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| My copy of "Chili Dog MVP" |
Probably not, but that's what Dick Allen did when he won the 1972 American League MVP award as a member of the Sox.
That year, Allen led the league in WAR (8.6), home runs (37), RBIs (113), walks (99), on-base percentage (.420), slugging percentage (.603), OPS (1.023) and OPS+ (199).
An OPS+ of 199! That's 99% better than the league average.
Allen died almost four years ago to the day, and I used that occasion to call for him to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. You can read that blog here.
On Sunday, Allen's family finally got the long-awaited news, learning that he has been elected (along with Dave Parker) to the Hall by the Classic Baseball Era Committee.
To be elected, candidates must receive 75% of the vote, or 12 votes from the committee's 16 members. Parker received 14 votes. Allen got 13.
Allen played 15 years in the majors. In addition to the aforementioned 1972 AL MVP, he won NL Rookie of the Year in 1964 as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. He was a seven-time All-Star, and during his three years with the Sox (1972-74), he twice led the American League in home runs.
Some people have questioned whether Allen really belongs in the Hall. He didn't have 3,000 career hits, or 500 home runs, or a lifetime .300 average (although .292 is pretty damn close).
Here's what I say to those people: Sometimes a dominant peak is more important than counting stats. From 1964-74, there weren't many people who were better hitters than Dick Allen.
Allen accumulated 68.3 offensive WAR during those 11 years of excellence. That's better than Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Carl Yastrzemski and Joe Morgan. And those four men are all unquestioned Hall of Famers. It speaks to how good Allen was.
I'm too young to have seen Allen play with the Sox, but I'm a student of the organization's history, and I understand the impact he had during his relatively short time on the South Side. This vote is something that all Sox fans should celebrate.
Congratulations, Dick Allen!
Congratulations on Allen's entry into the Hall of Fame, to his family and advocates. I remember him as a fearsome hitter and outspoken and proud man. Not to nitpick, because Allen is HOF-worthy, Carl Yastrzemski (my childhood favorite) had a career oWAR of 78.3, per Baseball-Reference.
ReplyDeleteUnless, of course, you've cherry-picked his 11 best years, as opposed to career statistics.
ReplyDeleteI did cherry-pick his 11 best years, but I did it for a purpose: to demonstrate that Allen's dominant peak was on par with other great hitters.
ReplyDeleteNo question that Yaz sustained his excellence for a longer period than Allen did, which of course is why Yaz's wait for Hall induction was a short one after he retired.