PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A baseball field in South Philadelphia now bears the name of the Phillies’ first Black superstar, Dick Allen.
With a ceremonial first pitch from his brothers Hank and Ron, Dick Allen Field at FDR Park was officially christened Friday.
Dick’s family, teammates and friends joined Mayor Jim Kenney and Phillies executives for the dedication.
Dick's son, Richard Allen Jr., said his dad would not have sought out such attention.
“Growing up, he told me, ‘Never compliment yourself. Let other people do that," Richard said. "So something like this, I think, in private, he’d be tickled and honored.”
Allen said his father would have been humbled by this honor, just as he was when the Phillies retired his number 15 just before he died three years ago.
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“I called him up and the first thing he said was, ‘I heard they did something to retire my number. They didn’t have to do that.’ I said, ‘No, they didn’t. … But you earned it. You deserve it,’” Allen said.
Allen endured racial jeers when he broke in with the Phillies in the 1960s.
Former Phillies shortstop Larry Bowa compared Allen’s experience to that of Jackie Robinson’s.
“The abuse that those guys took, it’s second to none," Bowa said. "You look back on that and to end up as great as they both were tells you a lot about the individuals.”
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Bowa recalled how fans at Veterans Stadium embraced Allen when he returned as a Phillie in 1975.
“I get goosebumps every time I think of that standing ovation. It just wasn’t a standing ovation – it was a long standing ovation.”
Bowa said Allen, who was the 1964 National League Rookie of the Year and the 1972 American League MVP, deserves one additional honor: to finally be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Allen Field, situated next to Ashburn Field just north of I-95, is used by players in the Phillies’ Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program.
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