Tom Allison played five pro seasons in the Mets organization and topped out at AAA. He never saw New York.
But what he'd hoped would be prep work for a major league playing role eventually turned out to be prep work for a post-playing career in scouting, he told The Arizona Republic years later.
"You've been scouting the whole time," Allison told The Republic in 2007, as he served as the Diamondbacks' new director of scouting. "Whether you're playing shortstop, and you think, 'This guy always pulls the ball so I've got to take one step into the hole."
Allison's path into scouting began in 1990, taken by the Mets in the 48th round of the draft out of Chapman Junior College. Allison was also credited as Tommy Allison.
Allison started with the Mets at short-season Pittsfield and in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He hit .244 over 60 games.
He played 1991 at single-A Columbia, high-A St. Lucie and AA Williamsport. He hit .250 on the year in 96 games. He then started 1992 at AA Binghamton. He also saw five games at AAA Tidewater.
Allison returned to Norfolk and Binghamton for 1993, 13 games at Norfolk and 63 at Binghamton. He then saw seven final games at Binghamton in 1994.
Early that April, the Mets gave Allison his release - then offered him a position as a coach.
"This isn't the end of something," Allison told The Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin then. "This is the start of something special."
Allison then soon turned scout. In 1998, based in Arizona and working for the Mets, he held a workout in Albuquerque.
In 2009, as scouting director for the Diamondbacks, he readied for a big draft that June with more scouting reports on players as the club had implemented a new scouting system, The Republic wrote.
"We knew that this scenario would be in front of us, and we started gathering information in the summer and getting multiple looks at guys," Allison told The Republic. "It's been great."
- Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin, April 3, 1994: Allison released, lands in Mets' coaching box
- Arizona Republic, May 11, 2007: Director set for 1st draft
- Arizona Republic, June 7, 2009: Scouting efforts intensified for vital draft
Made the Majors:1,254-34.2%
Never Made Majors:2,418-65.8%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:522
10+ Seasons in the Minors:308
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