The return of Dick Allen

Tired of waiting for Dick Allen to end his holdout, the Atlanta Braves trade the iconoclastic first baseman to the Philadelphia Phillies, along with catcher Johnny Oates, 49 years ago today for a pair of backups in catcher Jim Essian and outfielder Barry Bonnell, as well as $150,000.

Even though he is only 33 at the time of the trade, Allen’s once-undeniable batting skills already are in decline and he never again matches his earlier success in Philadelphia from 1964-69 as one of the game’s premier right-handed power hitters.

Dick Allen in 1977

Allen spends the 1975 and ’76 seasons in Philly, totaling only 27 homers and 111 RBIs in 204 games.

His mostly brilliant, but always perplexing, career ends after 54 lackluster games with the Oakland A’s in 1977.

Allen finishes in his career with seven All-Star Game selections, a .292 batting average and 351 homers – 319 of which are hit over an 11-season span from 1964-74 with the Phillies and Chicago White Sox. He also receives the National League’s 1964 Rookie of the Year Award and the American League’s 1972 Most Valuable Player Award.

Someday, Allen may, alas posthumously, add Hall of Famer to his resume.