Bernard Keith Allen (born April 16, 1939) is an American former Major League Baseball player for the Minnesota Twins, Washington Senators, New York Yankees, and Montreal Expos. At 6' 0" and 185 lbs, Allen was a second-baseman for most of his career; playing over 900 games at the position. By the 1971 season, he was splitting his time between second and third base.[1]
College career
Allen played college baseball for the Boilermakers, where he twice named Team MVP. A winner of six varsity letters, Allen was also a quarterback on the Purdue Boilermakers football team, selected as team MVP in 1960. He platooned at quarterback in 1959, leading the Boilermakers to a 5–2–2 record and six weeks in the Top 15.[2] Earning the starting job in 1960, Allen led the Boilermakers to a record of 4–4–1 (2–4 Big Ten) and wins over No. 12 Notre Dame, No. 3 Ohio State, and No. 1 Minnesota, the consensus national champion at season's end. The Minnesota and Notre Dame victories were both on the road, while the win over Ohio State earned Allen Sports Illustrated's Offensive back of the Week. Purdue spent five weeks in the Top 15 and finished the season at No. 19 in the AP Poll.[3] Allen was selected for the Blue–Gray Game; throwing 3 touchdowns and led the Blue squad to a 35–7 victory over the Gray squad, quarterbacked by Fran Tarkenton.[4] Allen was the leading passer for Purdue during the 1959 and 1960 seasons and was also the team leader in total offense. He was selected as an All-American shortstop in 1961. Allen signed with the Minnesota Twins and played 80 games for Class A Charlotte before being promoted to Major League Baseball.
He spent the 1963 off-season as an assistant football coach under Jack Mollenkopf, where he tutored a young Bob Griese.[4]
In 1999, he was selected for induction in the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.[5]
Major League career
On Opening Day, April 10, 1962, Allen made his debut for the Minnesota Twins at second base. He was put into a position vacated by Billy Martin a week earlier. Allen had one hit, a triple, in four at-bats on opening day. His rookie performance led to a selection to the 1962 Topps All-Star Rookie Roster and finished third in American League Rookie of the Year voting, behind Tom Tresh and Buck Rodgers.
Allen played for New York in 1972, backing up second and third base. He played 17 games for the Yankees in 1973 before being purchased by Montreal. The Expos released him two months later.
