Gary Allenson story

[eddie83]

Sorry if this should be moved to the minors section but what a story. How often do you see a coach complaining publicly. He was in the majors two years ago and now is at Aberdeen. Common sense says he wouldn't be happy nobody would. Sounds like he wants out to say the least. Calls out Buck in a sense.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/baseball-baltimore-orioles/news/Allenson-I-want-to-be-in-the-big-leagues?blockID=735876&feedID=6704

[Lucky Jim]

[video=youtube;JAW3KCoyI7Q]

[Ampontan]

Interesting article. Thanks for uploading it. But...he calls out Buck for what? He doesn't say they were friends, the author of the piece does. (He puts other words in his mouth too.) Friends or not, Showalter certainly knows him, but hired Randolph, Russell, Kirby, and Hale instead. Does Buck owe him a job? Duquette seems to have been the one who wanted the new Norfolk manager, and Showalter communicates well with him. Better than Allenson, from the looks of things.

People get passed over for promotions all the time for all sorts of reasons. He doesn't like the bus travel, but AAA teams travel by bus too. In fact, he's probably had to do less of it, because he was in charge of extended spring training, IIRC. I would think that's an extremely important job that has a great deal of potential impact on the big league team and on all players' careers.

If he had a major league job offer, I don't think they'd stand in his way. He should be well-known in baseball, but he doesn't seem to have had any other offers. I remember Tony P having complimentary things to say about him when Allenson was managing Bowie, and I'm sure he knows his baseball. So, perhaps there are other reasons. Here's one possibility: Duquette wants someone else in his role, but didn't have time to hire anyone after he got hired. Aren't most of those jobs filled by that time?

[Frobby]

Not too classy to go public with his complaints. He's as good as gone.

[Rene88]

I cannot defend his comments but I was shocked when he was assigned to Aberdeen. My father, who I would like to think knows baseball reasonably well, thinks he could be a good ML manager.

I personally had hoped he would be our 3b coach this year. He brings a lot but I agree, this is not the way to get attention.

I would hate to lose him.

[Slappy]

I cannot defend his comments but I was shocked when he was assigned to Aberdeen. My father, who I would like to think knows baseball reasonably well, thinks he could be a good ML manager.

I personally had hoped he would be our 3b coach this year. He brings a lot but I agree, this is not the way to get attention.

I would hate to lose him.

"our" 3b coach? Is he with the Nats now?

[Since'54]

Not too classy to go public with his complaints. He's as good as gone.

Interesting fact about Allenson: He came up through the Red Sox organization which gave me a chance to follow him from my long term perch in Massachusetts. Played for Sox AAA team in Pawtucket and set Pawtucket record for men picked off first base. Promoted to Boston where, inexplicably, the Sox made it a project to change the way he threw to first base. So he has a history of dubious management decisions. Its what I think about in relation to Showalter's effort to alter Matusz's approach.

[Ampontan]

Not to beat this horse, but the more I think about it, the worst part was his dissing of the players at Aberdeen. No good prospects. Only likes Bernadina. This for a team with a lot of recently drafted players playing pro ball for the first time with a new org. and the manager puts them down.

How often do you see major league managers talk like that about their players? They bend over backwards to accentuate the positive. The usual criticism when it comes specifies aspects of poor performance. Even then, with position players, they often don't mention names.

Some people think he would be a good manager? Maybe bullpen handling and lineups, but not the talking in public part.

[Lucky Jim]

Not to beat this horse, but the more I think about it, the worst part was his dissing of the players at Aberdeen. No good prospects. Only likes Bernadina. This for a team with a lot of recently drafted players playing pro ball for the first time with a new org. and the manager puts them down.

Not to defend Allenson...but he didn't say that. He identified three guys he likes. The writer noted the lack of "top prospects." He actually seemed more upbeat about the coaching part.

There is still some enjoyment to the job.

“The rewarding part is when players start listening to you and make some adjustments,” Allenson said.

Even though the Ironbirds don’t have any top prospects , Allenson likes a 19-year-old outfielder from Curacao, Roderick Bernadina, a hard-throwing 23-year-old pitcher from the Dominican Republic, Jose Nivar and a 20-year old right-hander, Sebastian Vader.

When a runner is left on third at the end of the inning, Allenson will take to them at length about their at-bats.

‘It requires much patience,” he said.

[Ampontan]

Thanks for the correction. However, how would the author know whether there are any "top prospects" there, when so many of the players are new to the system? The three Allenson likes have already been in the system.

[Lucky Jim]

Thanks for the correction. However, how would the author know whether there are any "top prospects" there, when so many of the players are new to the system? The three Allenson likes have already been in the system.

I know that we don't have any "top prospects" in Aberdeen, and all I do is read a message board. He probably just checked prospect lists. My guess is, he asked Allenson to give him a couple of names, and then framed it in a really crappy way in the article.

[Tony-OH]

I can understand Allenson's frustrations, but going public in the middle of a season is pretty shocking, especially with a capable manager in Brad Komminsk on his staff. The writer should have contacted John Stockstill and or Duquette for comment. It would be interesting to hear how they appreciate one of their minor league managers discussing this situation a few weeks into the season.

[Moose Milligan]

Well, Gare, I want to be in the big leagues, too. But some things just aren't in the cards.

[HokieOs]

That is bizarre that he was demoted that far. I didn't realize Komminsk was with him in Aberdeen too though. Dude went from manager in Bowie to an assistant in Aberdeen (granted, he was under Allenson last year in Norfolk).

As mentioned above, seems as if Duquette got on the job, made the changes he wanted to make at the top, didn't have a lot of time to make a decision on Aberdeen so instead of terminating contracts (if there were any) with Allenson/Komminsk, just gave them jobs with the Ironbirds.

I doubt we see either back with the franchise in 2013.

[notfast]

can you really look at a minor league manager job the same way you look at a player making his way thru the minors? A to AA to AAA to MLB etc...

I mean a manager of an AAA team like Norfolk isn't doing "much" teaching (especially with the club we have) where as someone like Frederick/Bowie/Aberdeen/Delmarva has a bunch of young men whom need to be molded and taught things in order to get them to the big leagues.

I would think a club would put the best "teacher" at the lower levels...

Or maybe I just don't follow the managerial structure in the minors that much and am completely off base.