The Phillies are finally honoring one of their all-time great players
The Phillies will retire #15 in honor of outfielder Dick Allen on the 57th anniversary of his major league debut, according to a release from the team.
The ceremony will take place on Sept. 3, 2020, and Allen will be recognized in front of the fans again in 2021.
Allen would be the first non-Hall of Fame player to have his number retired by the Phillies, a long-standing tradition held by the organization. Allen’s number is the second to be retired by the Phillies in the last year, joining Roy Halladay after he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The team had gone years without retiring a number, sticking with their core icons Mike Schmidt, Richie Ashburn, Robin Roberts, Jim Bunning, and Steve Carlton.
Backup catcher Andrew Knapp has been wearing the number 15 since 2018. Other players who have worn the number since Allen include Ty Kelly, Dave Hollins, Steve Jeltz, and John Mayberry.
The Phillies will bestow the highest honor a club can confer upon a former player by retiring Dick Allen’s number 15: https://t.co/BsznUMVpIp pic.twitter.com/uGl5umXCJ9
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 13, 2020
Allen spent nine of his 15 major league seasons with Philadelphia and won National League Rookie of the Year here in 1964. While with the Phillies Allen hit .290 with 204 doubles, 204 home runs (10th in team history), and had 655 RBI in 1,070 games. Allen’s .530 slugging percentage is second-best in Phillies history, behind only Hall of Famer Chuck Klein (.553).
This news is great for Allen, who will be up for the Hall of Fame when the Veteran’s Committee votes again this winter. Allen is expected to be elected, but he has been dismissed before.
Congrats to Dick Allen he was a great player and he really helped all of us younger player when we came up to the big leagues
— Larry Bowa (@LarryBowa10) August 13, 2020
Not only is this great news for Allen, but it opens the door for the team to retire the numbers of other franchise greats who might not make the Hall of Fame, specifically Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Cole Hamels.
Number 10 has been another number that great players have worn but they never reached Hall of Fame status. Larry Bowa was the first great Phillie to wear it, but so did the late Darren Daulton and now J.T. Realmuto.
Franchise wins leader Charlie Manuel could also see his number 41 retired by the team at some point. The Phillies have never retired the number of a coach, but if anyone deserves it, it’s the team’s winningest manager.
Should Curt Schilling make the Hall of Fame, the Phillies will have a decision to make with his number 38, which has been worn since he left the Phillies.