WHY I THINK MEL PARNELL SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK MEL PARNELL SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Mel Parnell, one of the greatest pitchers in Red Sox history, is seldom mentioned in Hall of Fame debates. A lot of people don’t seem to realize how difficult it is to pitch in Fenway Park, especially for a lefthanded pitcher, such as Parnell. The Green Monster in left is only about 310 feet away from home plate (Parnell said that he once measured it to be 297 feet), while the rightfield wall, which is only about four feet tall, is but 302 feet from the plate. In addition, there is practically no foul territory, saving batters a whole lot of foulouts. This all makes for a terrible pitching environment. During his peak years - 1948 through 1953 - Parnell was arguably the best pitcher in baseball. He won 25 games and the ERA Title in 1949, and tossed a no-hitter at Fenway in 1956. He was most famous for his slider, but he also sported a curveball and a screwball. Mel Parnell started his career in 1947, going 2-3 in 15 games. His career got off to a late start on account of World War II, when he served with the U.S. Air Force, and he made his MLB debut a couple months before his 25th birthday. In 1948, Parnell went 15-8 with a 3.14 ERA, setting the stage for his legendary 1949 season. That year Parnell went 25-7, led the American League in ERA, and allowed only eight home runs in nearly 300 innings. He started the all-star game for the AL and led the Majors with 27 complete games. Parnell followed up with two 18 win seasons. He slumped a bit in 1952 (12-12, 3.62) but came back in 1953 to go 21-8. Alas, Parnell’s career fell apart after that, as arm injuries ended his career when he was only 34. In 1956, Parnell had one last hurrah when he threw a no-hitter against the White Sox on July 14. He pitched his final game on September 29 of that season. Mel Parnell was a great pitcher whose career record is often shunned for a lack of counting statistics. His 3.50 career ERA does not look overwhelming, but was good for an adjusted ERA of 125 (which accounts for the league ERA and ballparks), which is of Hall of Fame quality. I think that I should be the first one to at least mention his name in a Hall of Fame debate, as he was truly an outstanding pitcher. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games Pitched career: 289 season high: 40 in 1950 

Starts career: 232 season high: 34 in 1953 

Complete Games career: 113 season high: 27 in 1949 led AL: 27 in 1949 

Shutouts career: 20 season high: 5 in 1953 

Games Finished career: 36 season high: 8 in 1950 

Wins career: 123 season high: 25 in 1949 led AL: 25 in 1949 

Losses career: 75 season high: 12 in 1952 

Winning Percentage career: .621 season high: .781 in 1949 

ERA career: 3.50 season low: 2.77 in 1949 led AL: 2.77 in 1949 

WHIP career: 1.411 season high: 1.327 in 1949 

Innings Pitched career: 1,752 ⅔ season high: 295 ⅓ in 1949 led AL: 295 ⅓ in 1949 

Strikeouts career: 732 season high: 136 in 1953 

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings career: 3.8 season high: 5.1 in 1953 

Walks career: 758 season high: 134 in 1949 led AL: 116 in 1953 

Strikeouts Per Walk career: 0.97 season high: 1.20 in 1952 

Saves career: 10 season high: 3 in 1950 

Fielding Percentage career: .971 season high: 1.000 in 1949 and 1952 led AL P: 1.000 in 1949 and 1952 

Double Plays career: 27 season high: 6 in 1950 

Putouts career: 69 season high: 15 in 1952 

Assists career: 327 season high: 67 in 1950 led AL P: 67 in 1950 

Caught Stealing Percentage career: .381 season high: .667 in 1951 

Pickoffs career: 4 season high: 2 in 1951 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “Dusty” 

-pitched seven innings on his MLB debut and allowed only two earned runs 

-finished fourth in the AL MVP Award voting in 1949, 14th in 1953, 21st in 1950, and 24th in 1951 

-led the AL in batters faced (1,240) in 1949 

-batted .309 in 1951 and .316 in 1955 

-worked as a broadcaster for the Red Sox from 1965 through 1968 and for the White Sox in 1969 

-was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997