Larry Parrish

Infobox MLB retired
name=Larry Parrish

---

caption=
position=Third baseman / Outfielder / DH
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1953|11|10
Winter Haven, Florida
debutdate=September 6
debutyear=by|1974
debutteam=Montreal Expos
finaldate=October 2
finalyear=by|1988
finalteam=Boston Red Sox
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.263
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=256
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=992
teams= As Player
* Montreal Expos (by|1974-by|1981)
* Texas Rangers (by|1982-by|1988)
*Boston Red Sox (1988)As Manager
* Detroit Tigers (by|1998-by|1999)
highlights=
* 2x All-Star selection (1979, 1987)

Larry Alton Parrish (born November 10, 1953 in Winter Haven, Florida) is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and right-handed batter who played with the Montreal Expos (1974-81), Texas Rangers (1982-88) and Boston Red Sox (1988). He is currently the manager for the Toledo Mud Hens, the AAA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

Playing career

Making his debut in 1974 at the age of 20, Parrish became one of the more feared hitters in the 70s and 80s, as he belted 20 or more home runs five times during his major league career. In 1979 Parrish was awarded Expos Player of the Year honors after hitting .307 with 30 homers and 82 RBI. Additionally, he ranks seventh on the Rangers’ all-time home run list (149) and eighth in RBI (522). He closed out his career by joining the Red Sox during the stretch run of the 1988 season, in which the team would win the American League East Division title.

Parrish was a career .263 hitter with 256 home runs and 992 RBI in 1891 games. In 13 career playoff games, he batted .182 with no home runs and 3 RBI.

Coaching career

After retiring from the majors and spending time playing for the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese Central League, Parrish became a full-time coach within the Detroit Tigers organization. In by|1992, Parrish was named the manager for the Single-A Niagara Falls of the New York - Penn League, and won the League Championship in by|1993. In by|1995 he was named the roving hitting instructor for the Tigers minor league system. In by|1996, he returned to the dugout as the manager of the Double-A Jacksonville Suns, where he won another League Championship the same year. Parrish was then served as bench coach under manager Buddy Bell for the by|1997 season and part of the by|1998 before Bell was fired. Parrish was promoted as the replacement, and managed the Tigers from 1998-99, compiling an 82-104 record, but was replaced by Phil Garner for the by|2000 season. Parrish managed the Tigers through their final season at legendary Tiger Stadium. Parrish remained in the Tigers organization as a scout from 2000-2002, and in by|2003 he returned to the dugout once again as the manager for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens of the International League.

In by|2005, Parrish managed the Mud Hens to an impressive 89-55 record and the Governors' Cup as champions of the International League. The Mud Hens defeated the Indianapolis Indians. As a result, Parrish was named the 2005 Minor League Manager of the Year by "The Sporting News".

In by|2006, Parrish led the Mud Hens to a 76-66 record and a repeat of the Governor's Cup, giving the Mud Hens their third title and making them back to back champions for the first time in team history. This time, the Mud Hens defeated the Rochester Red Wings. The team moved on to play in the Triple-A World Series, in Oklahoma City, where they would take on the Tucson Sidewinders of the Pacific Coast League. The Mud Hens fell to the Sidewinders by a score of 5-2. It was the first time the Triple-A World Series had been played since 2000.

Highlights

* Two-time All-Star (1979, 1987)
* Hit three consecutive home runs in a game (July 30, 1978)
*Hit three grand slams in a week (July 4, 7th, 10th, 1982), tying MLB record set by Jim Northrup (1968)
* Compiled four career 3-HR games
* One of eight players to hit three homers in a game in both leagues (Babe Ruth, Johnny Mize, Dave Kingman, Cory Snyder, Darnell Coles, Claudell Washington and Darryl Strawberry were the others to do it)
* 4 league championships as manager: 1993 (Niagara Falls of the New York - Penn League); 1996 (Jacksonville Suns of the Southern League); 2005 and 2006 (Toledo Mud Hens of the International League).

See also

* Top 500 home run hitters of all time
* MLB players who have hit 3 home runs in consecutive innings
* Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game
* Montreal Expos all-time roster

External links

*baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=p/parrila01 |fangraphs=1010020 |cube=P/larry-parrish
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/P/Parrish_Larry.stm Baseball Library]
* [http://www.mudhens.com/info/player.asp?id=51 Toledo Mud Hens Official Bio]