Bernie Allen

[Al from SoDak]

Bernard Keith Allen was born April 16, 1939, in East Liverpool, Ohio. Allen attended Purdue to play football. In his sophomore season (1958), he started the season as a defensive back but was playing quarterback by the end of the year. In 1959, Allen began the football season as the backup quarterback, but the starter broke his collar bone in the second game. Bernie Allen would start the remainder of his junior season and all of his senior season. In that senior season of 1960, Allen, who was also the team’s kicker and punter, kicked the winning field goal against the heavily favored Buckeyes and Woody Hayes. Later that season, Allen would lead the Boilermakers to another upset, this time against the number one team in the country who would end up being voted the National Champs. Sports fans of this era won’t believe it, but that number one team was, yes, your Minnesota Gophers!

The Twins signed Bernie Allen before the 1961 season as an amateur free agent. He played a single year in the minor leagues with the Twins class A affiliate in Charlotte. In 80 games he hit .241/.327/.320 with little power but played excellent defense. The Twins had an opening at second base in 1962. Despite Allen’s relatively low production in the minor leagues, the Twins saw enough to make him the opening day second baseman in 1962. They were impressed with his defense and thought he would hit.  

Bernie Allen had a good rookie year in 1962 batting .269/.338/.403 with 12 home runs and 64 runs batted in. In fact, he posted career highs in every single offensive category except walks and on base percentage. It was probably his best year in Minnesota. He impressed enough that he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting and received one first place vote.

Despite the strong first season, Allen’s career would never be as good as 1962. The 1962 season was the only time in his career he had more than 500 at bats. In 1964, Allen suffered a severe injury in a collision at second base when an aggressive Don Zimmer took out Allen with a hard slide. Allen did not know it immediately, but he had torn multiple knee ligaments in his left knee. In those days, before modern surgical techniques, this type of injury could end a career, but Allen tried to continue. In 1965 he was still injured, started the season on the disabled list, played only 19 games, and did not appear on the World Series roster. After the 1965 season Allen was seen by the Vikings’ orthopedic surgeon who found both the MCL and ACL ligaments had been torn in the 1964 injury. He finally had surgery but would never be the same player.

On December 3, 1966, the Twins traded Allen and Camilo Pascual to the new Washington Senators  for Ron Kline. Later in his career Allen would play two more seasons – first with the Yankees, then finishing his career with the Montreal Expos.

Bernie Allen’s career statistics are .239/.314/.357 for an OPS of .671. His OPS+ was 91. He had 73 home runs and 352 RBI. He was the stereotypical second baseman with a good glove and a little pop in his bat.

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