MINOR LEAGUE DAYS- RICHIE ALLEN

Up next on the blog is another entry to my ongoing "Minor League Days" 1971 sub-set, this time the prolific Richie (not yet Dick) Allen, who was suiting up for the Arkansas Travelers here in 1963 as a 21-year-old:

Allen did not disappoint as he pounded the ball to the tune of a .289 batting average, along with 33 homers and 97 runs batted in, along with 93 runs scored and a .550 slugging average. It would be the last Richie Allen would see of the Minors, as he'd get a late-call-up with the Philadelphia Phillies, hitting .292 in his Big League debut, where he was to stay.

Over the course of the next 15 seasons, six times he'd top 30 homers, with a high of 40 in 1966 while still with the Phillies, while also topping 100 runs scored twice, 100+ runs batted in three times, and even top 200 hits, which was during his amazing rookie year, where he also hit 29 homers, scored 125 runs and drove in 91.

Needless to say, he took home the Rookie of the Year that year, and in 1972 would take home the MVP trophy while with the White Sox when he paced the American League with 37 homers and 113 RBI's, while just missing out on the Triple Crown, batting .308, just ten points off the league-leading mark by perennial winner Rod Carew.

By the time he left the game at the age of 35, Allen hit over 350 homers, batted .292 and scored 1099 runs with 1119 RBI's.

The seven-time all-star also led his league in triples once, walks once, on-base-percentage twice and slugging three times.

I'm not saying the man is a lock-tight Hall of Fame candidate, but I do think in light of some of the guys already in, HE should also be in there.

The fact that the most support he got was an 18.9% showing in 1996 seems like a joke to me.

What do you all think?