Respect—that’s all the late Dick Allen wanted during his 15-year Major League Baseball career (1963–1977).

The seven-time All-Star didn’t always get that courtesy in a career marred by bigotry and racism, which relentlessly gnawed at him. That intolerance—especially by fans and the media—cast him in a controversial light, often unfairly.

But now, 47 years after leaving the diamond, the Philadelphia Phillies’ first black superstar has received the ultimate respect by being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The vote on Dec. 8 by the Hall’s 16-member Classic Era Committee to give Allen a plaque in the hallowed Hall as part of the class of 2025 came four years and one day after Allen passed away at age 78.

Never in dispute during Allen’s career was his outstanding talent. Wielding a 42-ounce bat, which is 11 ounces heavier than the bat Phillies star Bryce Harper uses today, Allen would slam massive round-trippers that would soar over stadium rooftops, including Connie Mack Stadium, home of the Phillies