2012 Dick Allen Award standings and results

Here are the final results and standings in 2012 for the Dick Allen Award, which distinguishes the team holding the National League traveling prize.

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

Carrying the Dick Allen Award into 2012 after winning it at the end of 2011, the St. Louis Cardinals began 2012 with six consecutive title defenses and put the field into immediate catch-up mode.

The rest of the field failed, due to extreme balance. Of all the clubs across the National League, only the New York Mets failed to ever win the Allen, and six clubs won at least two.

Thus, no one smashed the cushion built by the Cardinals with their 11-5 performance in Allen games to begin the year. The Chicago Cubs actually made an early bid after snatching the prize in a two-of-three win against the Cardinals April 23-25 in Chicago, then defending it four times.

But the Cubs only had one more bite at the apple and, with it, lost three straight to the lowly Houston Astros, who thereby forged their only title defense in the first two years of this competition. The Astros won the prize once each in 2011 and 2012.

The Milwaukee Brewers nudged ahead of the Cardinals in most categories with a title and two defenses in mid-September. However, the Cardinals nabbed it from the Washington Nationals during the final week of the regular season, then held it through the National League playoffs before losing it in a seven-game National League Championship Series to the San Francisco Giants.

The Brewers ended the year with three Allens, most in the NL. However, the Cardinals defended their Allens eight times in 11 efforts and held them for 37 games, far more than any other club.

2012 Dick Allen Award results 

Total run tiebreakers, if applicable, are given at the end of the results.

St. Louis 1, Miami 0 — April 4 at St. Louis.

St. Louis 2, Milwaukee 1 — April 5-8 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 1 — April 9-11 at Cincinnati.
St. Louis 2, Chicago 1 — April 13-15 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 1 — April 17-19 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 2, Pittsburgh 1 — April 20-22 at Pittsburgh.
Chicago 2, St. Louis 1 — April 23-25 at Chicago.
Chicago 2, Philadelphia 2 — April 27-30 at Philadelphia (Chicago, 16-13).
Chicago 1, Cincinnati 1 — May 2-3 at Cincinnati (Chicago, 6-5).
Chicago 2, Los Angeles 1 — May 4-6 at Chicago.
Chicago 2, Atlanta 1 — May 7-9 at Chicago.
Milwaukee 2, Chicago 1 — May 11-13 at Milwaukee.
Milwaukee 1, New York 1 — May 14-15 at New York  (Milwaukee, 9-3).
Houston 2, Milwaukee 0 — May 16-17 at Houston.
Houston 3, Chicago 0 — May 21-23 at Houston.
Los Angeles 2, Houston 1 — May 25-27 at Los Angeles.
Milwaukee 4, Los Angeles 0 — May 28-31 at Los Angeles.
Pittsburgh 2, Milwaukee 1 — June 1-3 at Milwaukee.
Pittsburgh 2, Cincinnati 1 — June 5-7 at Cincinnati.
Philadelphia 2, Pittsburgh 2 — June 25-28 at Philadelphia (Philadelphia, 24-23).
Miami 3, Philadelphia 0 — June 29-July 1 at Miami.
Miami 2, Milwaukee 2 — July 2-5 at Milwaukee (Miami, 28-25).
St. Louis 2, Miami 1 — July 6-8 at St. Louis.
Cincinnati 3, St. Louis 0 — July 13-15 at Cincinnati.
Arizona 2, Cincinnati 2 — July 16-19 at Cincinnati (Arizona 18-15).
Arizona 3, Houston 0 — July 20-22 at Arizona.
Arizona 2, Colorado 1 — July 23-25 at Arizona.
Arizona 2, New York 2 — July 26-29 at Arizona (Arizona, 19-16).
Arizona 3, Los Angeles 0 — June 30-Aug. 2 at Los Angeles.
Philadelphia 2, Arizona 1 — Aug. 3-5 at Philadelphia.
Atlanta 2, Philadelphia 1 — Aug. 6-8 at Philadelphia.
Atlanta 2, New York 1 — Aug. 10-12 at New York.
Atlanta 3, San Diego 1 — Aug. 13-16 at Atlanta.
DODGERS 2, Atlanta 1 — Aug. 17-19 at Atlanta.
San Francisco 2, Los Angeles 1 — Aug. 20-22 at Los Angeles.
Atlanta 2, San Francisco 2 — Aug. 23-26 at San Francisco (Atlanta, 19-14).
San Diego 2, Atlanta 1 — Aug. 27-29 at San Diego.
Colorado 2, San Diego 1 — Aug. 30-Sept. 2 at Colorado.
Atlanta 2, Colorado 1 — Sept. 3-5 at Atlanta.
Atlanta 3, New York 0 — Sept. 7-9 at New York.
Milwaukee 3, Atlanta 0 —Sept. 10-12 at Milwaukee.
Milwaukee 2, New York 1 — Sept. 13-15 at Milwaukee.
Milwaukee 3, Pittsburgh 0 — Sept. 18-20 at Pittsburgh.
Washington 2, Milwaukee 2 — Sept. 21-23 at Washington (Washington, 26-14).
Washington 2, Philadelphia 1 — Sept. 24-26 at Philadelphia.
St. Louis 2, Washington 1 — Sept. 28-30 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 1 — Oct. 1-3 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 1, Atlanta 0 — October 5 at Atlanta.
St. Louis 3, Washington 2 — Oct. 7-12 at St. Louis and Washington.
San Francisco 4, St. Louis 3 — Oct. 14-22 at San Francisco and St. Louis.