Jeff Allison
Encyclopedia
High school career
Allison played high school baseball at Peabody Veterans Memorial High SchoolPeabody Veterans Memorial High School
Peabody Veterans Memorial High School, or PVMHS, is a public high school located in Peabody, Massachusetts located at 485 Lowell Street.-Vocational Technical Program:...
in Peabody, Massachusetts
Peabody, Massachusetts
Peabody is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population is about 53,000. Peabody is located in Boston's North Shore suburban area.- History :...
. In his senior year, Allison was named the 2003 Massachusetts Gatorade
Gatorade
Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
High School Baseball Player of the Year and was also named the 2003 Baseball America High School Player of the Year, becoming the first ever player from Massachusetts to win the honor. In this senior year Allison tossed 63 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run. He was 9-0, with 142 strikeouts and nine walks, surrendering just 13 hits and one unearned run. He also batted .441 with two home runs and 29 RBI. Allison was selected in the first round (16th overall) of the 2003 MLB Draft by the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
and would sign with them 2 months later. The Marlins paid Allison a reported $1.85 million dollar signing bonus.
Professional career
After signing with the Marlins in 2003 the team did not want to strain Allison's arm after a fairly long high school season and he only appeared in 3 games with the Gulf Coast MarlinsGulf Coast Marlins
The Gulf Coast League Marlins are one of the Rookie Level minor league affiliates of the Miami Marlins. The team plays in Jupiter, Florida, at Roger Dean Stadium...
of the Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
for rookies. Allison would go 0-2 with an ERA of 1.00 in 9 innings pitched.
Allison would miss the entire season in 2004 as the Marlins would place him on their restricted list. Allison was rumored to have entered a substance abuse treatment program and was forced to forfeit a portion of his signing bonus money.
In 2005 the Marlins would begin to ease Allison back into professional baseball. The placed him with the Single A Greensboro Grasshoppers
Greensboro Grasshoppers
The Greensboro Grasshoppers are a minor league baseball team in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA...
and he would start 17 games going 5-4 with a 4.18 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 94.2 innings pitched.
Allison's issues with substance abuse would continue and he would not play professional baseball for 2 years.
Allison would make a comeback in 2008 after being sober for fifteen months. He was assigned by the Marlins to the Single A Jupiter Hammerheads
Jupiter Hammerheads
The Jupiter Hammerheads are a minor league baseball team based in Jupiter, Florida, named for the hammerhead shark.The team, which plays in the Florida State League, is the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Miami Marlins major-league club....
and pitched in 26 games, going 9-8 with a 5.22 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 120.2 innings pitched. He would also be named to the mid-season Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
All-Star Team.
In 2009 Allison was assigned again to the Single A Jupiter Hammerheads
Jupiter Hammerheads
The Jupiter Hammerheads are a minor league baseball team based in Jupiter, Florida, named for the hammerhead shark.The team, which plays in the Florida State League, is the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Miami Marlins major-league club....
. In June he was named as a mid-season All-Star for the second year in a row. He would finish the season with a 7-9 record with the Hammerheads and a 3.68 ERA in 25 games pitched, leading the team and finishing second in the league with 3 complete games. Allison would also take a huge step in being promoted to the Double A Jacksonville Suns
Jacksonville Suns
The Jacksonville Suns are a minor league baseball team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The team is currently a member of the Southern League and is the class Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins Major League Baseball team...
on August 5, 2009. Although it would be for a spot start with Allison being recalled by Jupiter after the game, he would make the most of his opportunity, pitching 5 solid innings and picking up the win. http://jacksonville.suns.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090805&content_id=6260388&vkey=news_t564&fext=.jsp&sid=t564
Allison was promoted full time to Double A Jacksonville
Jacksonville Suns
The Jacksonville Suns are a minor league baseball team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The team is currently a member of the Southern League and is the class Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins Major League Baseball team...
where he started the 2010 season as a reliever. After making a few spot starts he was promoted to a starting spot. He would finish the season with a 6-11 record with a 5.04 ERA in 29 appearances, 20 of them starts. Allison built momentum through mid-season before struggling down the stretch going 0-4 in his last 4 starts.
Allison would again spend the 2011 season with Double A Jacksonville. He would be used primarily as a relief pitcher, appearing in 30 games, 26 of them being in relief. Allison would finish the season with a 3-4 record with a 6.26 ERA. Allison would finish the season strong after a tough start in which his ERA was over 9.00. At the end of the 2011 season Allison is a free agent.
Personal struggles
Allison's personal struggles have been well documented, most specifically in a Boston Globe two-part special article that ran in 2004. After his rookie season in 2003, Allison became increasingly addicted to heroin and OxyContin. He spent the winter between 2003 and 2004 in rehabilitation facilities. Then in July 2004 while on the restricted list he suffered a heroin overdose that nearly took his life. After his 2005 season, he was again suspended by the Marlins for undisclosed reasons. On August 9, 2006, Allison again suffered a heroin overdose at an apartment in Medford, MassachusettsMedford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...
. In October 2006, in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
he faced felony charges for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of heroin and resisting a public officer. He was scheduled to appear in court in December but never showed up, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
On June 8, 2007, Allison was again arrested and charged with un-authorized use of a motor vehicle. This charge carried with it a potential violation of his probation from his arrest in North Carolina. He was sentenced to 75 days in jail due to the violation and three years probation.
Similarities with Josh Hamilton
Many observers, including Allison himself, have drawn numerous similarities between him and current Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
All Star Josh Hamilton. Both Hamilton and Allison are former Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
Players of the Year. Both have battled intense drug addiction, Hamilton with cocaine and crack, Allison with heroin and oxycontin. Both have had considerable stints away from organized baseball. The two players have also both stayed sober for considerable amounts of time and have made comebacks. ESPN's Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons is an American sportswriter, media personality, and a recipient of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award for outstanding baseball writing, given by the BBWAA.-Education:...
made mentions of the similarities between the two players during his commentary at the 2008 MLB All Star Game. Hamilton has also followed Allison's struggles and has even made statements to the media that he would love to talk to Allison about his recovery and offer words of encouragement.. Hamilton said he would be willing to meet with Allison the next time the Rangers play the Red Sox in Boston during the 2012 season.