Mural Arts, Phillies honor legend Dick Allen with new mural in South Philadelphia

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Less than a week after Richard “Dick” Allen was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, his family members, elected officials, Mural Arts, the Philadelphia Phillies organization and fans gathered in South Philadelphia to dedicate a mural to the baseball legend.

“Oftentimes they told me that Dick was bigger than life,” said Willa Allen, Dick Allen’s widow, as she looked behind her at Allen’s portraits in the mural created by artist Ernel Martinez. “He’s bigger than life.”

Former Mayor Jim Kenney said retired Phillies player Garry Maddox first suggested that the city dedicate a mural to Allen, a seven-time All-Star who won National League Rookie of the Year in 1964 and played with the team for nine seasons.

For Kenney, who as mayor worked with Mural Arts Philadelphia and the Phillies to create the artwork, the dedication Saturday was personally meaningful.

“First time I met Dick Allen, I was star struck,” he said. “He was one of my favorite players, talented, electrifying and a genuine superstar. In my eyes, what struck me the most was that he was humble, kind, soft spoken. He treated everyone with respect and carried himself with quiet dignity. It was clear he wasn’t just a great ball player, he was a true gentleman.”

Kenney recounted his childhood memories of the racism Phillies fans directed at Allen, the team’s first Black superstar. He shared his recollection of watching the game with his grandfather and noticing how the crowd booed when Allen came up to bat.

“I turned to my grandfather confused, and said, ‘Pop, aren’t we home today? Isn’t Dick Allen, one of our own?’” Kenney recalled. “He looked at me and said, ‘It’s complicated.’ But it wasn’t complicated. It was blatant racism.”

Allen had to wear a helmet in the outfield to protect himself from objects hurled at him by his own fans.

“That’s the kind of abuse endured right here at home through his own fans,” he said. “That’s a stain on our city’s past, and while we can’t erase it, we can confront it. We can do what’s right by honoring the people who we once failed, and that is what this mural is about. Dick Allen should have never left Philadelphia. He was a Rookie of the Year. He was a force. He should have stayed a Philly for life, but circumstances and prejudice drove him elsewhere.”

The Phillies retired Allen’s No. 15 jersey in September 2020, just months before he passed away in December 2020 at the age of 78.

Former teammate Dickie Noles remembered Allen’s prowess as a slugger belting 500-foot homers.

“Through all of that, he kept his love for baseball, he kept his character, and he kept his dignity,” Noles said. “Dick was truly a friend of mine, and he was a friend of all of ours.”

On Saturday, Allen’s family members, along with Phillies owner John Middleton and artist Ernel Martinez, put the finishing touches on the mural, painting in the tagline for Allen’s latest recognition, “HOF 2025.”

“Over the life of a mural, it’s just not painting on the wall,” Martinez said. “You get to hear the stories, the people that Dick Allen touched. I mean, it was nonstop for the two months, we’re at the wall, we hear stories every single day … This mural would have been done months earlier, but because of all the folks that came by to celebrate Dick and share their stories, it took twice as long, but it made it that much better at the same time.”

State Sens. Sharif Street and Vincent Hughes presented Allen’s family members with a citation from the state Senate, commending Allen and honoring his legacy.

“Dick Allen faced a lot of challenges,” Street said. “And his overcoming those challenges will inspire others. When they look at this mural, they’ll understand that just because people throw rocks at you, that doesn’t mean you can’t continue. And he did it with a level of grace, dignity and courage.”

Willa Allen said the mural is “a testament to Dick’s enduring legacy in the world of baseball and beyond.”

“Dick was more than just a remarkable athlete,” she said. “He was a trailblazer and a pioneer whose passion for the game knew no bounds. To see his likeness immortalized this way on this wall is truly humbling and fills our heart with pride.”

The mural is on display at 2227 S. Broad St.