PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Sunday is a big day for Phillies fans. It could be the day the legendary Dick Allen finally gets voted into the Hall of Fame.
Allen was one of the best hitters of his era, with stats matching players like Hank Aaron and Willie Mays during his stretch in the league. Allen won Rookie of Year with the Phils in 1964, and later won MVP with Chicago in 1972.
In order to be inducted, he'll need 12 votes out of the 16 people on the Veterans Committee panel. In each of his last two opportunities — 2014 and 2021 — he finished just one vote shy.
"We pretty much have been, I guess, in limbo," said his son, Richard Allen Jr., sharing how the family is feeling this time around. "You know, just waiting for another opportunity to come up. And at this point, I think we all are just not expecting much, but just hoping for the best."
The Phillies retired Allen's No. 15 in 2020, an honor the team historically only gives to players who have already made the Hall of Fame. Allen died just a few months later.