Hank Allen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hank Allen |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: July 23, 1940 Wampum, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Died: May 29, 2024 (aged 83) Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 9, 1966, for the Washington Senators | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 28, 1973, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .241 | ||
| Home runs | 6 | ||
| Runs batted in | 57 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Harold Andrew "Hank" Allen (born July 23, 1940 – died May 29, 2024) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) mainly as an outfielder. Hank played for the Washington Senators from 1966 to 1970, the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970, and the Chicago White Sox from 1972 to 1973.
Early Life and Family
Hank Allen was born in Wampum, Pennsylvania. He was the older brother of Dick Allen, who was a very famous baseball player. Dick Allen was chosen for the All-Star Game seven times. He was also the Rookie of the Year in 1964 and the Most Valuable Player in 1972. Hank also had another brother, Ron Allen, who played a short time in MLB.
The Allen brothers were known for hitting many home runs. Together, they hit 358 home runs, which placed them 11th on the list of brother combinations in MLB history.
Baseball Career Highlights
Hank Allen started his professional baseball journey with the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent five years (1960–1964) playing in their minor league system. In January 1965, his contract was sold to the Washington Senators.
He first played in the big leagues in September 1966. During that time, he had a great batting average of .387. This means he got a hit almost 4 out of every 10 times he tried to hit the ball. He made 12 hits in 31 tries.
Even though he had a strong start, Hank never became a full-time starter in the Major Leagues. He played many different positions, including third base, second base, and first base. He even played catcher once! As an outfielder, he was considered an average defender.
His best full season was in 1969 with the Senators. That year, he reached his highest career numbers in:
- Batting average (.277)
- Runs scored (42)
- Hits (75)
- Runs Batted In (17)
In 1970, he was traded from the Brewers to the Atlanta Braves. He spent parts of 1968 and 1970, and all of 1971, playing in the minor leagues. Later, he played alongside his brother Dick Allen on the Chicago White Sox teams in 1972 and 1973.
Over his seven years in the big leagues, Hank Allen had a career batting average of .241. He hit 6 home runs, had 57 RBI, and scored 104 runs in 389 games played.
Hank also led several minor leagues in different statistics:
- In the Pioneer League, he led in RBIs (140) and batting average (.346).
- In the Pacific Coast League in 1966, playing for the Hawaii Islanders, he led with 288 total bases.
- In 1962, playing for the Magic Valley Cowboys, he tied for the league lead in hits (176) and home runs (37).
Hank Allen passed away in Bethesda, Maryland, on May 29, 2024, at the age of 83.
Life After Baseball
After his baseball career, Hank Allen became involved in Thoroughbred horse racing. He worked as a trainer and owner, mostly at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Courses in Maryland.
In 1989, he made history. He became the first African-American trainer in 78 years to have a horse race in the famous Kentucky Derby. His horse, named Northern Wolf, finished sixth in that race.
In June 1990, Hank trained Northern Wolf when the horse set a new track record at Laurel Park. Northern Wolf ran six furlongs (about three-quarters of a mile) in 1 minute and 8.8 seconds. Two months later, Northern Wolf set another track record at Pimlico for the same distance, winning the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes.
Hank Allen also stayed connected to baseball by working as a scout. He scouted professional players for the Houston Astros and was based in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
