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Ladies and gentlemen, Willa Allen.
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Good afternoon, baseball fans.
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First, I want to congratulate the
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incredible members of the 2025 Hall of
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And to Kelly and the family of Dave
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please accept our heartfelt condolence.
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Dave was a remarkable man and a
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phenomenal ball player. I know Dick
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would honor to share this moment with
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I also want to express our sincere
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thanks to James Fords, Clark, Josh,
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John, Whitney, Tom, and every member of
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the Hall of Fame team.
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You have made our families feel welcome,
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respected, and at home. And we will
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on behalf of the entire Allen family,
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his brother Ron and wife Marthella, his
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sons Richard and Aaron, my Button,
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his grandson Trey, Trey's mother, Leeda,
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We are so thrilled to be here today to
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officially celebrate the induction of
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Richard Anthony Allen into the National
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Baseball Hall of Fame.
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And although he is not physically here
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to accept the honor, I assure you he is
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He is with the 350 family members and
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friends here today who have come to
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honor his life, his legacy, and the love
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And I know he is smiling right now
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knowing that his story is finally being
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recognized in this very special way.
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To many of us, Dick was already a Hall
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Not just for how he played, but for who
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Yes, he was one of the most natural
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gifted hitters to ever step into the
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batter's box. And who could forget his
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But his statistics, impressive as they
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are, tell only part of the story. And I
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have hundreds of stories.
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They are moments he might have thought
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were small, but those moments left a
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lasting impression on the people around
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Dick didn't just give his time or his
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money. He gave his heart.
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Whether it was visiting a a teammate in
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the hospital or standing up for someone
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who didn't have a voice or just writing
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a note to a fan. He was always there
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strongly and sincerely.
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Let me share a story that has always
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One that shows the kind of man Dick was.
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just after a game at Dodger Stadium. At
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just as Dick was leaving, a 16-year-old
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boy stood outside patiently waiting. As
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Dick walked by, the young man cried out,
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"Mr. Allen, can I have your autograph?"
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Dick stopped, looked at him with
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familiar smile, and said, "Son, I'd
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rather shake your hand."
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The young boy eagerly replied, "Yes,
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What happened next turned into something
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They stood there, just the two of them,
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for two full hours. Dick didn't rush. He
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didn't wave him off. He stayed. He
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That night, a friendship began.
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Dick often invite the young man to the
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clubhouse to meet the other players. On
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occasion, he brought him back to the
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ballpark to play catch in the bullpin.
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Dick spent hours with him, showing him
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different kinds of food, introducing him
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to people he respect, even taking him to
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the racetrack to meet his horses and
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He affectionately nicknamed the boy Baby
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a name that young man still uses today
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when he speaks of Dick Allen. And now
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over 50 years later, that once teenager
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is 70 years old and here today in
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Coopertown to honor the man who changed
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his life with kindness.
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That was Dick. He was devoted to people,
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not just fans, but especially his
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teammates. If he heard someone was sick
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or going through a tough time, he'll
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turn to me and say, "Willer, they have
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to hear from us. Let's send a card or
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write a letter. We have to let them know
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He remembered everyone's birthday. Not
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just the players, but their parents and
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their children. He knew the children's
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name, what sport they played, what their
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dreams were. And long after these
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teammates left the field, Dick would
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still talk about them, proud of their
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children who made it into baseball or
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He loved the game, but more than that,
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he loved the people in it.
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Baseball was his first love. He used to
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say, "I have played for nothing." And I
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believe he meant it. But of course, if
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you compare today's salary, he played
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the fans meant everything.
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He always wanted to show them,
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especially the young ones, that it's not
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about where you come from, but where
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you're determined to go. He came out of
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one from Pennsylvania.
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Ladies and gentlemen,
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it's a town with no more than 1,200
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people. And yet, Major League Baseball
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found him. When he was just a child, his
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teacher asked the class what they wanted
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to be when they grew up. Dick stood up
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and said, "I'm going to be a Major
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League Baseball player." Then he sat
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The other kids laughed because at that
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time there weren't any black players in
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the major league. But he didn't laugh.
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He believed it. And now look at him.
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To the young players who came after him.
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Dick always tried to offer something
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He wanted to give them perspective.
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He would say, "Baseball is isn't a job.
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It's a gift. A tool to express your
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talent, a chance to enjoy the game, and
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a responsibility to do your best, not
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just to play, but to win."
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He was obsessed with understanding the
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why. Why a game was lost, why a play
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didn't work. He always said, "There's a
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game within the game." And he'll break
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it down with his teammates, helping them
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to see what others missed. He believed
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in lifting each other up and making the
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team better together.
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But Dick's heart extended far beyond the
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dugout. His favorite people at the
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ballpark weren't always the ones in the
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spotlight. It was the ground crew, the
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cooks in the kitchen, the clubhouse
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staff, the vendors, the custodians.
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Whenever we were invited to events at
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the ballpark, before we ever reported to
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where we had to be, he had to greet
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every one of them. He had to see all of
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and when he saw something wasn't right,
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he didn't stay quiet. If players of
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color didn't have proper supplies in the
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clubhouse, he spoke up. If a teammate
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wasn't paid fairly, he would say
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something. Once he even said he told a
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man, "Well, give them some of mine."
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He had a deep respect for elders,
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especially seniors. If he knew someone
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was living alone or just needed company,
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he invited them over for dinner, for the
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weekend, for a drive to a concert or a
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ball game. And sometimes he'll send me
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Back then, they were the same age I am
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now, so they don't seem so old.
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and the fans, the heartbeat of baseball.
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From Philly to Chicago, from St. Louis
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to LA and the Bay Area to his hometown
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of Wample, Pennsylvania,
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you stood by him. You cheered for him.
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You saw him even when the press didn't.
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Even when the politics of the game were
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against him, you showed him he mattered.
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And he never forgot that.
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While Dick played for five major teams
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during his career, the Carners, the
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Dodgers, the White Socks, the Athletic,
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and the Phillies, there was no question
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about where his heart truly lived.
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Philadelphia was his favorite.
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He loved the energy. And most of all,
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yes, he loved the fans.
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When he returned to Philly in 1975,
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he told me that the 1976 team was the
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best he'd ever played on. It wasn't just
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a reunion, it was a homecoming.
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and the Phillies made sure he knew how
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much he meant to them in a way that most
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players never experienced unless they're
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already in the Hall of Fame. In 2020,
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under the leadership of John Militin,
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the Philadelphia Phillies did something
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They retired Dicks number 15, a gesture
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typically reserved for those already in
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But they knew as we did that Dick's
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I'll never forget that day Mike Tolen
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called the house and said, "We need to
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speak to Dick. John is on the line." I
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put it on speaker. John said, "Dick,
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we're going to retire your number." Dick
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looked confused for a moment and said,
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"What number?" I jumped in. Number 15.
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There was a long pause and then he
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"Thank you. I really appreciate it." And
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that was it. No big speech, no long
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reply, just quiet gratitude.
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The Phillies moved quickly to make it
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happen. On the 57th anniversary of his
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that Dick only had four months to live.
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Dick had a beautiful speech written with
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the help of Andy Woodley, but when the
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day came, he couldn't deliver it.
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The illness had quietly affected his
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body and his brain, and he was just too
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tired. But he stood up anyway and spoke
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from his heart. And honestly, that was
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That day in Philadelphia meant
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everything to him. and to our family.
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It was a moment we'll never forget to
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seek recognized in that way while he was
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To feel the love from Philadelphia, the
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organization, and the fans, that was a
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And even now, the Phillies continue to
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honor his life and legacy.
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I know Dixie what you're doing, and he's
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to the Chicago White Socks. Dick found a
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place where he could truly express
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himself as a leader, as a teacher, and
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as a fierce competitor.
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Chicago embraced him, not only for his
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talent, but for his heart.
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The love he felt from the Southside gave
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him strength to give a 100%
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every game. And in return, he gave the
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fans one of the most iconic MVP season
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in baseball history.
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To the St. Louis Cardinals, Dick always
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said, "You were a first class
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Planning in St. Louis was an honor for
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him, especially because it meant sharing
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the field with one of his all-time
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favorite players, Mr. to Bob Gibson.
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The fans in St. Louis were electric.
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Every time he stepped to the plate, the
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cheers made him feel like he could light
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up the ballpark, and most nights he did.
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To the Los Angeles Dodgers,
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Dick had a long dream of wearing that
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The Dodgers represented more than
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baseball. They represented courage,
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change, and history. Because of Jackie
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Robinson, because of the team's
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willingness to break the barriers, Dick
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always felt a connection to the Dodgers.
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Being a part of that legacy even for a
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season meant something deeply personal
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and to the Oakland A's. Though it came
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during the twilight twilight of his
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career, it was still baseball. And Dick
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never took that for granted. Even though
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his team with the A's was brief, he
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cherished the friendship that were
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formed, the clubhouse conversation, and
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the opportunity to be part of a game he
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loved right up to the end. His
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story is not just about home runs or
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rewards. It's about principle,
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compassion, and bravery and
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That is what carried him through every
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challenge and every triumph.
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Today, his name is a shrine among the
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greatest to ever play the game. And I
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know beyond all the applause, Dick would
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want this moment to inspire others, to
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play with fa uh passion, to live with
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heart, and to always be true to
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Thank you for honoring Dick.
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Thank you for believing in him and thank
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for finally bringing him home. Thank
