Roy Parker (minors03)

Roy E. Parker, Jr.
(Rabbit, Ducky)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 7", Weight 173 lb.
• Born April 7, 1926 in Mansfield, TX USA
• Died March 19, 1998 in Lubbock, TX USA

BR Minors page

Biographical information

Roy Parker was a multi-talented minor leaguer who hit over 200 home runs as a batter and won nearly 100 games as a pitcher. He led his league three times in runs scored and twice in both wins and pitching strikeouts.

Parker served in the Navy during World War II. He began his professional career after the War in 1946, splitting the season between the Milford Red Sox (.296/.397/.386, 2 HR in 77 G) and the Durham Bulls (5 for 15 in 14 games) and hitting .296 with two home runs in 91 games. As a pitcher, he appeared in 13 games for Milford and six for Durham, going a combined 7-5 with 94 hits allowed in 114 innings. He was with the Oneonta Red Sox in 1947, playing sparingly (3 games).

In 1948, he began a three-year stretch with the Pampa Oilers of the high-offense West Texas-New Mexico League. He hit .341 with six home runs in 135 at-bats in his first year in the circuit, also going 9-13 with a 5.13 ERA in 35 pitching appearances, walking 155 batters in 186 innings.

At the dish in 1949, Parker hit .296 with 24 home runs and 22 doubles in 120 games. He starred as a pitcher that year, going 23-10 with a 4.86 ERA in 36 games. He led the league in wins, strikeouts (235) and innings pitched (263). He tied Don Ferrarese for the league league in walks (184) and he finished third in runs allowed (192).

In 1950, Parker hit .346/.444/.703 with 22 home runs and 22 doubles in 100 games, finishing second in the league in slugging percentage, behind Harry Bright. He was again one of the league's top pitchers as well, going 27-12 with a 4.55 ERA in 49 games (34 starts). He led the league in wins, strikeouts (256), games started, innings pitched (297) and walks (188). He was second in the league in appearances, behind Raymond Faust.

He moved to another offensive circuit, the Big States League, in 1951, playing for the Sherman-Denison Twins. In 129 games, he hit .345 with 18 home runs and 15 triples in 129 games, finishing second in the league in triples (2 shy of Sal Zunno) and third in slugging percentage (.559). He pitched in 25 games, going 11-10 with a 4.56 ERA and finishing second in the league in walks (125).

In 1952, he transferred to another BSL team, the Paris Indians, with whom he hit .316/.438/.553 with 98 walks, 119 runs, 109 RBI, 15 steals, 37 doubles, 12 triples and 23 home runs in 146 games. He tied for third in the league in games. As a pitcher, he was used sparingly, posting an 8.57 ERA in seven games, losing his lone decision. He also led the loop with 22 outfield errors.

Parker made a return to the WTNML for 1953, hitting .353/.451/.508 with 41 home runs, 38 doubles, 12 triples, 194 hits, 94 walks, 18 steals and 160 RBI in 140 games. He led the league in runs (177, 12 ahead of runner-up Don Stokes) and finished third in the league in home runs and tied for third in games. In 35 games (23 starts) as a pitcher, he went 11-12 with a 4.95 ERA.

He played for the Bryan Indians/Del Rio Indians (.318/.407/.604, 17 HR, 83 R in 81 G) of the BSL and Miami Beach Flamingos/Greater Miami Flamingos (.229/.325/.357, 1 HR in 20 G) of the Florida International League in 1954, hitting a combined .303 with 18 home runs in 101 games. His .604 slugging percentage was third in the league. As a pitcher, he went 2-7 with a 6.00 ERA in 14 games (10 starts).

In 1955, he moved south of the United States' border, playing for the Mexico City Reds of the Mexican League. He appeared in 88 games as a batter (.324/.440/.565, 16 HR, 90 R in 88 G) and six as a pitcher (1-2, 6.30). He led the Liga in runs, two ahead of teammate Felipe Hernandez, the runner-up. Playing in the then-AA league, it was his first time above B ball.

Back stateside for 1956, Parker returned to the Clovis Pioneers, now of the Southwestern League. That season, he hit .354 with 123 runs, 133 RBI, 36 home runs (tied for 5th in the high-flying league) and 39 doubles in 134 games, while going 5-9 with a 6.20 ERA in 37 games (six starts) as a pitcher. He also managed the squad from August 22 to season's end, replacing Glenn McQuillen.

He split 1957 between the Wenatchee Chiefs of the Northwest League (.238/.344/.357, 5 HR in 79 G), the Clovis Redlegs of the SWLG (.319/.422/.549, 5 HR in 28 G) and the Savannah Redlegs of the South Atlantic League (.222/.360/.333, 2 HR, 16 BB in 22 G), hitting a combined .256 with 12 home runs in 129 games. He went 1-0 in three appearances as a pitcher.

The 32-year-old wrapped up his professional career in 1958, hitting .277 with five home runs in 72 games for the Salem Senators of the Northwest League. He had a 27.00 ERA in a single inning of work.

Overall, Parker hit 284 doubles, 88 triples and 222 home runs in his 13-year career as a batter. He scored 1,092 times in 1,325 games. He won 97 games, lost 81 and walked 977 batters in 268 pitching appearances. He had a 4.83 ERA and hit .319.

After baseball, he worked for Gene White Electric than owned Roy Parker Electrical and Roy Parker Taxidermy.

His birth year has also been listed as 1927.[1]

Year-By-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs	Notes
1956	Clovis Pioneers	Southwestern League	7-14	10th	Cincinnati Reds		replaced Red McQuillen (12-31)

Sources

• Parker obituary
• 1947, 1951, 1953-1956 and 1958 Baseball Guides
• The Minor League Register ed. by W. Lloyd Johnson