Died 19 March 1998 | ||
Roy Parker, Jr. (April 7, 1926 – March 19, 1998) was an American minor league baseball player who hit over 220 home runs and won nearly 100 games as a pitcher in his professional career. He was 5' 7" tall, 173 pounds and batted and threw left handed.
Parker was born in Mansfield, Texas. After serving in the United States Navy during World War II, he began playing professionally in 1946. He spent his first two campaigns in the Boston Red Sox system, hitting .296 in 1946 and going 7-5 in 114 innings between the Milford Red Sox and Durham Bulls. He played briefly for the Oneonta Red Sox in 1947. In 1948, he joined the Pampa Oilers of the West Texas–New Mexico League, with whom he hit .341 with six home runs in 135 at-bats and went 9-13 with a 5.13 ERA in 186 innings. Due to the high-offense nature of the league, his ERA was among the best in the circuit.
Generally an outfielder when not pitching, Parker hit .296 with 24 home runs with Pampa in 1949 and on the mound, he went 23-10 with a 4.86 ERA in 263 innings. He was among the league's best hitters and pitchers that season, ranking among the top-ten in home runs (though far behind league leader Pud Miller's 52) and slugging percentage (.582) and pacing the loop in wins, strikeouts (235) and innings pitched. 1950 was Parker's final year with Pampa. He hit .346 with a .703 slugging percentage and 21 home runs to go along with a 27-10 won-loss record and a 4.55 ERA in 297 innings. He finished second in the league in slugging percentage (one percentage point behind Harry Bright) and was again the league's top pitcher, leading the loop in wins, strikeouts (256), games started (34) and innings pitched (297). He spent 1951 and 1952 in the Big State League. With the Sherman-Denison Twins the former year, he hit .345 with 18 home runs and 15 triples; on the mound, he was 11-10 with a 4.56 ERA. After the season, he was involved in a near-fatal car accident that threatened to end his career. In 1952, he hit .316 with 23 home runs, 12 triples and 37 doubles. His use on the mound was limited – he had a 8.57 ERA in seven games.
Back in the West Texas–New Mexico League in 1953, he hit .353 with 41 home runs, 12 triples, 38 home runs, 194 hits and a .690 slugging mark for the Clovis Pioneers. His 177 runs scored led the league. On the mound, he was 12-11 with a 4.95 ERA in 182 innings. After hitting .303 with 18 home runs and 10 triples – and going 2-7 on the mound – in 1954 and playing for the Mexico City Reds of the Mexican League in 1955, Parker slashed .354/.449/.667 with 36 home runs, 133 RBI, 39 doubles and 123 runs scored for Clovis in 1956. He also went 5-9 on the mound and replaced manager Glenn McQuillen partway through the season. He played two more seasons, 1957 and 1958, hitting 17 home runs between them. On the mound, he was 97-81.
Overall, Parker hit about .318 with 222 home runs in his career.
Following his career, he played semi-professional baseball.
He died in Lubbock, Texas at 71 years old.