raw totals look ordinary due to his short career, but Allen had more offensive WAR during his 11-year peak than Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Carl Yastrzemski and Joe Morgan. He has the sixth-highest OPS+ of any player who played exclusively in the live-ball era, with only names like Barry Bonds, Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams ahead of him.

Allen, who handled himself with dignity in grace, is a Hall of Famer, pure and simple. Hopefully, the Hall decides to put him in the 2021 class, as that is the only fitting way to honor the life and legacy of one of the best players of the 1960s.