WHY I THINK LANCE PARRISH SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK LANCE PARRISH SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Lance Parrish was one of the very best catchers of all time. The only catcher who played more than his 19 seasons in the Majors and hit more than his 324 homers is Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk (fellow Hall of Famer Gary Carter also played 19 seasons and hit exactly 324 homers). Parrish was an eight time all-star, a six time Silver Slugger, and a three time Gold Glove award winner who was the best player on one of the greatest teams of all time, the 1984 Tigers. Lance Parrish started his career with the Tigers in 1977, belting three home runs in 12 games. He was the Tigers’ regular catcher by 1979, batting .276, and was an all-star for the first time in 1980 with a .286 mark and 24 homers. The strike year came and went in 1981, as Parrish struggled to ten homers, but averaged 30 per season over the next four years. He was instrumental in the Tigers’ World Championship in 1984, clubbing 33 homers with 98 RBI’s in the regular season and hitting two more homers in the postseason. He also had two doubles and two sacrifice flies. Parrish remained a perennial all-star until 1987, his first year with the Phillies. He would make two more all-star teams, 1988 with the Phils and 1990 with the Angels. In 1990, he had a particularly good year, as he hit .268 with 24 homers. He followed up with 19 more in 1991 at the age of 35, but then his career began to slide. He hit a dozen homers in 1992, but he was essentially used as a backup catcher and a pinch hitter. He played his last game in 1995 as a member of the Blue Jays. Lance Parrish was a great power hitter, a fine defensive catcher, and one of the greatest of all time at the most wearisome defensive position. A catcher who hit as well as Parrish should always be a Hall of Famer, and that’s stated without considering his solid defense. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,988 season high: 155 in 1983 

At Bats career: 7,067 season high: 605 in 1983 

Hits career: 1,782 season high: 163 in 1983 

Doubles career: 305 season high: 42 in 1983 

Triples career: 27 season high: 6 in 1980 

Home Runs career: 324 season high: 33 in 1984 

Runs career: 856 season high: 80 in 1983 

Runs Batted In career: 1,070 season high: 114 in 1983 

Stolen Bases career: 28 season high: 6 in 1979 and 1980 

Walks career: 612 season high: 49 in 1979 

Strikeouts career: 1,527 season high: 120 in 1984 

Batting Average career: .252 season high: .286 in 1980 

On Base Percentage career: .313 season high: .343 in 1979 

Slugging Percentage career: .440 season high: .529 in 1982 

Total Bases career: 3,113 season high: 292 in 1983 

Sacrifice Hits career: 23 season high: 6 in 1995 

Fielding Percentage career: .991 season high: .997 in 1991 

Double Plays career: 156 season high: 21 in 1990 led AL C: 11 in 1984 and 1988, 15 in 1990 

Putouts career: 9,840 season high: 794 in 1990 

Assists career: 986 season high: 90 in 1990 led AL C: 88 in 1990 

Caught Stealing Percentage career: .386 season high: .486 in 1983 led AL C: .486 in 1983 

Pickoffs career: 27 season high: 6 in 1982 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “Big Wheel” 

-finished ninth in the AL MVP Award voting in 1983, 13th in 1982, and 16th in 1984 

-led the AL with 13 sacrifice flies in 1983 

-hit over 20 home runs in a season seven times (hitting 20 homers in the 1980’s was as highly regarded as hitting 30 today) 

-set the AL record for home runs by a catcher in 1982 and beat it again in 1984 

-caught Jack Morris’s no-hitter on April 7, 1984 

-was 1-for-1 in stolen base attempts in the postseason (the theft coming in the 1984 World Series) 

-won two career AL Player of the Week awards 

-led AL catchers in runners thrown out attempting to steal in 1983 (54) and 1990 (55) 

-among MLB catchers, ranks 13th in career games caught, 24th in double plays, 19th in putouts, and 41st in caught stealing 

-also played 30 games at first base, six in the outfield, 121 as a DH, 66 as a pinch hitter, and one as a pinch runner