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Mel Parnell
Born: 1922

LHP 1947-56 Red Sox

Mel Parnell's Teammates

  • Led League in w 49
  • Led League in era 49
  • All-Star in 1949, 51

IPW-LERA
Career 1752123-753.50

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Book Excerpts
» "The last Red Sox lefty to win 20 games was Mel Parnell, in 1953": Dan Shaughnessy
» Mel Parnell from Growing Up Baseball by Harvey Frommer & Frederic J. Frommer

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Reminiscent of graceful Herb Pennock, Parnell was one of the most stylish and successful Red Sox lefthanders ever, as well as a consummate gentleman. Successful in Fenway Park (70-30) with its looming Green Monster, he handled righthanded hitters with baffling inside sliders. In 1949 he was the AL's leader in wins (25) and ERA (2.77). He won 18 in each of the next two seasons. After an off-year in 1952, he rebounded with a 21-8 mark in 1953. Parnell struggled with a bad elbow for three more years before retiring, but in his final season, he threw the Red Sox' first no-hitter in 33 years (7/14/56). "I never did reach a state of nervousness," he said afterward, "because I just didn't expect it to happen." (EC)
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
» May 17, 1947: A seagull flies over Fenway Park and pelts St. Louis Browns P Ellis Kinder with a 3-pound smelt, missing him by a gill. The unflappable Kinder holds on to top the Red Sox, 4–2, giving up six hits, including Eddie Pellagrini's 3rd homer of the year. Mel Parnell gives up three runs in four innings for the loss.

» May 5, 1948: Against the Tigers, Red Sox P Mel Parnell has two balks called on successive pitches. He scatters 10 hits and gets no decision as reliever Ellis Kinder is the 4–3 winner. SS Vern Stephens participates in five DPs with Boston getting another going Ted Williams to Birdie Tebbetts.

» July 19, 1948: At Boston, Mel Parnell wins stopping the Browns, 4–1 as his infielders tally 11 assists. The Sox score all their runs in the 1st on Bobby Doerr's grand slam.

» August 31, 1948: The Red Sox keep their precarious hold on 1st place with an 8–4 win over the Tigers. Mel Parnell is the complete game winner. Ted Williams has two hits, scores two runs and steals a base.

» September 25, 1949: Despite 71 injuries that kept players out of games, Casey Stengel and his Yankees have been in first place all season. But today the Red Sox move into a tie for first place with a 4-1 victory over Allie Reynolds. Ted Williams hits his 43rd HR, and Mel Parnell wins his 25th game of the season. The lefty is 16-3 at Fenway this year. Joe DiMaggio listens to the game from a hospital, bedridden with pneumonia. The Yankees return to New York and are greeted at Grand Central Station by a huge crowd of fans, including Mrs. Babe Ruth, who predicts, "Whoever wins tomorrow should go all the way."

» September 28, 1949: Facing Ray Scarborough, the Nats' top pitcher, the Red Sox take a 1-0 lead into the 9th only to have Washington tie it up. Mel Parnell, in relief, bounces a curve past C Birdie Tebbetts, and the winning run scores from 3rd.

» April 18, 1950: At Fenway, Happy Chandler gives Ted Williams his MVP Award, and then Governor Paul Dever tosses out the first ball. To the delight of 31,822 fans, Boston rips starter Allie Reynolds with a five-run 4th inning to drive the Chief from the game and take a 9–0 over the Yankees. But the Yanks score four in the 6th off Mel Parnell and then, down 10–4, New York unloads for nine runs in the 8th. 2B Billy Martin (2-for-2) becomes the first player in history to get two base hits in one inning in his first ML game. He doubles against Mel Parnell on his first at bat in the 8th inning, and singles off Al Papai. Walt Masterson gives up Tommy Henrich's 2nd triple of the game before giving way to four more Sox hurlers. Boo Ferriss, pitching in his last game, allows the last two runs in the 9th inning as the Yanks chalk up a 15–10 win, the biggest blown lead the Sox have ever had at Fenway (June 4, 1989, they'll blow a 10-run lad at home). DiMaggio, Berra, Vern Stephens, and Doerr each have three hits. Don Johnson is the winner, his last one for New York, with Joe Page pitching a perfect 8th and 9th in relief.

» August 25, 1950: The Red Sox win their 11th straight, beating the leading Tigers, 6–2, behind Mel Parnell. Boston, in fourth place, is just three 1/2 games in back of Detroit.

» September 2, 1950: At Philadelphia, Mel Parnell registers his ninth straight win over the A's as the Red Sox win 9–3.

» September 23, 1950: The Yankees, tied for first place with the Tigers and two games ahead of Boston, open a crucial series with the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. DiMaggio's first inning HR off Mel Parnell is all the scoring needed, as the Bombers win 8–0. Ed Lopat gives up five hits, including a leadoff triple to Dom DiMaggio.

» September 25, 1950: Both Mel Parnell and rookie Harry Taylor of the Red Sox shut out Philadelphia, winning 8–0 and 3–0. Parnell throws a 3-hitter, and Taylor allows only two hits in the nightcap to win his first major-league game.

» April 20, 1951: The A's win their first game at Fenway since September 12, 1948, beating the Sox, 6–3. Making it sweeter is besting Mel Parnell, winner of 10 straight over Philadelphia. The A's break a 3-3 tie in the 8th with three runs to make Alex Kellner the winner, just the 3rd lefty since 1948 to go the distance in Fenway.

» May 23, 1951: Mel Parnell gives up four hits in shutting out the Browns, while stroking four hits himself. Ted Williams walks five times in the 12–0 win. Vern Stephens sets an assist record for third baseman, with an assist from SS Johnny Pesky. On the last out of the game, a grounder to Pesky, he flips to Stephens, who fires to 1B to set the record at 10 assists. Frank Malzone will equal the record in 1957 and Ken McMullen will top it in 1966.

» July 1, 1951: Before 58,815 at Yankee Stadium, the Yanks top the Red Sox, 5–2, behind Eddie Lopat's 6-hitter. The win moves the Yankees ahead of the White Sox by four percentage points. Jerry Coleman homers off Mel Parnell, while Johnny Pesky connects for the Sox. Bobby Doerr singles for his 2,000th career hit.

» May 30, 1952: The Senators and Red Sox split a pair, Washington taking the opener, 5–2, and Boston the nitecap, 5–3. Tom Ferrick beats Ellis Kinder in Game One behind Eddie Yost's 3-run homer, while in game two Mel Parnell wins his 17th in a row against Washington. Parnell last lost to Washington on May 28, 1948. Kinder (vs. Chicago) and Parnell are tied for Red Sox record for consecutive wins against an opponent, but Kinder will move ahead on June 1. The Senators will run up a streak of their own winning their next nine vs. Boston.

» May 18, 1953: The Tigers and Red Sox split a pair, with Detroit winning the opener 5–2 behind Ned Garver. Walt Dropo has a single, double and triple against his old teammates. His first inning single, off the Green Monster, drives in his American League-leading 26th run. The Sox win the nitecap, 8–5 behind Mel Parnell (5-0) and Ellis Kinder.

» May 22, 1953: The Red Sox add two more 3–2 wins to move within two 1/2 games of the Yankees. Unbeaten Mel Parnell wins his 6th in the opener as George Kell homers and singles in the winner. The Red Sox take the nitecap in 12 innings as Hersh Freeman beats Carl Scheib.

» April 13, 1954: Rookie Spook Jacobs, in his first ML game, gets four hits while Bill Renna and Gus Zernial bang homers in the A's 6–4 victory over the Red Sox. Bobby Shantz is the winner, but leaves in the 6th because of a pulled muscle which will take several years to completely heal. He won't pitch again this year ending the season today at 1–0. Mel Parnell goes six innings for the loss.

» April 19, 1954: On Patriot's Day in Boston, The Yankees sweep both games from the Red Sox. New York wins the morning game, 2–1, on Jim MacDonald's one hitter. Harry Agganis has Boston's only hit, a second inning bloop single. In the afternoon game, the Yankees top Mel Parnell, 5–0 behind Jim McDonald, as Mickey Mantle belts his first homer of the year.

» April 24, 1954: In the 3rd inning of a 6–1 Boston win, Mickey McDermott of the Senators fractures former teammate Boston P Mel Parnell's left forearm with a pitch. A pinch runner for Parnell, a walk, and then a popped bunt is nabbed by McDermott, who starts a triple play.

» July 14, 1956: Boston lefty Mel Parnell pitches a no-hitter against the White Sox at Fenway Park, winning 4-0. It is only Parnell's third win against two losses and is the sixth straight loss for second-place Chicago. The no-hitter is the first for the Red Sox since 1923. Parnell will go 4-4 before a torn muscle in his pitching arm ends his career as the Red Sox' winningest southpaw.

» June 6, 1975: Luis Tiant wins his 100th game as a Red Sox, defeating Kansas City, 1–0. Boston's other 100+ winners include Cy Young (193), Mel Parnell (123), Joe Wood (112), Joe Dobson (106), and Lefty Grove (105) (Roger Clemens will join the group with 192). Carl Yastrzemski walks in the game, his 1,452nd, tying him for 10th on the all time list with Jimmie Foxx.