Newt Allen
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Newton "Newt" Allen (May 19, 1901 - June 11, 1988) was a baseball player in the Negro League.
Born in Austin, Texas, USA, he began his Negro League career late in 1922 with the Kansas City Monarchs and, except for brief stints with other teams in 1931 and 1932, stayed with the Monarchs until his retirement in 1948. Long known for his leadership ability, he became the Monarchs manager in 1937, leading them to five Negro American League pennants, including four in a row from 1939 to 1942. In his role as a manager, he also moved Jackie Robinson, who was playing his only Negro League season, to his ideal position at second base.
Allen accomplishments as a player were even more impressive. A master at scoring runs, he bunted, stole bases and almost always provided the spark his team needed to win. Possibly the fastest baserunner of his generation of Negro Leaguers (Cool Papa Bell's speed was largely apocryphal), his most remarkable season was his 1929 campaign, in which he batted .330 while hitting 24 doubles and stealing 23 bases in a typically abbreviated Negro League season.
Like the comparable Judy Johnson, he was a remarkable fielder, undoubtedly the best fielding second baseman of any race from the 1920s through the 1940s, and was at his best in pressure situations. Unlike Johnson, Newt Allen is not in the Hall of Fame, in spite of being far superior to many white inductees.
Known Statistics: .293 Career Batting Average, 16 Home Runs, 640 Games