Mel Parnell, baseball player, 1947-1956

Mel Parnell

Born: 6/13/1922 in New Orleans, LA, USA

Died: 3/20/2012 in New Orleans, LA, USA

MLB Debut: 1947-04-20 | Final Game: 1956-09-29

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Melvin Lloyd Parnell

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Biography

Mel Parnell was a prominent Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1947 to 1956. Born in 1922, he made a name for himself during a transformative period in baseball, characterized by the shift from the deadball era to a game increasingly defined by power hitting and dynamic pitching. Parnell was known for his impressive left-handed pitching, which contributed to his successful career record of 123 wins and 75 losses. With a career earned run average (ERA) of 3.5 and a total of 732 strikeouts, he established himself as a reliable and formidable presence on the mound. Throughout his career, Parnell was selected to the All-Star Game twice, showcasing his talent and consistency among the league's elite pitchers. He was also credited with 10 saves, demonstrating his versatility and ability to close out games when needed. Parnell's contributions to the game were significant during a decade that saw the rise of new baseball stars and the integration of the sport, leaving a lasting legacy as one of the solid pitchers of his time. His performance and dedication to the game have made him a respected figure in baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
123 75 289 232 113 20 10 1752.7 1715 682 104 758 732 3.50 0

Career ERA 3.50 vs. league average 4.03 across their career seasons — 13.1% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1947 BOS AL 2 3 15 5 1 0 0 50.7 60 36 27 23 6.39 3.97 (-61%) 344.5
1948 BOS AL 15 8 35 27 16 1 0 212.0 205 74 90 77 3.14 4.10 (+23%) 1644.6
1949 BOS AL 25 7 39 33 27 4 2 295.3 258 91 134 122 2.77 4.12 (+33%) 5255.1
1950 BOS AL 18 10 40 31 21 2 3 249.0 244 100 106 93 3.61 4.36 (+17%) 1789.0
1951 BOS AL 18 11 36 29 11 3 2 221.0 229 80 77 77 3.26 4.04 (+19%) 3271.6
1952 BOS AL 12 12 33 29 15 3 2 214.0 207 86 89 107 3.62 3.70 (+2%) 1145.1
1953 BOS AL 21 8 38 34 12 5 0 241.0 217 82 116 136 3.06 4.14 (+26%) 2357.5
1954 BOS AL 3 7 19 15 4 1 0 92.3 104 38 35 38 3.70 3.90 (+5%) 393.4
1955 BOS AL 2 3 13 9 0 0 1 46.0 62 40 25 18 7.83 4.00 (-96%) -3105.6
1956 BOS AL 7 6 21 20 6 1 0 131.3 129 55 59 41 3.77 3.96 (+5%) -1401.3

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
293 668 52 132 17 2 1 50 2 29 94 0.198 0.233 0.234 0.467 -3101.2

Career AVG .198 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 24.3% below league average.

Career OBP .233 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 30.7% below league average.

Career SLG .234 vs. league average .387 across their career seasons — 39.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.467 vs. league average 0.723 across their career seasons — 35.5% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1947 BOS AL 15 18 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0.056 — — — — 0.0
1948 BOS AL 35 80 6 13 1 0 0 8 0 1 11 0.163 .263 (-38%) .340 (-49%) .379 (-54%) .719 (-52%) -710.5
1949 BOS AL 39 114 9 29 3 0 0 13 0 3 10 0.254 .262 (-3%) .343 (-20%) .384 (-27%) .727 (-24%) -486.8
1950 BOS AL 40 98 7 19 5 0 0 7 0 5 13 0.194 .265 (-27%) .346 (-31%) .401 (-39%) .747 (-35%) -625.5
1951 BOS AL 37 81 12 25 1 1 0 5 0 7 10 0.309 .260 (+18%) .336 (+8%) .385 (-10%) .721 (-2%) -11.5
1952 BOS AL 35 84 4 8 0 1 1 4 0 6 12 0.095 .252 (-62%) .326 (-52%) .369 (-58%) .696 (-55%) -786.1
1953 BOS AL 38 94 7 21 4 0 0 9 1 4 16 0.223 .264 (-15%) .335 (-24%) .397 (-33%) .733 (-29%) -480.8
1954 BOS AL 19 34 1 3 1 0 0 0 1 1 4 0.088 — — — — 0.0
1955 BOS AL 14 19 1 6 1 0 0 3 0 0 3 0.316 — — — — 0.0
1956 BOS AL 21 46 4 7 1 0 0 0 0 2 11 0.152 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 289 44 69 327 12 27

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1947 BOS P 15 0 0 7 1 0
1948 BOS P 35 0 9 48 1 3
1949 BOS P 39 0 8 53 0 5
1950 BOS P 40 0 7 67 1 6
1951 BOS P 36 0 8 42 3 2
1952 BOS P 33 0 15 38 0 4
1953 BOS P 38 0 10 27 2 4
1954 BOS P 19 15 3 17 1 1
1955 BOS P 13 9 2 9 1 0
1956 BOS P 21 20 7 19 2 2

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 289

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1949 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1949 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4
1949 TSN All-Star P

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1953 Most Valuable Player AL 14th 27.0 336 0
1951 Most Valuable Player AL 24th 7.0 336 0
1950 Most Valuable Player AL 21th 7.0 336 0
1949 Most Valuable Player AL 4th 151.0 336 1