Ex-Peabody star Allison suffers heroin overdose

The sad saga of former Peabody High ace and Florida Marlins pitching prospect Jeff Allison , whose once-promising baseball career has been derailed by drug problems, took another disappointing turn Monday when, according to a Medford Police report, he suffered a heroin overdose.

According to the report, Allison, 21, was found lying unconscious in a T-shirt and shorts on the bathroom floor of a two-story home at 3 Hastings Lane Monday around 3 p.m. Heroin injection was cited as the cause of Allison's condition, and the report stated that police found a bag with heroin paraphernalia on the floor of the bathroom.

Jaclyn Caraviello , a resident where the incident took place, identified herself as Allison's friend and said she found him in the first-floor bathroom.

``I was freaking out," Caraviello said. ``I was in the kitchen screaming, `He's going to die. He's going to die.' I didn't know how he was. Thank God, he's fine."

Allison was taken to Winchester Hospital and released the same day, according to friends and witnesses. Medford Police Lieutenant Paul Cavino said no charges had been filed against Allison, but police have sought a complaint and Cavino could not rule out charges being brought.

Allison was drafted in the first round (16th overall) by Florida in 2003 after going 9-0 with a 0.00 earned run average and 142 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings as a senior at Peabody. He has not pitched this season for the Marlins organization and the team suspended him indefinitely in March. Marlins officials were unaware of this week's incident until informed by a Globe reporter.

This is Allison's second heroin overdose. The hard-throwing righthander told the Globe in 2004 he was addicted to the painkiller OxyContin, which he said he first began using when he was a junior at Peabody High. A two-part Globe series painstakingly detailed his downfall, which culminated in him nearly dying in July of 2004 after overdosing on heroin in Lynn.

``He's just been battling everything," said Andrew Coppola , a longtime friend who visited Allison at the hospital following this week's incident. ``He's been doing the best he can and unfortunately things like this keep happening. He has so much against him right now. He's doing what he can, but it's overwhelming him."

Coppola said he gave Allison a ride to the Medford residence Sunday night but was not present when Allison overdosed Monday afternoon. Coppola said he had not seen Allison since November before seeing him over the weekend.

Allison signed with the Marlins for $1.85 million in July of 2003, but has made just 20 appearances since. He pitched for Florida's rookie league team in the Gulf Coast League in 2003, going 0-2 with a 1.00 ERA in three appearances, spanning nine innings. After he left extended spring training in 2004 without permission, the Marlins placed him on the restricted list and he was forced to repay $250,000 of his signing bonus.

Allison battled back from his drug problems to return to the mound in May 2005, pitching for Florida's Single A affiliate in the South Atlantic League, the Greensboro (N.C.) Grasshoppers. The former Baseball America High School Player of the Year went 5-4 with a 4.18 ERA in 17 starts for Greensboro, striking out 83 in 94 2/3 innings.

Since his suspension the pitcher has been living in Greensboro with his mother, Noreen. A Greensboro address was listed for Allison on the police report.

``I know the reason he hadn't come back was because of his history here," said Coppola.

Attempts to reach Noreen Allison at the number listed for the Greensboro apartment she shares with her son were unsuccessful. (A woman who refused to identify herself, but said she was a family member, answered the phone at a number obtained for Allison's father, Bob. She said she didn't know Jeff Allison's whereabouts.)

Coppola said that not being able to pitch has exacerbated Allison's struggles.

``I think that's been the deciding factor in everything that's happened," he said. ``He screwed up a few times before, but he always had baseball to fall back on, and I always believed as long as he had baseball he'd pull out of this thing. It's possible that he doesn't have baseball anymore and I also think that's a deciding factor in what's going on and whether or not he'll be able to pull out of this."

Allison told the Globe in 2004, four months after his first overdose, how tough it is to conquer the demons of drug addiction.

``It's ridiculous," he said. ``It's something no one should go through in their life. It's the worst. You wake up. You don't think about it at first. But when you have a habit you don't think about it at first. And then you get up and as soon as you stand up you're like, `OK. I need to go get it.' Because you don't feel good. You physically do not feel good and mentally you know you want it."

Ryan Moorer , who succeeded Allison as Peabody's ace and now plays for the University of Maryland, was saddened by the news.

``He's probably the best player I've ever seen," said Moorer. ``The things he could do on the field were very special. Hopefully, he can straighten out and recover because I know he's still got the talent."

Gordon Edes and Thomas Farragher of the Globe staff contributed to this report