Dick Allen, a fearsome hitter who was a seven-time All-Star and the 1972 American League MVP, has died. He was 78. Allen’s No. 15 was retired by the Philadelphia Phillies in September, an honor that was considered long overdue by many for one of the franchise’s greatest players who fought against racism during a tumultuous period with the team in the 1960s. Phillies managing partner John Middleton broke from the team’s longstanding “unwritten” policy of only retiring the number of players who are in the Hall of Fame to honor Allen.