'I love the competition': WooSox outfielder Greg Allen works toward another shot in the major leagues
WORCESTER — For the record, WooSox outfielder Greg Allen’s nickname is short for Gregory, not gregarious, although it could be.
The native Californian is another in a series of high-energy, glad-to-be-here players with big-league experience that Boston has signed to provide leadership at the Triple-A level, and insurance in the majors when necessary.
“You have to be ready for any opportunity whenever it presents itself,” Allen said. “At this level, you know opportunities are given, but not guaranteed.”
Allen turned 30 in March. He is a switch-hitter, a natural-born righty, and lean at 6 feet tall and 187 pounds. Allen is a speed-and-defense player who should benefit from the new rules to bring the sport back into a better balance.
He graduated from high school in Chula Vista, California, just south of San Diego and did not stray far from home until 2013 when he played summer ball for Orleans in the Cape Cod League.
His college ball was at San Diego State, which is where his résumé gets interesting. His coach there was Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. When he made his major league debut with Cleveland in 2017, Allen’s manager was Terry Francona, a likely future Hall of Famer.
If Allen had not been a good hitter naturally, he would never have gotten to San Diego State. Playing for Gwynn made him a better one, though. His teaching was mostly about what happened outside the batter’s box than inside.
“It was more approach based,” Allen said. “It was how to attack some of the mental aspects of the game, how to prepare your mind, slow things down and simplify the game. He was huge on preparation, huge on video even before it became so important throughout baseball.”
Cleveland took Allen in the sixth round of the 2014 draft. He joined the team in September 2017 when the then-Indians were seven games into what became a 22-game winning streak. Allen played parts of four seasons in Cleveland before being traded to his hometown Padres, so he saw a lot of Francona.
“He was awesome,” Allen said. “His résumé speaks for itself. It was great having the chance to play under him, understand the caliber of manager he is and see his ability to bring guys together and create winning teams.”
Allen was part of a huge trade with San Diego in 2020 and got to play for the Padres, who had evolved into his hometown team. That took a while, though.
“I became a fan over time,” he said. “When I was growing up, I was mostly just into baseball itself and different players. I didn’t have one special team, but as I got older, it was definitely root for the home team.”
Allen played one game for San Diego, and it was in Anaheim. The Yankees picked him up that offseason. Allen had a good year in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2021 and was with New York for the playoffs, then went to the Pirates on waivers.
Last season was a down year for Allen. He strained his left hamstring early and did not play until late July. Up returning, he never really got going. Hamstring injuries are notoriously slow to heal, and speed had always been a big part of Allen’s game.
“It was my first time dealing with an injury of that magnitude that kept me out for that long,” he said. “Having my legs under me, and having my legs healthy, is obviously a key part of what I can do, and I was crippled by that a little bit last year.”
Allen became a free agent in the offseason, and Boston signed him to a minor league deal in January. He had other conversations but decided that the Red Sox were the best fit for him and signed here.
His assignment to the WooSox closed a baseball circle for Allen. He never saw the Padres play during their Jack Murphy — later Qualcomm — Stadium days. His first major league game in person was at Petco Park, a Larry Lucchino and Janet Marie Smith design.
So here he is now at Polar Park, the most recent Lucchino-Smith project.
Allen likes the ballpark and still enjoys the game itself.
“I love the competition, I love the process, I love the result of all the hard work you put in,” he said. “Obviously not every day is going to be a great day, but you always have the next day.
“I think that’s one of the things that keeps you going.”
And perhaps going back to the major leagues.
—Contact Bill Ballou at sports@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillBallouTG.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: WooSox outfielder Greg Allen works toward another opportunity in majors
