PHILADELPHIA — Dick Allen’s obligations — the speeches, the ceremony, the news conference — were complete two summers ago, allowing him to finally find a quiet place to sit at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies retired his number in September of 2020, five decades after he kissed the dirt at Connie Mack Stadium and received his wish to finally leave town.
His first seasons in Philadelphia were defined by home runs that cleared the roof of the old North Philadelphia ballpark. But those shots were not enough to absolve him from the racial taunts by fans and the objects they launched onto the field.
The Phillies were the final National League team to integrate. They did not roster a Black player until 1957, 10 seasons after Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier, which was celebrated Friday with the 75th anniversary of his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Allen, who reached the majors in 1963, was the Phillies’ first Black star, leading him to have an almost Robinson-like existence in 1960s Philadelphia.
