Daily Dirt: Richie ‘Call Me Dick’ Allen — he’ll always been my hero, regardless of if he makes it to Cooperstown

Together, let’s raise a glass of Classic Coke — with plenty of ice, of course — to the memory of Richard Anthony Allen … welcome to the three thoughts that make up Vol. 152 of the Daily Dirt.

1. It was a year ago this week when slugger Richie “Call Me Dick” Allen died. He was 78, and he was — and remains — my all-time favorite baseball player.

Whatever your feelings about the sometimes controversial Allen, if you’re a subscriber to The Athletic, make sure you check out baseball writer Jayson Stark’s piece on why Allen should be in the Hall of Fame — and likely will be the next time the Golden Days Era Committee meets in five years.

Stark’s article is not only touching, but explains why Allen has been overlooked, and why modern metrics and those who subscribe to them have made a marvelous case for him to (finally) be included among the game’s elite in Cooperstown.

I admit, I’m completely biased in my view that Allen should have been elected to Cooperstown a long time ago. He’s been my favorite player since 1965 (I fell in love with his Topps baseball card that year), but that aside, how his numbers stack up against the era in which he played is eye-opening and mildly startling.

Stark’s detailed effort is greatly appreciated by all Dick Allen supporters, and I think even the most casual fan will find it intriguing. As an aside to the Allen-to-the-Hall of Fame soapbox I am on today, I only got to see my hero play once. That was in 1974 when he was a member of the Chicago White Sox. I saw him play at Cleveland’s old Municipal Stadium during a season he when he batted .301 with 32 home runs. On that day, however, he struck out four times, but I didn’t care. I got to see The Man play in person. And now, I hope I get to see his image in Cooperstown. Even if it takes another five years.

2. Here’s our choices for the three worst ad campaigns ever, selected from research by boredpanda.com:

• Bronze medal: “Approach Women Like You Do Wild Animals, With Caution and a Soothing Voice” — Dos Equis beer.
• Silver medal: “She Can Have a Tummy and Still Look Yummy.” — Chubettes (fashions designed to make girls look slimmer).
• Gold medal: “Cheat on Your Girlfriend, Not on Your Workout” — Reebok.

3. Time for a few more overrated/underrated selections:

Overrated: Miley Cyrus. Why? Can we start with loud, obnoxious and annoying? Throw in limited talent, too. Very limited.

Underrated: The Bee Gees, a group that dates to the early and mid-1960s, has never received the credit it truly deserves, particularly Barry Gibb, the last living member of the Brothers Gibb. The Bee Gees will always be remembered for their great harmonies, quality music and oh-so-catchy tunes.

Overrated: Taylor Swift. She’s the PG version of Miley Cyrus. Well, maybe the R-rated version.

Underrated: The Delfonics, one of the top soul groups in the late 1960s and early 1970s, never received their due, partly because of the era from which they emerged. The racial tensions of the time drowned out some of the group’s sweet sounds that included “La-La Means I Love You” and “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)”.

Steve Fact O’ The Day Two of the first five albums Steve owned in junior high school were by the Bee Gees. 

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Don’t skimp on his ice.