Bill Text: NJ AR28 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges Major League Baseball's Golden Era Committee to elect Dick Allen to National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-11 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee [AR28 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-AR28-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman WILLIAM W. SPEARMAN
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblyman WILLIAM F. MOEN, JR.
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Urges Major League Baseball's Golden Era Committee to elect Dick Allen to National Baseball Hall of Fame.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Assembly Resolution urging Major League Baseball's Golden Era Committee to elect Dick Allen to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Whereas, Richard "Dick" Allen was a gifted athlete who played Major League Baseball for 15 seasons and ranked among the sport's top offensive producers of the 1960s and early 1970s; and
Whereas, During his first full season in the majors in 1964, Allen batted .318 with 201 hits as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies and led the National League (NL) in runs (125), triples (13), extra base hits (80), and total bases (352), en route to winning the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year Award; and
Whereas, Allen, a seven-time all-star, was arguably the best hitter in baseball from 1965-1967. During that span, Allen made three straight all-star teams, batted .308, and averaged 27 home runs and 90 RBI per season; and
Whereas, For those three seasons, Allen's adjusted on-base plus slugging (OPS+), which measures the ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power while adjusting for the park and league in which he played, was an astounding 166 (an OPS+ over 150 is considered excellent), and was higher than that of other stars of the era, including Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Roberto Clemente; and
Whereas, In 1972, as a member of the Chicago White Sox, Allen had the finest season of his career, batting .308 and leading the American League in home runs (37), RBI (113), and OPS+ (199) and was awarded the American League (AL) MVP honors; and
Whereas, Despite the fact that Allen entered professional baseball during a period of racial turbulence and was subjected to racial harassment and intimidation during periods of his career, he battled through those difficulties to emerge as one of baseball's most productive players; and
Whereas, Dick Allen is considered to be the Jackie Robinson of the Delaware Valley as he faced obstacles similar to those faced by that legendary player who broke the color barrier and became the first African American to play Major League Baseball; and
Whereas, Former major league baseball players are selected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by either the Baseball Writer's Association of America (BWAA) ballot, or via Major League Baseball's Veteran's Committee, which is composed of the Pre-Integration Era Committee (1876-1946), the Golden Era Committee (1947-1972), and the Expansion Era Committee (1973 to the present); and
Whereas, It is the stated purpose of the Golden Era Committee to consider and elect candidates to the Hall of Fame, as identified by Major League Baseball's Historical Overview Committee, who played the majority of their careers between 1947-1972 and who are no longer eligible via the BWAA ballot; and
Whereas, In an era known for its pitching dominance, Allen finished his career with 351 home runs, an OPS+ of 156, was a seven-time all-star, a two-time AL home run champion (1972 and 1974), an AL MVP (1972), and the NL Rookie of the Year (1964). It is widely thought that Allen's career statistics, which are on par with many of the legendary stars of the game from that era, would have been even more impressive if he had not been subjected to the harsh realities of racism while playing in the major leagues; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House urges Major League Baseball's Historical Overview Committee to identify, and the Golden Era Committee to elect, Richard "Dick" Allen to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to each member of the Historical Overview Committee and the Golden Era Committee.
STATEMENT
This Assembly resolution urges Major League Baseball's Historical Overview Committee to identify, and the Golden Era Committee to elect, Richard "Dick" Allen to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Dick Allen played Major League Baseball for 15 seasons and ranked among the sport's top offensive producers of the 1960s and early 1970s. In an era known for its pitching dominance, Allen finished his career with 351 home runs, had an adjusted on-base plus slugging of 156, was a seven-time all-star, a two-time AL home run champion (1972 and 1974), an AL MVP (1972), and the NL Rookie of the Year (1964). It is widely thought that Allen's career statistics, which are on par with many of the legendary stars of the game from that era, would have been even more impressive if he had not been subjected to the harsh realities of racism while playing in the major leagues.
