Releasing Dick Allen

One of the most feared hitters of his generation finds himself out of the game 46 years ago today as first baseman Dick Allen is cut by the Oakland Athletics – his sixth organization in eight seasons after the Philadelphia Phillies trade him to St. Louis in the fall of 1969.

In 15 seasons in the majors, in an era when pitchers dominate the game, Allen posts a .292 batting average with 351 homers, 1,119 runs batted in and seven All-Star selections.

He wins the National League’s rookie of the year award in 1964 and comes back eight years later to win the 1972 American League MVP award.

Dick Allen in 1969 with the Phillies

Allen also plays the game on his own iconoclastic terms, which explains his on-again, off-again relationships with managers, owners, media and fans.

Ironically, the one-time rebel on the field later becomes one of the Phillies’ goodwill ambassadors off the field, a position he holds until his death in 2020 at the age of 78.

“I once loved this game,” Allen says late in his playing career, “but after being traded four times, I realized that it’s nothing but a business. I treat my horses better than the owners treat us. It’s a shame they’ve destroyed my love for the game.”