1934 Goudey #42 Johnny Allen
About Johnny Allen
John Thomas Allen climbed out of a North Carolina orphanage, where he first picked up a baseball after his father, Lenoir's police chief, died of appendicitis, and into pro ball after working hotel jobs around the state. He broke in explosively with the Yankees in 1932, going 17-4 with a 3.70 ERA as a rookie on a club that swept the Cubs in the World Series. Allen stayed in New York through 1935 — the club shown on his 1934 Goudey #42, recognized as his rookie card — before a trade sent him to Cleveland, where he won 20 games in 1936. In 1937 he reeled off his first 15 decisions of the season, one shy of Walter Johnson's American League record, before a 1-0 loss stopped him; his .938 winning percentage that year stood until Roy Face broke it in 1959. Notoriously hot-tempered — he once pitched in a sleeveless sweatshirt umpires banned, a garment now preserved in the Hall of Fame museum — Allen was rated among the toughest pitchers alive by sluggers Al Simmons and Hank Greenberg, finishing 142-75 with a .654 winning percentage across thirteen big-league seasons.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 209 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 24 | 31 | 44 | 96 | 1 |
| SGC | 91 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 63 | 1 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-14. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8). PSA counts are straight-graded.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1934 Goudey Johnny Allen card?
It is card #42 of the 1934 Goudey (R320) Baseball set - the 96-card, 2-3/8 by 2-7/8 inch color-art set issued in 1934 with Big League Chewing Gum. It pictures Johnny Allen with the New York Yankees.
Is the 1934 Goudey Johnny Allen #42 a rookie card?
By modern catalog convention, yes. Sheet 1 of the set reused returning 1933 subjects, but most of the remaining cards picture players getting their first major gum card - 63 of the 96 are rookie cards.
How many cards are in the 1934 Goudey set?
96 cards, printed on four 24-card press sheets. 84 fronts carry the blue 'Lou Gehrig says' strip and 12 carry the red 'Chuck Klein says' strip (#80-91). The high numbers #73-96 are the scarcest cards.
Sources: PSA CardFacts, Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and hobby press-sheet research (SABR). Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-08-23.