When the Philadelphia Phillies signed Dick Allen in 1960, fans of the franchise envisioned bearing witness to feats never before accomplished by a Phillies player. A half-century later, theyre still trying to make sense of what they saw.Carrying to the plate baseballs heaviest and loudest bat as well as the burden of being the clubs first African American superstar, Allen found both hits and controversy with ease and regularity as he established himself as the premier individualist in a game that prided itself on conformity. As one of his managers observed, I believe God Almighty hisself would have trouble handling Richie Allen. A brutal pregame fight with teammate Frank Thomas, a dogged determination to be compensated on par with the games elite, an insistence on living life on his own terms and not managements: what did it all mean? Journalists and fans alike took sides with ferocity, and they take sides still.Despite talent that earned him Rookie of the Year and MVP honors as well as a reputation as one of his eras most feared power hitters, many remember Allen as one of the games most destructive and divisive forces, while supporters insist that he is the best player not in the Hall of Fame. God Almighty Hisself: The Life and Legacy of Dick Allen explains why.Mitchell Nathanson presents Allens life against the backdrop of organized baseballs continuing desegregation process. Drawing out the larger generational and business shifts in the game, he shows how Allens career exposed not only the racial double standard that had become entrenched in the wake of the games integration a generation earlier but also the forces that were bent on preserving the status quo. In the process, God Almighty Hisself unveils the strange and maddening career of a man who somehow managed to fulfill and frustrate expectations all at once.
Prologue. Baseball's WayChapter 1. The IndividualistChapter 2. The Double StandardChapter 3. A Job, Not a GameChapter 4. What Fight?Chapter 5. RulesChapter 6. Seniority Don't Drive in RunsChapter 7. When I Don'