Sled Allen Baseball player (catcher), manager Date of Birth: 23.08.1886 Country: USA

Biography of Sled Allen

Sled Allen, a baseball player and manager, was born in West Plains, Missouri. He began his professional baseball career in 1908 with the Enid Railroaders team. In his first year, Allen played in 109 games, recording 47 hits, 5 doubles, 1 triple, and 1 home run. The following year, he played 108 games and had 94 hits, 15 doubles, 1 triple, and 2 home runs.

On September 1, 1909, Allen joined the St. Louis Browns team. He played his first major league game on May 4, 1910, and his last on August 5, 1910. During his time with the Browns, Allen only had 14 at-bats, resulting in 3 runs, 3 hits, 1 double, and 1 walk. He also played 12 games as a catcher, making 21 outs out of 31 possible.

After leaving the Browns, Allen joined the Louisville Colonels team for the remainder of the season. In the next 30 games, he had 22 hits, 1 double, and 1 triple. In the 1911 season, Allen played for the Houston Buffaloes in the Texas League as a player-manager. He had 69 hits, 11 doubles, 2 triples, and led the team to a record of 71-75.

In the following year, Allen continued playing for the Buffaloes but focused solely on his game, abandoning managerial duties. He had 75 hits, 9 doubles, and 3 triples in 92 games. Allen played as a player in the 1913 season, recording 51 hits, 1 double, and 2 triples in 80 games. In 1914, he played 68 games with 48 hits, 7 doubles, and 2 triples. Allen played 92 games in 1915 with 61 hits, 10 doubles, and 4 triples. His last year with the Buffaloes and as a field player was in 1916, playing 54 games with 28 hits and 4 doubles.

In 1921, Allen became the manager of the Ranger Nitros team in the West Texas League. Under his leadership, the team achieved a record of 37-43. Later, Allen was hired by the Lubbock Hubbers team. In 1923, he led the team to victory in the League Championship with a record of 57-47.

After retiring from baseball, Allen became involved in promotional activities. He transformed a church into a nightclub in Lubbock, where he regularly organized boxing and wrestling events. He eventually owned his own sports complex called the Sled Allen Arena. The arena hosted various events, not only sports-related but also cultural, such as a racially integrated dance competition in the 1950s, with Ray Charles participating. Allen also worked with Elvis Presley and Little Richard.

Allen settled in Lubbock, Texas, after his sports career and passed away there. He is survived by his son, country musician Terry Allen, who inherited his mother's love for music. Allen's wife, Pauline, was a pianist.