Not sure if this was posted already and I'm too lazy to look...if it has been then just delete it.

 

 

2003 Baseball America High School

Player of the Year: Jeff Allison

 

by Alan Matthews

June 20, 2003

 

 

Young athletes growing up in the Northeast most often gravitate to hockey, basketball or football. Summers are short and winters bitterly cold, making baseball a less attractive option and ensuring fewer blue-chip baseball prospects than other regions.

 

But Massachusetts' Jeff Allison shattered those stereotypes with a senior season that earned him Baseball America's High School Player of the Year Award.

 

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association voted last fall to ban metal bats for the 2003 regular season and tournament. Somewhere, Allison was grinning ear to ear.

 

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthander from Veterans Memorial High of Peabody, Mass., had already dominated hitters armed with aluminum as a junior. He was downright devastating this spring against those wielding wood.

 

Allison tossed 63 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run. He was 9-0, 0.00 with 142 strikeouts and nine walks, surrendering just 13 hits and one unearned run. He also batted .441-2-29.

 

"A number of times after Allison won a game all the reporters went and talked to the players that got hits," coach Ed Nizwantowski said. "That's how good he was, they wanted to talk to the guy who (reached base) against him. I've coached for 34 years and this was something special. Rarely do you run into something like this."

 

Dogged Demeanor

 

As electric as his arm is, Allison offers an equally overpowering attitude. He pitches with ferocity, trying to overpower opponents with both his stuff and his will.

 

"I don't care where you're from," Allison said. "I know where I'm from and I'm going to dominate you. It's a different mentality I've had all my life."

 

And Allison, the Marlins' first-round pick, supported that statement this spring. He tossed a two-hitter in his first outing, a 7-0 win over Everett (Mass.) High and spun consecutive no-hitters in May, the first in a 2-0 win against Cambridge High of Weston, Mass., and the second against Somerville (Mass.) High in a 10-0 win in which he struck out 20. Allison's award-winning season also featured four one-hitters.

 

"So many times during the course of the year, he would stand up guys with his breaking ball," Nizwantowski said. "But to me the difference was his control. His control was astronomical and his determination is unbelievable."

 

Some may say Allison's season deserves an asterisk because of Massachusetts' use of wood bats (the MIAA announced to return to aluminum bats in 2004), but he disagrees.

 

"You'd think it would be easier but I didn't think it was," he said. "Whenever I'm pitching every team shortens their swing. But I just play a little harder than they do and some say I get into their heads.

 

"You look into their face, eye-to-eye before they get into the box. Once you throw that first curveball and their knees buckle, that's when you know they're nervous. And then they're a second late on the fastball and you know you've got them."

 

As if his mid-90s fastball, mid-80s power breaking ball and good control weren't enough of an advantage, Allison's tenacious approach gave him an extra edge.

 

"He's the real deal," said Pat Yanchus, the coach at nearby St. John's Prep, which lost to Allison in the district semifinals. "He's throwing in the mid-90s, and he has a good curve and throws it almost 85. Most guys aren't throwing their fastballs that hard."

 

Storybook Ending

 

It was against Yanchus and St. John's Prep that Allison's career reached its pinnacle. In the North Division sectional semifinals, Veterans Memorial fell behind 1-0 on an unearned run in the top of eighth inning and Allison moved to right field.

 

"His pitch count was high and I think he just needed some time to rest," Nizwantowski said. "There were 4,000-4,500 people there and it was an (exhausting) atmosphere."

 

Junior righthander Ryan Moorer entered and got the final out of the inning before Allison singled in the bottom of the eighth, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error that plated the game-tying run. With two outs and pinch-hitter Robert Celanto at the plate, Allison made a gamble that paid off with the winning run.

 

"I was thinking to myself he wasn't going to hit the ball, so I took a real big lead," Allison said. "Then finally, on the 0-2 pitch I took off . . . the pitch was a ball and I jumped over the catcher and came back and touched home plate. There were about 4,000 people going insane."

 

With a 2-1 lead, Allison returned to right field, but when Danvers' Matt Antonelli reached base with one out in the ninth, Nizwantowski looked out to Allison.

 

"I told him to let me know when he wanted to come back in and he gave me the sign," Nizwantowski said.

 

"It was like a scene from a movie," Allison said. "I went into the dugout and changed my glove and no one really knew what was going on for a second. Then I came out and everyone went ballistic."

 

Allison retired the side, earning the win, the save and scoring the game's decisive run.

 

"He kept saying he wasn't going to lose to this baseball team," Nizwantowski said. "He talked the talk and walked the walk."

 

There won't be many steals of home or late-inning returns to the mound for Allison, but his future as a professional is promising.

 

Entering his senior season, he was in a group of highly regarded prep pitchers and climbed the draft charts rapidly with his lean, athletic frame and fluid delivery.

 

"His pitching motion is like you and I walking, that?s how easy it is," Nizwantowski said.

 

"He usually brings good stuff to the park and his competitiveness sets him apart," Marlins scouting director Stan Meek said. "He has a very good arm with a three-quarters, power breaking ball and good velocity. His personality of being a real tough competitor was something we really liked, as well."

 

Allison may have been a top 10 pick, but speculation suggested he would be tough to sign. Meek was optimistic Allison would sign and felt strongly enough about Allison's tools and makeup to take him with the 16th overall pick.

 

"You could call it a little bit of a chip on his shoulder, and a good chip," said Meek when asked about Allison's attitude. "It's helped him become more determined, to work harder, and we like that."

Sweet article -- sounds awesome! Good find.

they really need to get him signed, the last thing we want to happen is have a great talent not sign and go back in the draft down the road. just ask the yankees if they still wish they could have signed this HS starter back in 1998 i think his name was Mark Prior lol

isn't one of the reasons he fell to the Marlins because there were concerns about his signability?

lets get him signed already

Yea we need to sign this guy. He is Dominant and was untouchble were ever he was. We already lost a couple of prospects so lets hpe we can sign this guy!

We need to sign him, but we need to keep ourselves in check.

He has been as highly touted as Beckett was straight from HS.

 

We need to get this kid wrapped-up...

He has been as highly touted as Beckett was straight from HS.

 

We need to get this kid wrapped-up...

I specialize in the media and stadium news for the Marlins, but this kid doesn't seem right for me. he needs to be brought back to earth, I just hope it ain't done by a Barry Bonds Homer if you know what I mean.

We have to sign this guy, he sounds like he could be a great pitcher in the big leagues.

I specialize in the media and stadium news for the Marlins, but this kid doesn't seem right for me. he needs to be brought back to earth, I just hope it ain't done by a Barry Bonds Homer if you know what I mean.

This kid has 1st overall pick stuff. That's why he's asking for 1st overall pick money. It only makes sense...

I think we should sign him, but to a more Beckett-like contract with performance incentives. Let him earn what he is worth, don't just give it to him, because he had a 0.00 ERA in high school, but may not be able to do it in the Minors or Majors. Nothing in baseball is guaranteed.

but he wasnt the 1st overall pick. 15 other teams passed him up, i wish this was more like the NBA draft. it wouldnt be that complicated. how the hell does a highschool kid have the balls to basically hold a major league organization hostage?

Nothing in baseball is guaranteed.

When you have the stuff this kid does, almost...

i wish this was more like the NBA draft. it wouldnt be that complicated.

If it were more like the NBA draft, a player of the caliber would have never fallen to 16th.

If it were more like the NBA draft, a player of the caliber would have never fallen to 16th.

yeah, but at least we would pretty much be guaranteed signing our first round pick. whats the point of drafting someone of his caliber if we cant sign him and lose him? just like that we waste a 1st round with nothing to show for it.

yeah, but at least we would pretty much be guaranteed signing our first round pick. whats the point of drafting someone of his caliber if we cant sign him and lose him? just like that we waste a 1st round with nothing to show for it.

He'll be signed, because he wants money NOW. He doesn't want to college and have to wait.

 

He'll sign...

He'll be signed, because he wants money NOW. He doesn't want to college and have to wait.

 

He'll sign...

i know he will probably sign, although there have times when the pick dont sign. but what i dont like is the fact that he's going to get way more than the 16th pick is recommended to receive. if we got him 16th, than we should be able to pay him what that pick would normally be worth. i know thats not how it works in baseball, but thats how it works in the other 3 major sports, and its how it should be in baseball.

He'll be signed, because he wants money NOW. He doesn't want to college and have to wait.

 

He'll sign...

It is possible that he wouldn't sign and then wait til next years draft. J.D. Drew did it a couple of years ago.

He'll be signed, because he wants money NOW. He doesn't want to college and have to wait.

 

He'll sign...

It is possible that he wouldn't sign and then wait til next years draft. J.D. Drew did it a couple of years ago. yep, than got batteries thrown at him the first time he went to the Vet. i had to mention that, its funny seeing Philly fans getting pissed because it doesnt take much. :shifty