Mel Parnell Dies

[seabeachfred]

Lol.

Great stuff! Did you see Pete Reiser play?

I saw Pete Reiser play in 1947 and 1948 when I was seven and eight years old. He was pretty much through by then even though he was only 28. He ran into too many walls and suffered head injuries that led to dizzy spells the rest of his life. By 1952 he was out of baseball. My dad saw him in 1941 and 1942 and believes back then he was as good as Willie Mays and better than Duke Snider. He was the batting king in the NL in '41 with a 343 average as a rookie, and was hitting around 380 when he ran into a wall in St. Louis in the summer of '42. That began a long slide for him.

I wonder why you mentioned Pete Reiser. Do you know something about him that your dad might have told you? Too many people today don't even remember who he was, but if you followed the Brooklyn Dodgers at any time in your life the name jumps out at you.

[VA Sox Fan]

Lol.

Great stuff! Did you see Pete Reiser play?

RIP Mel!

[BOSOX11]

Never saw Mel Parnell play. Being in Los Angeles, I didn't get into baseball until the Dodgers moved here in 1958, as I was starting Little League. Anyways, I've always been a Red Sox fan and read every book I could get my hands on to learn the history of the club. I had a nice 8x10 photo of MP that I mailed off to him several years ago. Not only did he autograph it for me, he also sent another autographed 8x10 accompanied by a nice letter. A damn fine pitcher and a class act, to boot. RIP, Mr. Parnell.

[Spudboy]

Originally Posted by Spudboy View Post
Lol.

Great stuff! Did you see Pete Reiser play?

@ SBF: I don't know if my Dad ever saw him play but I am interested in him. See below.

@ VA: Hahahahahahahahaha....... I asked about him just to see if you would notice! And of course, you did! Lol. You know that spelling is not exactly my Forte. But I do remember learning "i before e except after c and sometimes w". I wonder how Pete Reiser lived his whole life misspelling his own name?

Seriously Fred, that is very close to my name so as a child people would call me "Pistol Pete" and ask me if I was related to him. I had no idea who he was until I started to like baseball in 1966 at ten years old.

Just the other day a man who lives in my building saw me and said "Pistol Pete". I had to laugh. I explained that I had not heard anyone call me that for many years. He responded by asking "wasn't he a great basketball player?" (my neighbor is about 12 years younger than me so he does not remember "Pistol Pete Marovich"). I explained it all. Anyway, it's good to get a historical perspective from you all.

[Spitball]

I remember Mel Parnell joining the Red Sox announcers after Art Gleeson died. I was a fan of his.

[SoxSport]

Rieser was obviously a victim of concussions. Today, he wouldn't be allowed to play. In those days, none of the walls were padded. Even today, not all the walls are padded. Player safety could be better.
Baseline coaches could wear protective helmuts. Reinforced liners might be put in pitchers' caps. The head is what you want to protect.

It's incredible the players union doesn't stress player safety the way they stress the top dollar.

[Spudboy]

Rieser was obviously a victim of concussions. Today, he wouldn't be allowed to play. In those days, none of the walls were padded. Even today, not all the walls are padded. Player safety could be better.
Baseline coaches could wear protective helmuts. Reinforced liners might be put in pitchers' caps. The head is what you want to protect.

It's incredible the players union doesn't stress player safety the way they stress the top dollar.

Hahahahahahaha!!!!

Sorry Soxsport, that is my name, not his!

[TeddyBallGame9]

Man alive, I have a contemporary on this board. That's terrific---and you're absolutely right about Kinder. He called McCarthy "an old bastard" who couldn't manage himself after that game. In fact, as I now am convinced you remember SoxSport, McCarthy lost the team and resigned in 1950 and I think Steve O'Neill took over the team that season---a season that was the last one a team hit 300 as a club.

To this very day now that I am a Red Sox fan myself, I cannot understand how he could throw Denny Galehouse in that one game do or die playoff game in 1948. Hell, he was even their third best pitcher, let alone their ace. Now don't get pissed off at me for saying this but I w as only eight years old at that time and my uncle married an Ohio girl and convinced me that if I should have an American League team it should be the Indians so they became my second team as a kid. Y es, I rooted for Gene Bearden and Lou Boudreau and Kenny Keltner to win that game. Now don't drum me out of the core because of that because I nearly yelled my voice completely hoarse in 2007 when we came from 3-1 down to beat the Indians for the AL Title.

...and another!! I saw Mel Parnell pitch in Cleveland many times and was considered throughout baseball as one fine pitcher and a class act. In fact, I'm looking at his autographed picture right now along with Teddy, Yaz, Jackie Jensen and the Hawk.

I knew he must be old but not that old. Time is fleeting. Probably most on this board don't know much about him but I am saddened by his passing. May God bless you, Mel Parnell.

[TeddyBallGame9]

deabeachfred - One could say the same about Boudreau starting a lefty Bearden in the Fens. It was simply the Indians' year!

Btw, when did you become a Red Sox fan?