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 Marlins of the Gulf Coast League 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 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 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 All-Star Team.
In 2009 Allison was assigned again to the Single A Jupiter Hammerheads. 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 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.
Allison was promoted full-time to Double A Jacksonville 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 would become a free agent.
In a February, 2012 article written by Peter Gammons about Josh Hamilton. Allison was quoted as stating that he would most likely be retiring from professional baseball. Allison stated that he heard a pop in his elbow three years prior but ignored it, the injury would require surgery and an extended rehabilitation period.
Read more about this topic: Jeff Allison
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