Second Wind: Dick Allen

Enigmatic. Mercurial. Controversial. You've heard all the cliches when it comes to Dick Allen. In the public's mind they practically define him. Those cliches, fairly or unfairly, are probably the biggest obstacle standing between him and the Hall of Fame, but they ensure that he'll be remembered for a long time as one of baseball's most puzzling characters.

What if, though, Dick Allen had been remembered as a clubhouse leader? What if he'd had a chance to go out as the ultimate team player who was beloved by fans and teammates alike? Sound impossible? What if I told you that in February of 1979 Chuck Tanner was trying to get the Pirates to sign Allen? At the time Allen hadn't played since June 1977 as a member of the Oakland A's. He quit the team in July after being suspended the previous month for leaving the game without permission. He attempted a comeback with the A's in Spring Training of 1978, but was cut from the roster without being given much of a chance, and he ended up sitting out the 1978 season. Though Allen said he still hoped to return to baseball at the time, it proved to be the end of the line for him. His final career stats were as follows:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB	Pos
1963	21	PHI	NL	10	25	24	6	7	2	1	0	2	0	0	0	5	.292	.280	.458	.738	110	11	2	0	0	1	0	/75
1964	22	PHI	NL	162	708	632	125	201	38	13	29	91	3	4	67	138	.318	.382	.557	.939	162	352	8	0	6	3	13	*5
1965	23	PHI	NL	161	707	619	93	187	31	14	20	85	15	2	74	150	.302	.375	.494	.870	145	306	13	2	6	6	6	*5/6
1966	24	PHI	NL	141	599	524	112	166	25	10	40	110	10	6	68	136	.317	.396	.632	1.027	181	331	9	3	0	4	13	57
1967	25	PHI	NL	122	540	463	89	142	31	10	23	77	20	5	75	117	.307	.404	.566	.970	174	262	9	1	1	0	18	*5/46
1968	26	PHI	NL	152	605	521	87	137	17	9	33	90	7	7	74	161	.263	.352	.520	.872	160	271	7	1	2	7	15	*75/8
1969	27	PHI	NL	118	506	438	79	126	23	3	32	89	9	3	64	144	.288	.375	.573	.949	165	251	10	0	0	4	10	*3
1970	28	STL	NL	122	533	459	88	128	17	5	34	101	5	4	71	118	.279	.377	.560	.937	145	257	9	2	0	1	16	35/7
1971	29	LAD	NL	155	649	549	82	162	24	1	23	90	8	1	93	113	.295	.395	.468	.863	151	257	23	1	1	5	13	573
1972	30	CHW	AL	148	609	506	90	156	28	5	37	113	19	8	99	126	.308	.420	.603	1.023	199	305	13	1	0	3	16	*3/5
1973	31	CHW	AL	72	288	250	39	79	20	3	16	41	7	2	33	51	.316	.394	.612	1.006	175	153	9	1	1	3	3	3/4D
1974	32	CHW	AL	128	525	462	84	139	23	1	32	88	7	1	57	89	.301	.375	.563	.938	164	260	16	1	0	5	9	*3/4
1975	33	PHI	NL	119	481	416	54	97	21	3	12	62	11	2	58	109	.233	.327	.385	.712	94	160	19	2	1	4	4	*3
1976	34	PHI	NL	85	339	298	52	80	16	1	15	49	11	4	37	63	.268	.346	.480	.826	130	143	13	0	1	3	2	3
1977	35	OAK	AL	54	200	171	19	41	4	0	5	31	1	3	24	36	.240	.330	.351	.681	89	60	4	1	0	4	0	3/D
15 Seasons				1749	7314	6332	1099	1848	320	79	351	1119	133	52	894	1556	.292	.378	.534	.912	156	3379	164	16	19	53	138

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/3/2011.

What if Allen had extended his career by accepting an offer from Pittsburgh? He would've been a member of the "We Are Family" Pirates, a team whose historical image couldn't be any more antithetical to his. What would it have meant for Allen's legacy to be included on such a team? Let's presume the man once known as "Richie" had decided to reunite with his old manager from Chicago, and see if we can't venture a guess. Like the last Second Wind post, this is all for fun and (obviously) shouldn't be seen as anything resembling definitive.

Since Allen was a right-handed hitter whose defensive skills best suited him for first base, he likely would've been platooned with Willie Stargell. "What??" you might be shouting right now. "Platoon the MVP? Preposterous!" It sounds strange, I know, but what's often forgotten is that the lefty-swinging Stargell frequently didn't start against southpaws that year. Right-handed batters like Bill Robinson and Manny Sanguillen got the nod at first several times against lefties. In fact, the co-MVP Stargell only played in 126 games that year.

Imagine a rejuvenated Dick Allen forming a deadly two-headed monster at first with Stargell. It might've cost Pops some hardware, but it might've made those Pirates an even greater team than they were. As the regular first baseman against lefties and a valuable pinch-hitter off the bench, Allen puts up the following line:

G    PA   AB   R    H   2B  3B  HR  RBI  SB  CS  BB  SO   BA   OBP  SLG  OPS  OPS+  TB  GDP  HBP SH  SF  IBB
72   279  242  59   69  14   1  16   58   1   1  33  52  .285 .369 .550 .919  143  133   8    1   0   3   2

Holy cow! That's some great late-career production, and on a World Series champion, no less! As a prominent member of "the Family," Allen's image experiences a rehabilitation. Suddenly the tales abound of how his veteran presence helped the ship stay on course, and how his steady influence was an example to everyone on the team. Historically, the 1979 Pirates become not only a fun, memorable group of guys, but a redemptive tale for a player whose greatness is now universally acknowledged.

Allen decides to come back for another year, and as he's still used mostly against left-handers, he puts up respectable numbers:

G    PA   AB   R    H   2B  3B  HR  RBI  SB  CS  BB  SO   BA   OBP  SLG  OPS  OPS+  TB  GDP  HBP SH  SF  IBB
48   160  138  14   32   7   0   7   23   0   1  19  35  .232 .327 .435 .762  109   60   6    1   1   1   1

At age 38 he's no longer quite as feared, but he still proves capable of popping the occasional homer. Unfortunately, injuries limit him to only 48 games, and the Pirates aren't able to duplicate their success in 1980. Dick Allen was never an easy read, but when he decides to walk away at the end of the season, no one is much surprised.

What do Allen's career numbers look like now?

Year Age Tm  Lg G    PA   AB   R    H    2B  3B  HR   RBI  SB CS  BB  SO   BA   OBP  SLG   OPS  OPS+  TB  GDP HBP SH  SF  IBB
1963 21  PHI NL 10   25   24   6    7    2   1   0    2    0  0   0   5   .292 .280 .458  .738  110   11   2   0   0   1   0
1964 22  PHI NL 162  708  632  125  201  38  13  29   91   3  4   67  138 .318 .382 .557  .939  162   352  8   0   6   3   13
1965 23  PHI NL 161  707  619  93   187  31  14  20   85   15 2   74  150 .302 .375 .494  .870  145   306  13  2   6   6   6
1966 24  PHI NL 141  599  524  112  166  25  10  40   110  10 6   68  136 .317 .396 .632 1.027  181   331  9   3   0   4   13
1967 25  PHI NL 122  540  463  89   142  31  10  23   77   20 5   75  117 .307 .404 .566  .970  174   262  9   1   1   0   18
1968 26  PHI NL 152  605  521  87   137  17  9   33   90   7  7   74  161 .263 .352 .520  .872  160   271  7   1   2   7   15
1969 27  PHI NL 118  506  438  79   126  23  3   32   89   9  3   64  144 .288 .375 .573  .949  165   251  10  0   0   4   10
1970 28  STL NL 122  533  459  88   128  17  5   34   101  5  4   71  118 .279 .377 .560  .937  145   257  9   2   0   1   16
1971 29  LAD NL 155  649  549  82   162  24  1   23   90   8  1   93  113 .295 .395 .468  .863  151   257  23  1   1   5   13
1972 30  CHW AL 148  609  506  90   156  28  5   37   113  19 8   99  126 .308 .420 .603 1.023  199   305  13  1   0   3   16
1973 31  CHW AL 72   288  250  39   79   20  3   16   41   7  2   33  51  .316 .394 .612 1.006  175   153  9   1   1   3   3
1974 32  CHW AL 128  525  462  84   139  23  1   32   88   7  1   57  89  .301 .375 .563  .938  164   260  16  1   0   5   9
1975 33  PHI NL 119  481  416  54   97   21  3   12   62   11 2   58  109 .233 .327 .385  .712  94    160  19  2   1   4   4
1976 34  PHI NL 85   339  298  52   80   16  1   15   49   11 4   37  63  .268 .346 .480  .826  130   143  13  0   1   3   2
1977 35  OAK AL 54   200  171  19   41   4   0   5    31   1  3   24  36  .240 .330 .351  .681  89    60   4   1   0   4   0
1979 37  PIT NL 72   279  242  59   69   14  1   16   58   1  1   33  52  .285 .369 .550  .919  143   133  8   1   0   3   2
1980 38  PIT NL 48   160  138  14   32   7   0   7    23   0  1   19  35  .232 .327 .435  .762  109   60   6   1   1   1   1
18 seasons     1869 7753 6712 1172 1949 341  80  374 1200 134 54 946 1643 .290 .377 .532  .909  154  3572 178  18 20  57  141
Year Age Tm  Lg G    PA   AB   R    H    2B  3B  HR   RBI  SB CS  BB  SO   BA   OBP  SLG   OPS  OPS+  TB  GDP HBP SH  SF  IBB

His rate stats decrease ever-so-slightly, but those 23 extra homers don't hurt.

As he was able to wind down his career on a non-embarrassing note, Allen is seen in a much more positive light when his turn on the Hall of Fame ballot comes up. In real life, Allen never got more than 18.9% of the vote, and in 1986 (which is now his first year on the ballot) he got 9.6%. Does he suddenly transform into a slam-dunk first-ballot guy in this scenario? Well now, let's not get carried away. He still has his negatives, like poor defense and a personality that frequently got him into trouble, but his positives carry more weight this time.

His debut on the ballot is much stronger than the single-digit percentage he actually got in the early going. As time goes on his postseason heroics for the beloved "Family" start to overshadow his earlier off-field issues. People take note of his 1964 Rookie of the Year campaign, his 1972 MVP season, his being top-50 all-time in slugging percentage despite playing in a pitcher's era, and his similar home run total to Tony Perez and Orlando Cepeda in over a thousand fewer at-bats. With more and more media voices speaking on his behalf, his vote percentages get higher and higher until finally, Dick Allen, the Wampum Walloper himself...winds up in Cooperstown!

Dick Allen remains a flawed hero, and no one ever mistakes him for the perfect Major League ballplayer. What he lacks in personality though, he makes up for with the compelling narrative arc of his career.