Garvin Alston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Garvin Alston |
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Alston with the Kane County Cougars in 2006
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| San Francisco Giants – No. 81 | |||
| Pitcher / Coach | |||
| Born: December 8, 1971 Mount Vernon, New York, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 6, 1996, for the Colorado Rockies | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 18, 1996, for the Colorado Rockies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 1–0 | ||
| Earned run average | 9.00 | ||
| Strikeouts | 5 | ||
| CPBL statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 1–0 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.18 | ||
| Strikeouts | 21 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Garvin James Alston Sr. (born December 8, 1971) is an American former professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies in 1996. After he stopped playing, he became a coach. He used to be the pitching coach for the Minnesota Twins. Currently, he is the bullpen coach for the San Francisco Giants.
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Early Life and Amateur Baseball Career
Garvin Alston grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. He played baseball at Mount Vernon High School. In 1989, during his senior year, he pitched a special game. He threw the first no-hitter for his school since 1979. A no-hitter means the other team didn't get any hits! Alston also hit very well, with a .439 batting average.
After high school, Alston played college baseball at Mercy College in 1990. As a freshman, he was named Rookie of the Year for New York State. He was also chosen for an All-Star team that played at Yankee Stadium. In his second year, he was named a Division II All-American.
During the summers of 1990 and 1991, he played for the Brewster Whitecaps. This team is part of the Cape Cod Baseball League, a famous summer league for college players. He was named an All-Star in 1991.
Alston later transferred to Florida International University. In 1991, he was invited to try out for the United States national baseball team. This team was preparing for the 1992 Summer Olympics. He didn't make the final team, but it was a great honor.
Professional Baseball Journey
The Colorado Rockies picked Garvin Alston in the 10th round of the 1992 Major League Baseball draft. This was the Rockies' first year in the draft, as they were a new team. Alston was excited because he thought new teams would give young players a chance to reach the Major Leagues quickly.
He started his professional career with the Bend Rockies in Oregon. He had to get used to a new place and new people. He played well, allowing only one home run in 73 innings pitched.
The next year, Alston moved up to a higher level of minor league baseball. He struggled a bit as a starting pitcher. But when the Rockies started using him as a closer, he felt much more confident. A closer is a pitcher who finishes the game. This success led him to the Double-A New Haven Ravens in 1994.
In 1994, Alston was added to the Colorado Rockies' 40-man roster. This meant he was closer to playing in the Major Leagues. He also became part of the Major League Baseball Players Association. Because of this, he could not join spring training during the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike.
In 1995, the Rockies' general manager told Alston he would be on the team's Opening Day roster. However, he was sent back to Double-A before playing in a Major League game. He spent the rest of the season pitching for the New Haven Ravens.
Major League Debut
In 1996, Alston started the season in Triple-A with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. He was pitching very well. On June 5, 1996, he was called up to the Major League team.
He made his MLB debut the next night against the Houston Astros. He pitched in the eighth inning. He earned his first pitching win on June 11. He also got his first strikeout in that game. However, his time in the Major Leagues was short. His last MLB game was on June 18, 1996. He was sent back to Triple-A later that month.
Alston hoped to return to the Major Leagues in 1997. But he needed elbow surgery and missed the entire season. He pitched in Triple-A in 1998.
In 1999, Alston played in Taiwan for the Wei Chuan Dragons. He won the Taiwan Series championship that year. He later signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and played in their minor league system. He also played for the Kansas City Royals organization. In 2003, he tried to return to baseball with an independent league team, but the league stopped playing mid-season.
Looking back, Alston said playing baseball was "everything I dreamt of." He also mentioned that he wished he had focused more on enjoying the game and making memories with friends.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Garvin Alston became a baseball coach. He worked for the Oakland Athletics organization from 2005 to 2015. He was a pitching coach for their minor league teams. He also helped coordinate pitching for all their minor league players.
In 2016, the Arizona Diamondbacks hired Alston as their bullpen coach. A bullpen coach helps the relief pitchers. In 2017, he returned to the Athletics as their Major League bullpen coach.
Alston became the pitching coach for the Minnesota Twins in 2018. He helped improve the skills of pitchers like Ryan Pressly. In 2021, he became the pitching coach for the Sacramento River Cats.
On November 14, 2023, the San Francisco Giants hired Alston to be their bullpen coach.
Personal Life
Garvin Alston is married to Natasha. They both went to Mount Vernon High School.
His son, Garvin Alston Jr., also plays baseball. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2015 and 2019. He played college baseball before joining the White Sox organization. Garvin Alston is also the cousin of former Major League Baseball outfielder Dell Alston.
