Title
Urging the members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame's "Golden Era Committee" to nominate and elect former Philadelphia Phillies great Dick Allen to the National Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2027.
Body
WHEREAS, Richard Anthony "Dick" Allen was born on March 8, 1942 in Wampum, PA, near the state's western border with Ohio. Dick, along with his brothers Coy, Caesar, Hank and Ron were multi-sport stars for Wampum High School, winning a state championship in basketball and excelling in baseball. After meeting with scouts from multiple teams and with the help of his mother, Era Allen, Dick signed a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, including a signing bonus for the then sizable sum of $70,000; and
WHEREAS, Allen played his A and AA ball in Elmira, NY and Williamsport, PA respectively, showing tremendous potential, specifically at the plate. In 1963, Allen was promoted to the Phillies AAA team in Little Rock, AR. Dick was the first black professional baseball player in Arkansas history, and he faced racial epithets and degrading remarks from opening day on. Allen channeled his anger productively, and instead of reacting to the malicious and hurtful remarks levied at him, Allen dominated the International League, hitting 33 home runs and 97 RBI's; and
WHEREAS, His time in Arkansas, while challenging, served as a turning point for sports in the state. African-American fans began attending games for the first time, and the stands were integrated in a never before seen way. Allen was called up to the big leagues in late 1963 by then Phillies manager Gene Mauch. Dick saw limited action that September in only 10 games, but the stage was set for a breakout performance in 1964; and
WHEREAS, The 1964 season started as a dream for the Phillies and their fans, as the team stormed to a big lead in the National League. Allen was one of the main reasons for their early success hitting .318, with 29 HR's, 91 RBI's and playing all 162 games. The...
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