Biography
Allen's baseball career may have begun in 1909 with Jonesboro in the Northeast Arkansas League.6 In 1911, he paid his own way to Coffeyville, KS to tryout with the Coffeyville White Sox of the Western Association.7 He made the team and pitched with Coffeyville until the club dropped out of the league in June. He was transferred to the Sapulpa Oilers in the same league, but the league folded days later.8
In the spring of 1912, Allen signed to play with the Huntsville Mountaineers of the Southeastern League.9 10 Later that season, he shifted to the Ardmore Giants in the Texas-Oklahoma League.11 He returned to Ardmore for the 1912 season, but performed poorly with a 2-12 win-loss record and was consequently released in late June.12 He was subsequently given a short trial with the Fort Worth Panthers of the Texas League, but was quickly released.13 14
The following spring, he signed with the Salt Lake City Skyscrapers in the 1914 Union Association, fairing marginally better with a 9-11 record.15 His performance drew the attention of the Atlanta Crackers of the Southern Association, with whom he signed before the start of the 1915 season.16 He soon became Atlanta's best pitcher, winning 17 games and losing 14. Meanwhile, he led the team with 129 strikeouts and 260 innings pitched. Allen was expected to return to Atlanta for the 1916 season, but was claimed off waivers by both Birmingham and Chattanooga in the same league early in the year.17 He was ultimately awarded to Chattanooga and began the season there. With little success early on, it was rumored that Allen would be sent to Galveston in the Texas League, but a proposed deal fell through.18 Instead, he was loaned to the Southern Association's Mobile Sea Gulls where he finished the season with a 14-14 record.19 Afterward, he once again became the property of the Chattanooga club, which proceeded to send Allen to the Muskegon club in the Central League early in the 1917 season. In 39 combined games with Chattanooga and Muskegon, Allen won 19 games and and lost 13.
About 1919, Allen opened a feed store in Pawhuska, OK.24 He joined the local Pawhuska Huskers in the 1920 Western Association and performed well, going 10-9 with a 2.71 ERA.25 On September 16th, 1920, he married Miss Mary Linda Polk in Fayetteville, AR. He again pitched for Pawhuska in 1921, turning in a 16-16 record in 291 innings. In September, it was announced that Allen had been sold by Pawhuska to the Rochester, NY club in the International League.26 Although he was late reporting to Rochester in the spring 1922 because of commitments running his business in Pawhuska,27 28 Allen performed adequately, posting a 10-7 record with a 3.33 ERA.
In 1923, Allen chose not to report to Rochester on account of his business affairs in Pawhuska and instead requested his unconditional release. However, Rochester refused Allen's request and in turn opted to sell his contract to the Brooklyn Robins, who agreed to purchase Allen on condition that he would report.29 Despite the opportunity to potentially play in the National League, Allen declined to join Brooklyn, voiding the deal.30 Nevertheless, Allen was ultimately induced into joining the Rochester club in June. He pitched in 13 games and performed poorly, going 1-2 with a 5.62 ERA. He returned to Pawhuska at the end of the season, ending his baseball career.
Allen continued to operated his feed store in Pawhuska for many years.31 The store still operates today as Allen Bro's Feed and Supply.
Allen died on December 24th, 1966 in Pawhuska, OK.32 He was buried in Pawhuska City Cemetery.33
Excerpts
"Manager Bradbury of the [Coffeyville] White sox announced this morning that he had signed another pitcher, Jim Allen of St. Paul, Ark. Allen is a southpaw and is just starting out in baseball. He is 20 years of age, about six feet tall and hefty. He asked for a trial and agreed to come here at his own expense, so Bradbury will accommodate him."34
"J. B. Allen, St. Paul, Ark., pitcher."35
"Among the [Huntsville] pitchers are Allen of St. Paul, Ark., . . ."36
"Lefty Allen at Pettigrew, Ark., has been instructed to join the [Ardmore] Giants. He has been playing with a team in the South Atlantic league, returning recently to him home in Arkansas."37
"Lefty Allen was given his release last night. He has been ineffective this year, lack of control being the cause."38
""Lefty" Allen has been released by Fort Worth after two trials. As usual, lack of control cost him the job."39
"James Benton Allen. The Crackers have only one left hand twirler signed up for a try-out this season. He is James Benton Allen, of Corinth, Miss., the fourth Southerner, whose record has appeared under this heading since the series started. Allen is spending the winter at St. Paul, Ark., and will report to the Crackers from that place. He will be twenty four years old on September 27 this year. He stands 5 feet 11 1-2 inches tall and weights 175 pounds. Allen was with Salt Lake City, in the Union Association last season, and was touted to the Crackers by several baseball men. Sam LaRocque, chief of staff of umpires of the Georgia State league, worked in the Union association last season and recommends Allen highly. Allen is a new comer in professional ball and this will be his first Class A experience. He is said to have a world of stuff and the making of a good man. As he is a left-hander he stands every chance of making good with the Crackers, who are in need of a good left-hand twirler."40
"The Blues may have a corking pitcher in Jim Allen, a left-hander from the Central League, but more recently from the army. Allen hurled in the Southern League three years ago, got a bad arm, and later did a “comeback” in the Central. Ganzal says he looks great in practice."41
"President George Muehlebach of the [Kansas City] Blues announced last night that he had released "Jim" Allen, a left-hander, to the Sioux City Western League Club."42
"Pawhuska, Okla., Sept 20. — The Pawhuska baseball club today announce the sale of James "Lefty" Allen to the Rochester club of the International League."43
"Allen is an experienced twirler, with a fine free, motion. He will not be in shape before April 1st, as he was late in reporting. In point of years, Allen is considerably ahead of the other pitchers in camp and it will require some hard work before the Pawhuska grain merchant is fit to go the route."44
"Pitcher James B. Allen of Pawhuska, Okla, who pitched some mighty good games for the Tribe last season, and also pitched some others that were not so good, wants to be nearer home next summer. He is interested with his brother in the general village store of Pawhuska and doesn't see how he can afford to come so far away from business. In other words, the genial, red-shirted James will not be with Rochester the coming season --not unless he changes his mind, and that is not regarded as likely. It isn't a question of contract or of salary with Allen. He is satisfied with both, but he just feels that he cannot get away. The other day when transportation was sent him, inasmuch as had signed his contract last fall was returned, undelivered, it was practically certain that Allen contemplated taking the step and subsequent advices from Pawhuska confirmed it. It is more than likely that Allen will be permitted to buy his own release at a modest figure, or that he will be sold to some club out in the Western Association of adjoining territory where it will be possible for Allen to pitch baseball and keep in rather closer touch with his business affairs than if he and his wife were here in Rochester."45
"Rochester, N.Y., May 1. --James Allen, pitcher, who was sold by the Rochester International League team today to Brooklyn, refused to report to George Stallings' team [Rochester] this year, claiming his business in Pawhuska, Okla., would not allow him to do so. He asked for his unconditional released which was not granted. His sale to Brooklyn is only tentative upon his willingness to report."46
"Jim “Lefty” Allen, who pitched for the Rochester club last year, has decided to report to Manager Stallings next week, according to word received today by the Manager of the Tribe. Allen, who lives in Pawhuska, Okla., intended to leave his home to-morrow and may accompany the train when it leaves Rochers on Monday for its second trip around the eastern end of the circuit. Allen was sold by the Rochester club to the Brooklyn Dodgers last month, but he did not report and the Dodgers now have space for him on their roster due to a recent trade. The result was that the sale of Allen was cancelled. Just before he left for his home in Pawhuska last fall, Allen signed a contract with the Rochester Club. He refused to report this spring and sought to obtain his unconditional release from the Tribe, but it was refused him."47
Stats
1912 Statistics at Baseball-Reference.com.
1914 Statistics at Baseball-Reference.com.
1913-1919 Statistics at Baseball-Reference.com.
1919 Kansas City Blues Statistics at Baseball Reference.com.
1920-1923 Statistics at Baseball-Reference.com.
10
Montgomery Advertiser, 4/7/1912
14
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7/6/1913
15
Salt Lake Tribune, 2/4/1914. This article mistakenly confuses Lefty Allen's career with that of Frank Allen of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
16
Salt Lake Tribune, 1/12/1915
20
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3/18/1918
22
Kansas City Star, 6/6/1919
25
Not to be confused with Lefty Allen, pitcher for Fort Smith in the Western Association.
36
Montgomery Advertiser, 4/7/1912
41
Kansas City Star, 6/6/1919
42
Kansas City Star, 8/16/1918