Gary Allenson
Gary Martin Allenson
(Hardrock or Muggsy)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 185 lb.
- School Arizona State University
- High School Lawndale High School
- Debut April 8, 1979
- Final Game August 23, 1985
- Born February 4, 1955 in Culver City, CA USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Catcher Gary Allenson was selected in the ninth round of the 1976 amateur draft, having helped Team USA to a Silver Medal in the 1975 Pan American Games. He was the International League MVP in 1978, when he hit .299 with 20 home runs and 78 RBI with the Pawtucket Red Sox. He played parts of seven seasons in the majors, primarily with the Red Sox, but was never able to fill the void left by Carlton Fisk when he departed for the Chicago White Sox in free agency. He became a spare catcher after a rough 1982 season, and finished his career up North with Toronto in 1985. In 1989, Allenson played for the Winter Haven Super Sox of the Senior Professional Baseball Association. He hit .340 in 43 games with the club. In 1990, he was with the Sun City Rays for the circuit's second season. He batted .313 in 10 games before the league folded.
Since his playing career ended, Allenson has been a major league coach and minor league manager for several organizations. He started with managing the Oneonta Yankees in 1987-1988 and ended with managing the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in 2017. Besides managing the teams noted below, Allenson was the Boston Red Sox bullpen coach in 1992-1993 and their third base coach in 1994. It appears Allenson was out of baseball in 1995.
He returned to managing in 1996-1999 in the Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, and Milwaukee Brewers organizations. In 2000 the Brewers promoted him to first base coach followed by two years as third base coach. Allenson next joined the Baltimore Orioles organization for one year managing the Ottawa Lynx. This was followed in 2004 by working for the Cincinnati Reds as their minor league catching coordinator. Another one year stint followed in 2005 managing in the Florida Marlins minor league system.
Allenson returned to the Orioles in 2006 when he managed the Bluefield Orioles and the Norfolk Tides from 2007 to mid-2010. On June 4, 2010, Allenson was brought up to the Orioles as a result of the firing of manager Dave Trembley. He took over for Juan Samuel as third base coach, while Samuel became the team's interim manager. He returned to Norfolk for 2011 and skippered the Aberdeen IronBirds in 2012 before flying the Orioles coop to manage in the Toronto Blue Jays chain. He started with the Fisher Cats in 2013, followed by three years with their Triple A outfit the Buffalo Bisons, and then the grand finale with the Fisher Cats in 2017.
In addition, Allenson managed the 2008 Surprise Rafters in the Arizona Fall League.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- 1978 MVP International League Pawtucket Red Sox
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