Dick Allen, Dave Parker elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

The two sluggers will be inducted into Cooperstown next summer.

The Baseball Hall of Fame announced the election of Dick Allen and Dave Parker by the Classic Baseball Era Committee. The 16-member committee chose from eight candidates whose primary contribution was before the 1980 season. Parker receives 14 of 16 votes, while Allen received 13 votes, above the 75 percent threshold needed for election. Other candidates that fell short included pitcher Tommy John, third baseman Ken Boyer, first baseman Steve Garvey, pitcher Luis Tiant, and Negro League players John Donaldson and outfielder Vic Harris.

Dick Allen spent 15 years with the Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, White Sox, and Athletics, smacking 351 career home runs. He won was named Rooke of the Year with the Phillies in 1964 when he led the league in runs scored, and was later named MVP in 1972 with the White Sox, one of the two years he led the league in home runs. He was a seven-time All-Star, but had a contentious relationship with the press and in his own clubhouse at times. Allen died in 2020.

Dave Parker was a seven-time All-Star and integral hitter on the 1979 “We Are Family” champion Pirates. He won MVP with them in 1978, winning his second consecutive batting title. He smacked 339 career home runs with 2,712 hits with the Pirates, Reds, Athletics, Brewers, Angels, and Blue Jays. He was a seven-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, and three-time Silver Slugger winner. Parker has been battling Parkinson’s Disease since 2013.

The 16-member committee included former Royals general manager Dayton Moore, former Kansas City beat writer Dick Kaegel, and Negro League Baseball Museum co-founder Larry Lester. Other members include Hall of Famers Paul Molitor, Eddie Murray, Tony Pérez, Lee Smith, Ozzie Smith and Joe Torre; major league executives Sandy Alderson, Terry McGuirk, Arte Moreno and Brian Sabean; and veteran media members/historians Bob Elliott, Leslie Heaphy, and Steve Hirdt.

Allen and Parker will be inducted at Cooperstown on July 27 along with candidates elected by the BBWAA. Those candidates include first-time candidates Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia, with inductees to be revealed on January 21.