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.

PTWSW #76: The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates

Manager: Chuck Tanner
Record: 98-64
Ballpark: Three Rivers Stadium
Owner: John W. Galbreath
GM: Pete Peterson
Coaches: Harvey Haddix, Joe Lonnett, Al Monchak, Bob Skinner

Future Hall of Famers: Bert Blyleven, Willie Stargell

All-Stars: Dave Parker

Team Leaders, Batting

BA: Dave Parker, .310
OBP: Dave Parker, .380
SLG: Willie Stargell, .552
OPS: Dave Parker, .906
2B: Dave Parker, 45
3B: Omar Moreno, 12
HR: Willie Stargell, 32
RBI: Dave Parker, 94
BB: Dave Parker, 67
SB: Omar Moreno, 77 (NL leader)

Team Leaders, Pitching

W: John Candelaria, 14
SO: Bert Blyleven, 172
ERA: Bruce Kison, 3.19
IP: Bert Blyleven, 237.1
CG: John Candelaria, 8
SHO: Jim Bibby, Bruce Kison, 1
K/BB: John Candelaria, 2.47
SV: Kent Tekulve, 31

Tidbits

Oldest Player: Willie Stargell (b. March 6, 1940)

Youngest Player: Don Robinson (b. June 8, 1957)

First to Leave Us: John Milner (d. January 4, 2000)

Last Survivor: Most are still living as of the date of this post.

First in Majors: Willie Stargell (debut September 16, 1962)

Last in Majors: John Candelaria (final game July 7, 1993)

First to Play For the Franchise: Willie Stargell (September 16, 1962)

Last to Play For the Franchise: John Candelaria (July 7, 1993)

Pre-union Team: The 1977 Oakland A's had four: Matt Alexander, Joe Coleman, Dock Ellis and Manny Sanguillen.

Reunion Team: The 1985-86 New York Yankees each had three: Dale Berra, Mike Easler (1986), Omar Moreno (1985) and Ed Whitson.

Accomplishments

Willie Stargell, NL Co-MVP
Dave Parker, NL Outfield Gold Glove

Season Summary

If you've ever wondered which World Series champion was the tightest-knit group of guys, the 1979 Pirates might very well be your answer. Their team slogan was "We Are Family," and the Sister Sledge disco hit of the same name became the team's theme song. The patriarch of the "family" was first baseman Willie Stargell, the club's senior player, affectionately known to his teammates as "Pops." Between his veteran leadership and timely hitting, there was no better role model in the clubhouse.

As much fun as the season ended up being, things weren't rosy from the start. Less than two weeks into the season the Pirates traded starting shortstop Frank Taveras to the Mets for Tim Foli, a former starting shortstop who'd mostly ridden the bench at that point. Taveras was the better offensive player, but in the early going he'd shown inconsistent effort on defense and a temperamental attitude. In Foli the Pirates got a steadier defender, but there were questions about his bat. Fortunately for Pittsburgh, Foli rewarded them with the best year of his career, setting personal highs in batting and on-base average.

It took the Pirates until the end of May to get to .500, and even then, they were stuck hovering just above the break-even point for the next month. At the end of June they made a trade which bolstered their chances: They acquired third baseman Bill Madlock, a two-time batting champ, from the Giants in a six-player deal. The trade eventually allowed them to move usual third baseman Phil Garner to second, replacing weak-hitting second baseman Rennie Stennett.

On July 8 the Bucs won the second game of a doubleheader in Cincinnati, and it would prove to be the beginning of a stretch where they won 13 of 14. When the first-place Expos started struggling in early August, Pittsburgh jumped ahead of them, and they'd remain there for the next month. Montreal wasn't done yet, though. They went on a tear of their own and by late September they'd retaken first. On September 24, with Montreal leading by half a game, the Pirates and Expos began a four-game showdown at Three Rivers Stadium. The first two games were part of a doubleheader which the two teams split, but the Pirates won the next two to regain the top spot. Going into the last day of the season both teams were tied in the loss column, but the Pirates were ahead by two wins due to the Expos' having lost two games to rainouts. The Pirates won their final game, and fortunately for Pittsburgh, Phillie ace Steve Carlton shut out the Expos, clinching the division for the Steel City.

It was onward to the NLCS. The Pirates' opponent would be the Cincinnati Reds, who'd swept them out of the playoffs four years earlier in Pittsburgh's last postseason appearance. The Reds had home-field advantage, but that meant nothing to the Family; the Pirates pulled out extra-inning wins in the first two games, with Stargell's three-run homer cinching Game 1 and Dave Parker's RBI single deciding Game 2. Back home for Game 3 the pressure was off, and the Pirates rolled to an easy 7-1 victory, wrapping up their first NL pennant in eight years.

The World Series offered another rematch: Eight years earlier the Pirates had faced the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series, and once again, Earl Weaver's birds were the last team standing in the Bucs' way. The favored Orioles got things off to a quick start in Game 1, with five first-inning runs proving to be all that they needed for victory. Pirate veteran Manny Sanguillen's ninth-inning single knotted the Series in Game 2, but Baltimore answered with victories in the next two games, the second of which included an eighth-inning comeback.

On the morning of Game 5, Pirate manager Chuck Tanner received some painful news: his mother had passed away. Despite his personal heartache, Tanner did everything he could to keep his team focused on the game, and the Pirates responded with a 7-1 win. Though they'd kept their hopes alive, Pittsburgh was still in the unenviable position of needing to win the last two games on the road. Game 6 was a pitcher's duel until the seventh inning, when the Pirates finally put two runs on the board, and they'd go on to win 4-0, leaving the entire season's fate riding on one game. The Orioles got an early 1-0 lead in Game 7, but in the sixth inning "Pops" Stargell showed he had one more heroic moment left in him, belting a two-run homer that put his team on top. The Pirates added two more insurance runs in the ninth, and Kent Tekulve retired all three batters he faced in the bottom half of the frame for a Series-clinching save.

The Pirates had beaten the odds: They'd dug their way out of a 3-1 hole, they'd done it against a team that looked better on paper, and they'd won the final two games in enemy territory. It seemed only fitting when the World Series MVP was given to Stargell, who hit three home runs and batted .400 in the seven games. From top to bottom though, the championship had been a family effort.

Acknowledgements:

Baseball Reference
Baseball Almanac
Google News Archives