FanGraphs Audio: Reflecting on Dick Allen

Episode 900 In a week of Winter Meetings gone virtual, the FanGraphs crew spends some time honoring a great player we lost, previewing the Australian Baseball League, and reviewing some recent moves. At the top of the show, Jay Jaffe is joined by Shakeia Taylor to remember the late Dick Allen. The veteran slugger passed away earlier this week, and his legacy is one worth revisiting. Jay and Shakeia discuss how the Hall of Fame has dropped the ball when it comes to appropriately recognizing players like Allen, as well as the racism he faced throughout his career, from fan vitriol and death threats to the media at times refusing to even call him by his name. [2:24] Following that, David Laurila is joined by Glenn Williams, the general manager of Team Australia. A former Twins player, Glenn holds a unique major league record of his own. The pair talk about the history of baseball down under and modern legends like Liam Hendriks, as well as the upcoming Australian Baseball League season, which starts next week and can be watched online. [32:07] Finally, Eric Longenhagen is joined by old friend Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. The dynamic duo talks about what Kiley has been up to, the Phillies hiring Dave Dombrowski, and reactions to the Rule 5 Draft. Eric and Kiley also go over the Nate Lowe trade and what the Texas Rangers could be up to in their current position. [53:22] To purchase a FanGraphs membership for yourself or as a gift, click here. To donate to FanGraphs and help us keep things running, click here. Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @dhhiggins on Twitter. You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or other feeder things. Audio after the jump. (Approximate 1 hour 15 minute play time.) var SERVER_DATA = Object.assign(SERVER_DATA || {}); Source