PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Dick Allen’s No. 15 was retired by the Philadelphia Phillies in a ceremony Thursday, a long overdue honor for one of the franchise’s greatest players who fought against racism during a tumultuous period with the team in the 1960s.
The 78-year-old Allen thanked Phillies managing partner John Middleton, who broke from the team’s longstanding “unwritten” policy of only retiring the number of players who are in the Hall of Fame.
“I thank the city of Philadelphia. Even though it was rough, I’ve made some friends along the way,” Allen said.
Mike Schmidt, a Hall of Fame third baseman who helped lure Allen out of retirement to return to Philadelphia for a second stint with the team in 1975, called him “an amazing mentor” who was wrongly labeled a “bad teammate” and “troublemaker.