Bill Conlin: A stroll down Allens lane

ON MAY 13, 1975, an intimate crowd of 11,634 fans gathered in Veterans Stadium to watch Phillies lefthander Tommy Underwood shut out the Reds, 4-0.

The next night, a Wednesday, 30,908 turned out to watch Steve Carlton blank Cincinnati by the same score.

So what happened to put an extra 19,274 fannies in the seats? Was Lefty that big of a draw?

Apparently not. In Carlton's previous home start, April 30 against Montreal ace Steve Rogers, the crowd was 8,750.

The spike, of course, was the same reason the moribund Sixers sold out the building Monday night - and probably could have sold it out twice.

Allen I, Dick, was the reason for the big 1975 walk-up mob. Just as Allen II, Iverson, was the magnet for the Wachovia Center sellout.

Allen played first base, batted fifth between Greg Luzinski and Mike Schmidt and was accorded a standing ovation when he stepped into the batter's box in a Phillies uniform for the first time since the final game of the 1969 season. He did not kiss home plate. The Bull had driven in a run to give Carlton the only run he would need. Allen lined a two-out single to center, prompting another standing O.

It was his first at-bat since the previous Sept. 8. Despite leading the American League with 32 homers, Allen was unhappy. The leg he had broken in a 1973 collision was acting up and, according to his biography "Crash," he had been feuding with over-the-hill White Sox teammate Ron Santo, a world-class needler. So on Sept. 14, he left the team, just walked out on Chuck Tanner, the manager whose patient approach to No. 15 led to an AL MVP award and three straight All-Star Game appearances.

I have been asked by a number of fans if the returns of the two Allens 34 years apart are deja vu all over again.

The easy answer is yes and no.