Spoiler : (birth name was Melvin Allen Israel) Born in Birmingham, Alabama 2/14/1913; died 6/16/1996 following a long illness at his Greenwich, Connecticut home. Allen began his career as a CBS-Radio announcer when he applied for the job while on vacation from law school; hired by CBS in New York and never returned to school.

Spoiler : Announcer for many radio programs including The Saturday Night Swing Club on CBS (1936-1939). Allen is mostly remembered for his sports announcing that began in 1939. By 1940 Allen had become known as the "Voice of The New York Yankees" when he became the club's leading announcer (later was the voice of the Milwaukee Braves). Allen's signature phrase was, "How about that?" In 10/1949 it was reported that the most listened to voice on the radio was Mel Allen's play-by- play broadcast of New Yorks's all-city World Series.

Spoiler : In 1949 he aired his fifth World Series sponsored by Gillette, assisted by Red Barber on radio and Jim Britt on television. Host of This Week In Baseball and Sports Spot on CBS-TV (1951-1954); Jackpot Bowling on NBC-TV (1959-1960). Red Barber and Allen were the first announcers placed in the Baseball Hall Of Fame (1978).