Mel Parnell

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Melvin Lloyd Parnell (born June 13, 1922 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is a former Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher.

Parnell spent his entire 10-year career with the Boston Red Sox (1947-1956) and compiled a 123-75 record with 732 strikeouts, a 3.50 earned run average, 113 complete games, 20 shutouts, and 1752.2 innings pitched in 289 games (232 as a starter). He is the third best ever lefty pitcher in Fenway Park with more than 25 decisions at 71-30 .703.

Parnell enjoyed his best season in 1949 when he went 25-7 leading the league in wins, ERA (2.77), complete games (27) and innings (295.1). He was the starting pitcher for the American League in that's year All-Star Game and was selected again in 1951.

After two 18-win seasons in 1950 and 1951, and a 12-12 record in 1952, Parnell went 21-8 in 1953 with a 3.06 ERA and a career-high 136 strikeouts. He pitched a no-hitter on July 14, 1956 against the Chicago White Sox at Fenway winning 4-0. The no-hitter was the first for a Red Sox pitcher since Howard Ehmke in 1923. After this Parnell went only 4-4 before a torn muscle in his pitching arm forced him to end his career early.

Parnell still holds the club career mark for left-handed pitchers in games started, innings and victories.

After his playing career, Parnell managed the New Orleans Pelicans of the Class AA Southern Association and a series of Red Sox farm clubs from 1961-63. He was a member of Boston's radio and television announcing crew from 1965-68.

Mel Parnell was selected to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997.

[edit] Quote

"Little soft pop-up...Petrocelli will take it...he does! The ball game is over! The Red Sox win! And there's a mob on this field! They're coming out of the stands from all over!" - Mel Parnell on WHDH-TV, calling the last out of the final game of the Red Sox regular season at Fenway Park, October 1, 1967, against the Minnesota Twins. The Sox had to wait to hear if they clinched the American League pennant or if they were to go to Detroit for a one-game playoff. The Detroit Tigers lost to the California Angels, and the Red Sox went on to the 1967 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.