Philadelphia Baseball History

By: William J. Kovatch, Jr. Dick Allen burst on the scene as the second Phillies Rookie of the Year in 1964.  He became a respected power hitter, making the All-Star Team seven times in his career.  Allen was the 1972 AL MVP and finished his career with a .292 batting average, a .534 slugging percentage and a .374 on base percentage. In 2104, he missed being inducted by one vote of the Golden Era Committee.  When the Committee next meets in 2017, he should be in a good position to win election.

By:  William Kovatch A power hitter during the dead ball era, Gavvy Cravath set the 20th century records for most home runs in a season and a career. Leading the league in home runs, RBIs, runs, walks and on base percentage, Cravath played a key role in the Phillies first pennant winning team of 1915. References  Fitzpatrick, Frank, "Before there was Babe Ruth, there was the Phillies Gavvy Cravath," Philadelphia Inquirer (September 23, 2015).   "Gavvy Cravath," Baseball-Reference.com .   Swank, Bill, "Gavvy Cravath," SABR Baseball Biography Project .

By:  William Kovatch Harry Stovey was a premier power hitter in the dead ball era when home runs were rare.  Still, he amassed 122 home runs during his 14 year major league career, retiring in 1893 as the career leader. Stovey played a vital role with the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association, and would make a fine representative of a team that vanished when the league folded. Stovey is one of a class of players and executives nominated for consideration for induction by the Pre-Integration Committee when it meets this Winter. Harry Stovey's career statistics . Announcement of Nominees for Pre-Integration Committee consideration . Rules for consideration by the eras committee . #HarryintheHall