Richie

I watched the Richie Ashburn DVD called A BASEBALL LIFE this weekend. It was great hearing Harry's voice and watching the old video clips of the Phillies. If you have never seen it, I highly recommend watching it.

Our man Dick Allen was in a couple of segments, including a pretty funny one in which a young (20+ years old) Dick Allen challenges a retired (40+ years old) Richie Ashburn to a race during spring training. Apparently Ashburn won.

There was also a section that focused on Ashburn's journalism career during which this 1975-76 photo is presented. I had never seen it before. Very cool.

Fanarri

A couple of days ago I had a request for the "flip side" of the Echos of November record made by Dick Allen and the Ebonistics. It took me a couple of days to get the USB turntable re-ignited, but here you go. If you want to grab the MP3 version here it is. You might need to "save as" rather than just clicking on it.

2009 NL East Champs

Congrats to the Phillies for capturing their third straight NL East championship on Wednesday night. I feel pretty comfortable saying we are witnessing the "Golden Age" of Phillies Baseball. Never in the history of the franchise has a team produced so much joy. I became a Phils Phan in the 1970's and lived through the three straight championships in 76-77-78. As much as I loved those teams, this group of Phils is better.For those younger Phils fans out there: enjoy it, it isn't always going to be like this.

A couple of things touched me during the clinching game:
1) Charlie Manuel brought in Brad Lidge to get the last out. Lidge has had a horrible year, but Charlie took that as an opportunity for the fans to get back on Lidge's side.
2) After the game, the team went out to the "HK" sign in the outfield and celebrated to the memory of Harry Kalas. Very cool.

New photo

I wanted to share my latest original Dick Allen acquisition. I am constantly on the lookout for original DA slides and photo negatives.

I recently purchased the original photo negative of this unique image. It was listed on eBay, and the bidding ended before I had a chance to make a bid.

Lucky for me - no one else bid either.

It looks like this picture was taken during the 1969 season (based on the long side burns). It was not taken in Philadelphia, because he has the away greys on. However, I have no idea which stadium the picture was taken

Reggie wears a helmet

Dick Allen is not the only high profile player to ever wear a batting helmet for protection from the fans while he was playing in the field.

Phillies Wall of Fame

Here is a nice photo from last night's Phillies Wall of Fame induction ceremony for Harry Kalas. From left to right: Jim Bunning, Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, and Dick Allen.

Three of these four players are MLB Hall of Famers -- the fourth should be.

Echoes of November

I bought this 45 record on eBay a couple of weeks ago with the plan to record it and post it here. However, yesterday I got a note from a fellow DA phan that someone else beat me to it. This is Dick Allen singing as Rich Allen & The Ebonistics the doo-wop song Echoes of November. This record was released in the late 1960s while DA was a member of the Phillies. Legend has it that DA performed this (and other songs) at a Sixers game at the Spectrum one night. When he was introduced, he was booed (of course) but after he got done singing, he was cheered.

Although I am one of them, sometime I just hate Philadelphia sports fans...

Name on Back ?

BEWARE !

I've seen these White Sox jerseys available on eBay for a couple of years. At first glance, it looks very nice and something I have considered buying. Not so fast....

I have always resisted because, despite what these sellers may want you to believe, this is not an authentic Chicago White Sox jersey.

The Sox did not have names on the back of their uniforms during this era on either their home or away jerseys.

I checked with authentic throwback jersey maker Michell & Ness and saw they no longer carry the previously available authentic DA version, but it appears they have recently released a 1972 Bill Melton Sox jersey.

No Name on Back.

2009 Phillies

I've been watching a lot of Phillies baseball this summer. Of course, this team is great to watch and very fun to follow. As of today they have a very comfortable lead in the NL East and are one of the strongest teams in the National League.

I made this wallpaper today while watching them win another series, this time against the Cardinals.

New Wallpaper - 1970

I've been playing around with some new photoshop filters and plugins recently.

Here is a rendering of one of the 1970 Cardinals images I have bought on eBay. The wallpaper is sized 1280x800. Let me know if you want a larger version.

Enjoy

Inquirer article

Jul. 6, 2009

It's time to enshrine Dick Allen

By Allen Barra

For The Inquirer

The 2007 and 2008 New York Mets did the Phillies - and perhaps Dick Allen - a huge favor by managing to collapse two years in a row, thus paving the way for the Phillies to win the World Series last season. The Mets officially have erased the stigma once attached to the Phils' 1964 flameout.

For years, that disaster has been melded in the minds of local fans with the six-year train wreck of Allen's first tenure in Philadelphia. It's time to admit what we've always known: Dick Allen belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Read the rest of the story

All Star Game

I have not posted anything in a while - I guess I just have been too busy with my real job. This week the MLB All Star Game is being held in St. Louis. I used to love watching the All Star Game every summer, because it was one of the few time I got to see many of the players. Now the game is not so special because I get to see any team I want on any night.

Here is another great shot from the 1972 All Star Game in Atlanta. These are the AL Starters. From left to right: Rod Carew's elbow (Minnesota), Bobby Murcer (New York), Reggie Jackson (Oakland), Dick Allen (Chicago), Carl Yastrzemski (Boston), Bobby Grich (Baltimore), Brooks Robinson (Baltimore), and Bill Freehan (Detroit).

EBay watch: Arkansas Travs

There was a rare Dick Allen Arkansas Travelers item listed on ebay this week. This is the first time I have seen this particular photo. There are not a lot of images available from that ground-breaking 1963 season in Arkansas. I honestly had no idea he wore #6 that season.

I was planning on bidding for it -- but I was away from the computer when it ended. If you were the winner and you visit this site, please contact me via email. I would like to add it to my collection. I am willing offer a fair trade for a scanned copy of that postcard.

1970 Cardinals Photos

I have started the process of re-organizing the photos and galleries I have collected over the years. I am constantly looking for new images to share on this site, so if you have anything to share -- please feel free to send them my way.

These new galleries are better captioned and easier to maintain as new pictures are discovered. With my new MAC, I should be able to keep up with things in a much more timely manner. I will continue to link each gallery on the left sidebar.

Today is the 1970 St. Louis Cardinals.

What could have been

I have been out of town for the last couple of weeks - and have not really posted anything new. Sorry, but this is going to happen from time to time.

I used Microsoft's new search engine (BING.COM) today for the first time and ran into this decent article about the career of Dick Allen from the sports blog BLEACHER REPORT. It was written in April 2009.

This is the first time that I have ever read someone come right out and called Allen "an alcoholic" -- but he continued by writing "In today's game, he would most likely be treated with counseling or the substance abuse program, but no such thing existed 40 years ago. Allen was considered a bum."

Take the time and read it. Pretty good perspective.

Ron Santo

The Baseball Hall of Fame is a funny place. Getting into the HOF is obviously a very tall order typically reserved for the very best players in the history of the game (unless you are a very good player and happen to play for the NY Yankees or Boston Red Sox).

For years I have been reading from Cubs fans about how Ron Santo should be included in the Hall of Fame. How it is some sort of modern day greek tragedy that he is not enshrined in Cooperstown. Santo himself is essentially turned into some sort of sad-clown self-absorbed cheerleader on the subject. Personally I think that any former player that openly campaigns for entry to the hall is hurting his chances rather than helping his chances. Entry should be based on the body of work accomplished while playing - not based on your public relations spin expertise.

Let me be clear, I don't care if Ron Santo is elected in the Hall of Fame, but if he is elected it should come AFTER Dick Allen. Ron Santo had a strong career, but if you compare the two players -- in my opinion it becomes clear that DA was more of an impact player and should get the nod before Santo.

Longevity: Both players stayed in the majors for 15 years. Santo started his career three years earlier than DA and retired 3 years before. Allen's 1963 late season call-up counts in this 15 years. Santo played in almost 500 more games and had more than 2000 plate appearances than Allen because of injuries. Advantage = Santo

Offensive performance: Despite more than 2000 more plate appearances, Santo only has 400 more hits than Allen over his career. Allen has a higher career batting average (.292 versus .277) Both played positions that required "power numbers" (Santo at 3B and Allen at corner infield and outfield positions). Santo has 212 more RBIs but Allen has more HRs (351 versus 342). The real differentiator comes when you look at OPS and OPS+. Allen has an incredible .912 OPS which place him ahead of a bunch of Hall of Fame sluggers like Mike Schmidt, Willie Stargell, and Harmon Killebrew. When you statisically account for the ballpark he played in (via OPS+) Dick Allen is in the top 20 sluggers of all time, tied with Willie Mays and ahead of Hank Aaron. Santo just isn't in the same league with a .826 OPS and a 125 OPS+. Advantage = Allen.

Defensive performance: Santo played third almost his entire career. He was great in the hot corner. He won 5 gold gloves from 1964 thru 1968. Allen's first season in the big leagues was the first season he ever played third. He had 41 errors. In 1965 he was hit with a bat in the shoulder during a fight with a bullying teammate and in 1967 he cut his throwing hand and was never the same, moving to the outfield. Covering all positions and all years Allen has a better career fielding percentage (.975 vs .954), but Santo played the more challenging position. In his 9 seasons or so at third Allen had a .927 fielding percentage compared to Santo's .954 FP. Advantage = Santo.

Peak performance: Santo's best year was 1965 when he batted .285 hit 33 HRs and drove in 101. Allen's best year was maybe 1972 when he hit .308 had 37 HRs and 113 runs. He was named the AL MVP that season. Some would argue his real best year was 1966 when he went .317/40/110 in only 141 games. Advantage = Allen

Peer comparisons and Awards: Santo was a 9 time all star and won a bunch of gold gloves. He never finished higher than 4th in the MVP voting in any given year. He was the best 3B in the National League for a stretch but no one would ever competently argue that he was a dominate player at any time. Allen played in 7 All Star games. He was the AL MVP in 1972 and finished 4th in 1966. During the late 60s and early 70s DA was both feared and recognized as one of the premier power hitters in the game. He was the highest paid and best player in the league when he played for the White Sox from 1972-1974. Advantage = Allen.

Other stuff: Ron Santo is a popular and beloved Chicago Cub. He has been a Cubs broadcaster for 15 years which has added to his legend with the Northside crowd. Dick Allen endured a very tough career with racist fans and media in Philadelphia. He broke the Arkansas color barrier as an unprepared kid and his career is characterized as much for his anti-establishment antics as his power and skill. If you were to take Dick Allen and place him in today's environment he would not stick out like he did during his era.

Again, the point of all of this is not to pull down Ron Santo. I really hope he gets the nod someday. If it does happen and Dick Allen is still on the outside looking in, it will be a crime.

Hank

I found this very interesting article while looking at NewspaperArchive.com from 1973.

Hank Allen, wearing a catcher's mitt at third base, stands with his shadow on this Saturday morning. It is batting practice time for the Chicago White Sox scrubs. The vast languor of the unopened ball-park gives way to contemplation. And one must believe that these are some of the most bittersweet days for Allen. He has been given a new life as a major-league ball-player, after having played most of last season with a semi-pro team in Maryland. He had been picked up by the White Sox and has played now past his five-year mark, which allows him a more substantial retirement pension. The White Sox, until recently had been a first-place club and were apparently fulfilling pre-season predictions of a South Side pennant. Hank Allen had never been-with a big-league contender before. This was exciting stuff, even if he took only vicarious delight from, the distant bullpen where his major contribution has been to crouch and eaten the warmup tosses of prospective relievers, and to talk it up. He also takes pride in being Dick Allen's brother and teammate.

Dick, 31, is two years younger and the 1972 Most Valuable Player in the American League. Hank, whose career has been undistinguished (his life-time major league batting average was .247 before this season) admits: "People have always assumed that I was playing in Dick's shadow, ever since I reached the big-leagues in 1966 with Washington" Dick was already up with Philadelphia and was a .300 hitter. But I never felt I was in his shadow. I've only been in my own shadow."

Some people now believe Hank is on the White Sox solely because of Dick. As long as the White Sox were trampling the opposition and Dick was battering the pitchers, Hank was accepted as a bone for Dick. When the club ran into trouble, Hank's presence came under greater scrutiny. "A lot of us thought that there must have been some kind of deal made between the White Sox and Dick," said Ed Spiezio, fine utility infielder for the White Sox last year and now a furniture salesman in Joliet. Spiezio, who expected a good raise for the 1973 season, found himself instead cut from the squad in spring training. It was the beginning of the salary squabbles that have hurt the White Sox. Recently, Rick Reichardt and Mike Andrews quit the team because of contract problems. Reichardt's departure was especially harmful, since he is a solid hitting outfielder. And with injuries to starters such as Ken Henderson, Carlos May and Dick Allen, good subs are a premium to the White Sox. In a time of reserve need, the White Sox did not call on Hank, even though he has played leftfield and right field and thirdbase and second base and firstbase and has caught one inning. As of mid-July, Allen had played in only 20 games, had batted only 26 times and had just two hits, one a double, for a .077 batting average.

When injuries hit them the White Sox did not go to Hank Allen for help but dipped into their minor league clubs. One recent acquisition, Buddy Bradford, hit four home runs in his first 13 games "I don't know why I was sent down in the first place, " he said "No one blames Hank or Dick for Hank's staying with the club," said Spiezio "Both of them are great guys. And if any of us were in Dick's position, with the power he has over management, we'd probably be doing the same thing to help out our brother". Dick, who has had a reputation for disgruntlement along with his proven spectacular ability, has come to the White Sox after mercurial stops with the Phillies, Cardinals and Dodgers. No team has given him as much money ($225,000 a season),as much freedom (he may come to practice or he may not) to try to squeeze every ounce of talent from him.

Was Hank Allen another consolation to Dick? Manager Chuck Tanner says that Hank made the team on his own abilities He did bat nearly.280 in spring training; he did work as hard or harder than anyone else (he and Dick would get to the Sarasota, Fla, park at 6:30 a.m ) and when the season began in Arlington, Tex, against the Rangers, Tanner was so unprepared to have Hank make the squad, he says, that he didn't even order a uniform for him. Hank had to wear a uniform from 1972, which was a different shade of blue. Tanner contends that Hank is valuable since he is so versatile in the field. And says, "Maybe it's my fault that he doesn't play more. Hank tells people that he is aware of the criticism of his presence. Fans write letters to local newspapers about it. Hank says about this, "People have the problem of being human, and humans are jealous, envious and sometimes unthinking. But I have to think in a positive realm, and understand my worth."

He has heard the criticisms before. In fact, even in high school in Wampum, Pa., where he was an all-around sports star, he was always being called "Caesar's brother," and "Coy's brother," after two older brothers.

Baseball Digest

If you are looking at this site... chances are you are interested in baseball from the 1960s and 1970s. Back in those days we did not have constant coverage from MLB TV, ESPN, or the world wide web. Our baseball news came from newspapers and magazines and infrequent television broadcasts. One of the key sources I remember for junkies like me was Baseball Digest. It was the only magazine 100% dedicated to baseball.

I discovered this morning that the entire Baseball Digest collection is now available on-line from Google Books. This includes everything in the magazine: covers, articles, photos, advertisements.

Warning: once you start looking through this library it is very hard to stop. I have already lost a couple of hours of productive work time -- and I have only just started.

Here are the links to the Baseball Digest Magazines with Dick Allen on the cover:

• July 1972: The Human Side of Richie Allen
• December 1972: Dick Allen Player of the Year
• August 1973: The New Murders Row
• October 1974: Baseball's Most Feared Power Hitter

Enjoy !

Danny Ozark

Former Phillies Manager Danny Ozark died this morning at his home in Vero Beach. He was 85.

He had a 594-510 record as Phillies manager from 1973 to 1979. Most importantly Ozark was the manager of the 1976 Phillies team that won the NL East, but lost to the Cincinnati Reds in the playoffs.

Many Phillies Phans, myself included, consider that 1976 team to be the best (most talented) in franchise history.

Phillies Wallpaper

I made this a couple of months ago before I re-launched the DA HOF site.

The face in the middle is from the Phillies WALL OF FAME at Citizens Bank Park.

New 1971 Dodgers image

I am always on the look out for new DA items on eBay. A couple of months ago I purchased some original Dick Allen slides. I am just now getting around to scanning them.

One item that I have not previously been able to find or buy is images of him from 1971 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.Here is a scan of one of the two images I now have for my collection.

I will also put it on my DICK ALLEN HALL OF FAME STORE just in case anyone wants to purchase their own 8x10 print. I sell all of my pictures for the low price of $5.00 per print. Any ordered prints will not have the DAHOF watermark when it is sent to you.