While Allen’s statistics match those of many white players in the Hall, his reputation as a troublemaker — the stereotypical “angry Black man” — derailed his chances. When his next chance at induction comes up, it will be an opportunity for voters to reevaluate his career in the context of his life on the field and off – a life of racial abuse, being marginalized, being taunted by teammates and fans alike, of forever being treated as a “boy” rather than a man. Induction wouldn’t change the past. But it would finally recognize the accomplishments that make him more than worthy for inclusion in the Hall of Fame.Minnesota Twins Face Coverings

We all want to see sports again. What we want, however, doesn’t necessarily dovetail with the greater human need. We need to make ourselves as secure as is possible in as dangerous a time as our nation has seen in a century. We still haven’t fully comprehended how COVID-19 works, and we haven’t yet arrived at anything approaching a cure.

Most of us are sheltering in place. Almost every aspect of sports has been shut down. And yet, in the span of 24 hours, we were handed two reminders of how stubborn the people who run sports can be.

I believe that we can, but only if each of us gets fully engaged with the public health recommendations. We need all Americans to do the right thing and wear a mask in public to protect themselves and their communities from spreading the virus. Driving home this point is a powerful new study that models just how critical this simple, low-cost step will be this winter and through the course of this pandemic [1].New York Mets Face Coverings

Allen certainly has the numbers of a Hall of Famer. During the 11-year peak of his career (1964-74), Allen had an offensive WAR of 68.5, easily the highest of that era (beating out first-ballot Hall of Famers such as Aaron, Frank Robinson and Carl Yastrzemski). Many point to his relatively low career home run total of 351 as a reason he shouldn’t be in the Hall, but he played in an era of unprecedented pitching dominance (culminating in 1968’s famous “Year of the Pitcher,” which saw Denny McLain win 31 games and Bob Gibson have a 1.12 ERA). During his peak years, Allen’s 319 home runs were the fifth-most in the majors, and his 0.940 on-base percentage plus slugging percentage (OPS) was second only to Aaron.Houston Astros Face Coverings

Kurkjian: My favorite rumor at the winter meetings wasn't a rumor for long, and, like so many rumors, turned out to be nothing. Phillies GM Paul Owens, "The Pope," as he was known, was a character. Famously, after several drinks at 1:30 a.m. at one winter meetings, Owens, dressed in a coat and tie, demonstrated the proper way to execute a hook slide on the floor of the lobby bar. At the 1979 winter meetings, Owens called the Phillies beat writers at 2:30 a.m. to tell them that he had just acquired Sutter. The writers, at least for a minute, thought he meant Bruce Sutter, the star closer for the Cubs. Owens laughed mightily, then told the writers that the Phillies had acquired a minor leaguer, pitcher Burke Suter.

Slugger Bryce Harper is the team's highest-paid player after signing a 13-year, $330 million deal before the 2019 season. Wheeler is a one year into the five-year, $118 million deal he signed with the Phillies last winter, as Philadelphia looked to progress beyond a frustrating 81-81 season in 2019.Colorado Rockies Face Coverings

Allen's No. 15 was retired by the Phillies in September, an honor that was considered long overdue by many for one of the franchise's greatest players who fought against racism during a tumultuous period with the team in the 1960s.