Dick Allen And Dave Parker have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Classic Baseball Era Committee announced tonight. Parker (14 votes) and Allen (13) each received more than the minimum 12 of 16 votes required for inclusion. Tommy John was the next closest candidate with seven votes Ken Boyer, John Donaldson, Steve Garvey, Vic Harris and Luis Tiant each received fewer than five votes.

Allen and Parker will be officially inducted into Cooperstown on July 27, along with all players inducted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The results of the author election will be announced on January 21st.

Formerly known as the “Veterans Committee,” the Era Committee is a rotating panel of former players, managers, executives, team owners, media members and historians that meets annually to determine which candidates from the past (if any) deserve to be elected Cooperstown. Candidates include former players who were not elected or considered in the normal BBWAA voting or non-playing personnel who are not part of the writers’ vote. This year’s voting selected candidates whose greatest contributions to the game occurred in the “classic baseball era” prior to 1980, although obviously some of the candidates also had significant moments in their careers after the 1980 season.

Today’s news is undoubtedly bittersweet for Allen’s family and supporters, as Allen passed away in 2020. In previous appearances in Era Committee/Veterans Committee elections, he twice fell just a single vote short of being drafted, and Allen did not receive much attention from writers’ ballots when he was eligible to vote. Finally, the Cooperstown slugger was recognized for his outstanding 15-year career, highlighted by the 1972 AL MVP Award.

Allen hit .292/.378/.534 with 351 home runs and 1,119 RBI in 7,315 career plate appearances with the Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, White Sox and Athletics from 1963 to 1977. He started his career with a bang by winning the 1964 Won the “NL Rookie of the Year” award and also finished seventh in the MVP voting that same year. Allen was a seven-time All-Star, twice led the American League in home runs and posted an outstanding 155 wRC+ for his career.

No discussion of Allen is complete without mentioning his outspoken personality. To his critics, Allen was considered a disruptive malcontent who clashed with some fans, sportswriters, teammates, managers and front offices, which was one of the reasons Allen frequently changed teams despite his success on the field. To his supporters, however, Allen was a no-nonsense figure who was more than willing to fight back against perceived injustice, especially when he faced racism as a black player in the 1960s and 1970s. While Allen was often perceived as a bad influence throughout his career, many of Allen’s former teammates and managers have spoken out to counteract that reputation, describing Allen in glowing terms as a clubhouse leader.

Parker also faced controversy throughout his career as he battled a cocaine addiction in the 1980s. This high-profile issue may have been the reason Parker also received relatively little support in the BBWAA vote, and knee problems also shortened his prime years. Still, at his peak, “The Cobra” was one of the best all-around players in baseball, with a resume that included seven All-Star nominations, two NL batting titles, three Gold Gloves, the 1978 NL MVP Award and two World Championship titles during his 19 major league appearances League seasons kicked off the series.

Parker played his first eleven of those seasons in Pittsburgh, joining Willie Stargell as one of the heroes of that era of Pirates baseball, including a starring role on the 1979 We Are Family championship team. Injuries and drug problems marred the end of Parker’s time in Pittsburgh, but he rebounded with a four-year run with the Reds that saw him finish in the top five in MVP voting in 1985 and 1986. The Cobra then earned a little more after the 1988 season and in 1989 the track and field pennant teams won glory and captured another ring with the latter A club. In 2466 games and 10184 PA, Parker hit .290/339/.471 with 339 home runs, 1493 RBI and a 120 wRC+ for his career.

This year’s 16-member Classic Baseball Era committee included HOF members Paul Molitor, Eddie Murray, Tony Perez, Lee Smith, Ozzie Smith and Joe Torre; MLB owners and executives Sandy Alderson, Terry McGuirk, Dayton Moore, Arte Moreno and Brian Sabean; Media Members/Historians Bob Elliott, Leslie Heaphy, Steve Hirdt, Dick Kaegel and Larry Lester.