Earlier this summer, I attended a special screening of My Father, Dick Allen, a documentary about the legendary Hall of Fame baseball player. I met a lot of folks that night, but meeting Dick's son was one of the highlights.
Th documentary and his father's induction into the Hall of Fame made for a long journey, but were labors of love. Dick Jr. strongly, and rightly, believed his father belonged in the HOF. Even I, as a fan of an elite HOF, feels Allen Sr. belonged. Allen might have fallen a bit short on total stats, but he was dominate. He was feared. Fans wanted to watch him and pitchers did not want to face him.
Some of his delay might have been caused by his reputation. Fair or not, that's just the way it was. Dick Jr. and the film crew did a wonderful job showing all sides of Allen Sr. They showed the struggles with racism even with his hometown teams. I was always a fan of Allen's, but I gained a whole new perspective on him after seeing the doc.
Dick Jr. has had a few other screenings and events. I had to miss his last one in Chicago, but I really hope he returns.
After the presentation, I made sure to make my way to Dick Jr. to meet him and get a pic. Despite being swarmed, I muscled my way to get to him and he was very gracious.
Dick Sr. played three seasons with the Chicago White Sox. Those were my first three seasons of really watching baseball. I though Allen was super human. Fast forward 50+ years and I enjoyed a great evening of the history of Allen. It truly was a heartwarming night.
Richard Allen, Jr. and me in Chicago, IL-June 2026.
