Allen Benson

{{short description|American baseball player (1905-1999)}} {{About|the baseball player|the journalist and politician|Allan L. Benson}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Allen Benson |image=Allen Benson.jpeg |position=Pitcher |bats=Right |throws=Right |birth_date={{Birth date|1905|3|28}} |birth_place=Hurley, South Dakota, U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|1999|11|16|1905|3|28}} |death_place=Viborg, South Dakota, U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=August 19 |debutyear=1934 |debutteam=Washington Senators |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=August 26 |finalyear=1934 |finalteam=Washington Senators |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Win–loss record |stat1value=0–1 |stat2label=Earned run average |stat2value=12.10 |stat3label=Strikeouts |stat3value=4 |teams= * Washington Senators ({{mlby|1934}}) }} '''Allen Wilbert Benson ''' (March 28, 1905 – November 16, 1999), nicknamed "Bullet", was an American professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues in 1934. He would play for the Washington Senators.

Benson played for the bearded House of David baseball team before signing with the Senators. Given the rarity of facial hair among the era's baseball players, the Senators signed Benson largely as a publicity stunt to boost attendance. He became one of very few Major League players who wore facial hair between the deadball era and the 1970s. He struggled in two games and was sent to the minor league Albany Senators. He told reporters "I believe I could have made the grade with the Nats but for these danged whiskers."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Scott |title=A brief history of Allen Benson, the 'mattress-chinned' Nats pitcher of 1934 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2015/04/13/a-brief-history-of-allen-benson-the-mattress-chinned-nats-pitcher-of-1934/ |access-date=29 January 2023 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=April 13, 2015}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Baseballstats|br=b/bensoal01|brm=benson001all}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benson, Allen}} Category:1999 deaths Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Washington Senators (1901–1960) players Category:Akron Tyrites players Category:Baseball players from South Dakota Category:People from Turner County, South Dakota Category:Albany Senators players Category:Charleroi Babes players Category:Dallas Steers players Category:Des Moines Demons players Category:Harrisburg Senators players Category:Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players Category:1905 births Category:20th-century American sportsmen