Wes Parker

For the English footballer, seeWes Parker (footballer).

Wes Parker
First baseman
Born:(1939-11-13)November 13, 1939 Evanston, Illinois,U.S.
Batted:Switch Threw:Left
Professional debut
MLB:April 19, 1964, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
NPB:April 6, 1974, for the Nankai Hawks
Last appearance
MLB:October 1, 1972, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
NPB:September 28, 1974, for the Nankai Hawks
MLB statistics
Batting average	.267
Home runs	64
Runs batted in	470
NPB statistics
Batting average	.301
Home runs	14
Runs batted in	59
Teams
Los Angeles Dodgers(1964–1972) Nankai Hawks(1974)
Career highlights and awards
World Serieschampion (1965) 6×Gold Glove Award(1967–1972)

Maurice Wesley Parker III(born November 13, 1939) is an American formerfirst basemaninMajor League Baseballwho played for theLos Angeles Dodgersfrom1964to1972.He also played one season in Japan for theNankai Hawksin1974.

As of 2009, Parker has been a member of theLos Angeles Dodgersorganization serving as a representative of the Dodgers Legend Bureau.

Biography

Major League playing career

Parker was part of the Dodgers'1965and1966World Seriesteams. Known as one of the slickest fielding first basemen of all time, he won the National LeagueGold Glove Awardfor first base every year from1967to 1972.In 1970, Parker posted a career high batting average of.319 and performed the unusual feat of driving in over 100 runs in a season while hitting no more than 10 home runs.

In a game against the New York Mets on May 7, 1970, Parkerhit for the cycle.He was the last Los Angeles Dodger to accomplish that feat untilOrlando Hudsondid so against theSan Francisco Giantson April 13, 2009.

On August 21, 2007, Parker was voted the best defensive first baseman in baseball since the inception of the Gold Glove award in 1957, and named to theMajor League BaseballAll-time Gold Glove Team. He is the only member of the team who is not in theBaseball Hall of Fame(Parker is not eligible to enter the Hall of Fame as a player because he played in only nine seasons, one less than the minimum required for consideration).

Parker is the only Dodger to have received the All-Time Gold Glove Team award.

After Sunday home games in the final years of his career, Parker would hit fly balls to local kids outside Dodger Stadium, then drive as many as would fit into his car for ice cream and sodas. He said that he enjoyed his interactions with the kids more than he did playing the games for which he was paid.

Career statistics

In nine seasons and 1,288games played,Parker compiled a.267batting average(1110-4157), with 548runs scored,64home runs,470RBI,532walks,.351on-base percentageand.375slugging percentage.In 11World Seriesgames (1965 and '66) he hit.278 (10-36). At 1,108 games at first base, his primary position, hisfielding percentagewas.996. He also played at all three outfield positions.

Labor issues

Major League Baseballhad its first ever work stoppage with astrikeat the beginning of the1972 season,which lasted 13 days. The player representatives voted 47–0, with one abstention, in favor of the strike. The abstention was Parker, who felt a deep appreciation for everything the Dodgers had done for him.

Other endeavors

Parker retired from Major League Baseball after the 1972 season. He worked as a televisioncolor analystfor theCincinnati Redsin 1973.

In 1974, he signed with theNankai HawksofNippon Professional Baseball'sPacific League.He would win the Diamond Glove Award as the best defensive first baseman in the Pacific League (the award is now called theGolden Glove), making him one of only four players to win Gold Gloves in both MLB and NPB.

Parker subsequently pursued an acting career, and appeared in a number of television roles in the 1970s. His most famous role came in episode #17 ofThe Brady Bunch,"The Undergraduate" (January 23, 1970), as the fiancée ofGreg Brady's math teacher, on whom Greg has such a huge crush that it distracts him from his studies. Parker promises Greg two tickets to opening day if he earns an A in the class.Parker eventually gave up acting, saying it did not fit his introverted personality.

Parker also was a baseball broadcaster forNBCin 1978–79 and forUSA Networkin 1980–83.

Personal life

Born inEvanston, Illinois,Parker grew up in West Los Angeles, in the affluent neighborhood ofBrentwood.His mother was Mary (nee Joslyn), and his father was Maurice Wesley Parker Jr., president of theParker Manufacturing Companyand son ofMaurice W. Parker Sr.Parker had an older sister named Celia and a younger brother named Lyn.

He attendedClaremont Men's College,transferred toUSC,graduating from USC with a B.A. in history.

Beginning in 2001, Parker began as a volunteer teacher of a weekly sports class at theBraille Institutein Los Angeles.

Religious views

Parker served as a voice of faith for the ministry of television preacherDr. Gene Scott.During a 1982 broadcast (index number S-1086-3), Parker spoke with Scott publicly for over twenty minutes, stating that before coming across Dr. Scott's television program, he had never understood or felt drawn toward Christianity. He explained that it was Scott's intelligent and fact-based approach to teaching that earned his respect and allowed him to build faith. He statedthat his earlier exposures to Christianity had no effect, because they were mostly based on simplistic platitudes such as "God is love" which he found unconvincing.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
• List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle

Further reading

• Leahy, Michael(2016).The Last Innocents: The Collision of the Turbulent Sixties and the Los Angeles Dodgers.HarperCollins.ISBN978-0-06-236056-4.

External links

• Career statistics and player information fromBaseball Reference,orFangraphs,orBaseball Reference (Minors),orRetrosheet
• Wes Parkerat theSABR Baseball Biography Project
• Wes ParkeratIMDb