On this day in Alabama history: Mel Allen was born in Johns
Mel Allen (Photograph by Al Ravenna, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division)
February 14, 1913
Sportscaster Mel Allen, best known as the “Voice of the New York Yankees,” was born in Johns. Known for creating word pictures to describe the action on the field and his many catch phrases that included “how about that!” and “going, going, gone!”, Allen developed one of the most recognizable voices in sports casting during his 25-year tenure with the Yankees. Not limited to radio, he became the host of the television show “This Week in Baseball” in 1977, where he remained until his death in 1996. Allen was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Radio Hall of Fame.
Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.
For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.
