The 2021 Major League Baseball campaign figures to be one of excitement and perhaps even celebration for the Chicago White Sox. A talented team with a young nucleus and a deep pitching staff, the ChiSox are viewed as a top contender in the MLB betting odds this season.
At a betting line of +900, the White Sox are the second favorite among American League teams to win the 2021 World Series, behind only the New York Yankees (+600). The SouthSiders are also the -120 odds-on chalk to capture the AL Central Division title, which would be their first divisional flag earned since 2008.
It could also be the year that an ongoing baseball wrong with a White Sox connection is finally righted. This could be the year that Dick Allen is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Case For Dick Allen
Often referred to as the best baseball player who’s not enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame, perusal of Allen’s career numbers certainly make a stellar argument for his inclusion in the game’s shrine.
Allen fashioned impressive offensive totals during his 15-season MLB career, much of which was played in the 1960s, when pitching had grown so dominant that baseball opted to lower the height of the pitcher’s mound in a bid to increase offense.
Allen batted .292 over his career, with a .534 slugging percentage, a .378 on-base percentage, an OPS of .912 and an OPS+ of 156. He was known for clouting tape-measure home runs and slugged 351 homers during his career, twice leading the American League in long balls.
He did all of this while performing for much of his career based in pitcher-friendly ballparks such as Dodger Stadium, Busch Memorial Stadium, and the original Comiskey Park.
Allen was named National League rookie of the year with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1964 and won the AL MVP Award with the White Sox in 1972.
Magical Summer of ’72
The White Sox acquired Allen from the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitcher Tommy John prior to the 1972 season. It would prove to be one of the best trades in franchise history.
Old-time ChiSox fans still wax nostalgic about the summer of 1972, as the White Sox challenged the eventual World Series champion Oakland Athletics for the AL West Division pennant.
Allen was the one who led the charge. Installed by manager Chuck Tanner as the club’s everyday first baseman, Allen led the AL in home runs (37), RBI (113), on-base percentage (.420), slugging (.603), OPS (1.023), and OPS+ 199. He also drew an AL-leading 99 bases on balls.
Allen made so many magical moments for White Sox fans that year. Wielding a hefty, 40-ounce bat, Allen could drive a baseball a long way. At Comiskey, he crushed shots over the roof and into the centerfield bleachers, some 445 feet from home plate. Allen was also fleet of foot. In 1964, he’d smacked an NL-leading 13 triples with the Phillies. On July 31, 1972, he hit two inside-the-park homer runs in the same game against the Minnesota Twins, becoming the first player in MLB’s modern era to achieve this feat.
The White Sox finished the season 87-67 and 5.5 games behind the A’s. It was their best campaign since going 89-63 in 1967, when the so-called hitless wonders fell three games shy of an AL pennant. It was also the first time since that 1967 campaign that the ChiSox ended a season within 20 games of first place.
When the Baseball Writers Association of America cast their ballots for the AL MVP, Allen was the overwhelming choice. He garnered 21 of 24 first-place votes and finished with 321 points. A’s outfielder Joe Rudi (164) was a distant second in the balloting.
Allen remained with the White Sox through the 1974 season. He’d again lead the AL in homers (32), slugging (.563) and OPS (.938) during the 1974 campaign.
Close Call
Considered for the Hall of Fame by baseball’s Golden Era Committee (1947-72), Allen fell one vote shy of induction in 2015. Now known as the Golden Days Committee, they will vote again this year to determine if anyone will earn a Hall of Fame nod for 2022.
Sadly, should Allen finally be recognized for enshrinement, it will come a year too late. He died on Dec. 7, 2020 at the age of 78.
