Until March 27, we’ll be counting down the 50 greatest Phillies games of the last 50 years. This is 50 of 50.
And this is No. 49.
THE DATE: May 14, 1975
THE GAME: Phillies vs. Cincinnati Reds, Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pa.
THE STAKES: A Phillie great returns
THE GREAT: Dick Allen had it rough in Philadelphia.
The mercurial slugger (side note: the most used word to describe Allen is “mercurial”) spent the first seven seasons of his major league career in Philly, primarily at the intersection of 21st and Lehigh, and generally at the intersection of racial tension and exceptional skill.