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John Thomas "Johnny" Allen (September 30, 1905, Lenoir, NC - March, 29, 1959, St. Petersburg, FL) was a professional baseball player for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Dodgers, and New York Giants.
Allen reached the Yankees in an unusual way. While working as a bellhop in a hotel, he was told to take some fans to the room of Yankee scout Paul Krichell. Allen told Krichell that he was a pitcher, and the scout arranged a tryout. Allen was an immediate success for the Yankees, debuting in 1932 with a 17-4 record and a 3.70 ERA for the world champions. He was less stellar in that year's World Series, starting Game 4 and leaving after giving up 3 runs off five hits in just two-thirds of an inning. He continued to post decent records for the Yankees, but he constantly held out for more money and a sore arm threatened his career. For these reasons, he was dealt to the Indians before the 1936 season.
Allen turned things around in Cleveland, going 20-10 with a 3.44 ERA in 1936 and following that up by winning his first fifteen decisions of 1937, one short of the record held by Walter Johnson. He lost his next start 1-0 on an unearned run, but his 15-1 mark that year set a winning percentage record that lasted until Roy Face bettered it with an 18-1 record in 1959. In 1938, he won his first twelve decisions and made his only all star team. During the all star break, he suffered an unknown injury, some claim he slipped on a bar of soap in the shower, and never did approach his earlier sucess again, finally retireing in 1944 after six mediocre campaigns. He became a minor league umpire after retireing, eventually becoming the umpire-in-chief of the Carolina League.
JOHNNY ALLEN LEAGUE LEADERSHIP RANKINGS
1932 AL WINS T8TH 17; WINNING PERCENTAGE 1ST .810; SAVES T9TH 4; STRIKEOUTS T6TH 109; ERA 9TH 3.70; HITS/9 IP 1ST 7.59; BASERUNNERS/9 IP 3RD 11.39; STRIKEOUTS/9 IP 5TH 5.11; STRIKEOUTS/WALKS 5TH 1.43; SHUTOUTS T3RD 3; WILD PITCHES T9TH 5; HIT BY PITCHES T5TH 5; BALKS T5TH 1
1933 AL WINS T7TH 15; WINNING PERCENTAGE 5TH .682; STRIKEOUTS 5TH 119; WORST ERA 7TH 4.38; HITS/9 IP 3RD 8.32; STRIKEOUTS/9 IP 2ND 5.79; STRIKEOUTS/WALKS 5TH 1.37; WILD PITCHES T1ST 10; HIT BY PITCHES T6TH 4
1934 AL WILD PITCHES T9TH 5
1935 AL WINNING PERCENTAGE 2ND .684; STRIKEOUTS 5TH 113; ERA 10TH 3.61; HITS/9 IP 1ST 8.03; BASERUNNERS/9 IP 4TH 11.37; STRIKEOUTS/9 IP 1ST 6.09; STRIKEOUTS/WALKS 2ND 1.95; SHUTOUTS T9TH 2; HIT BY PITCHES T6TH 4
1936 AL WINS T3RD 20; WINNING PERCENTAGE 5TH .667; GAMES STARTED T8TH 31; COMPLETE GAMES T8TH 19; INNINGS PITCHED 8TH 243; WALKS 9TH 97; STRIKEOUTS 2ND 165; ERA 2ND 3.44; RSAA 2ND 52; HITS/9 IP 3RD 8.67; BASERUNNERS/9 IP 4TH 12.30; STRIKEOUTS/9 IP 1ST 6.11; STRIKEOUTS/WALKS 3RD 1.70; SHUTOUTS T3RD 4; WILD PITCHES 2ND 13; NEUTRAL WINS T2ND 21
1937 AL WINS T8TH 15; WINNING PERCENTAGE 1ST .938; ERA 3RD 2.55; RSAA 5TH 35; HITS/9 IP 4TH 8.17; BASERUNNERS/9 IP 4TH 11.55; STRIKEOUTS/9 IP 8TH 4.53; STRIKEOUTS/WALKS 6TH 1.45; HIT BY PITCHES T5TH 5
1938 AL WINNING PERCENTAGE 6TH .636; STRIKEOUTS T6TH 112; HITS/9 IP 2ND 8.51; BASERUNNERS/9 IP 7TH 12.28; STRIKEOUTS/9 IP 5TH 5.04; STRIKEOUTS/WALKS 5TH 1.38; WILD PITCHES T4TH 7
1939 AL STRIKEOUTS/9 IP 9TH 4.06; WALKS/9 IP 8TH 2.88; STRIKEOUTS/WALKS 7TH 1.41; SHUTOUTS T3RD 2; WILD PITCHES T8TH 5; HIT BY PITCHES T10TH 3; BALKS T1ST 2
1940 AL SAVES T4TH 5; SHUTOUTS T4TH 3; HIT BY PITCHES T10TH 3
1941 AL WORST RSAA 9TH -17; WILD PITCHES T4TH 8; BALKS T4TH 1
1942 NL SAVES T9TH 3; HOMERUNS T9TH 11
1943 NL SAVES T10TH 3; GAMES FINISHED T8TH 14; WILD PITCHES T2ND 6; BALKS T3RD 1