Former White Sox first baseman Dick Allen, who many claim saved the franchise with his MVP performance in 1972, passed away today at the age of 78.  Allen was acquired after the 1971 season, when attendance at Comiskey Park had cratered and the team had finished 22½ games out of first place.  The addition of Allen sparked an unforeseen pennant race in 1972, with the Sox in contention for most of the season, finishing 5½ games behind the A’s in the AL West and drawing more than 1.18 million fans, more than double what they drew in 1970.

Allen only spent 3 years in Chicago, making the All Star team each time.  A broken leg cut short his 1973 campaign and, with two weeks to go in the 1974 season, Allen left the team over a feud with teammate Ron Santo.  Not knowing if Allen planned to return to baseball, the Sox sold his contract to the Braves for $5000, at which point Allen retired.  He eventually returned to the game, playing parts of 3 seasons before retiring for good in 1977, finishing his career going 2 for 5 in a double header against, of course, the White Sox.

Allen was in the news recently, as Jose Abreu joined him as one of only 4 players to win the MVP award for the White Sox.  Allen was complimentary of both Abreu and Chicago, calling his tenure with the White Sox the best time of his career.