Richard Blake Parker (born June 19, 1985) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

, and

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

. Parker was drafted by the Cubs in the 16th round of the 2006 MLB draft, and made his major league debut in 2012.

Career

Amateur

Parker was born in

Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Arkansas, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Washington County, Arkansas, Washington County, and the most populous city in Northwest Arkansas. The city ...

. He attended Fayetteville High School in Fayetteville, and the

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is the Flagship campus, flagship campus of the University of Arkan ...

, where he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

for the

Arkansas Razorbacks The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville. The University of Arkans ...

. In 2005, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Bourne Braves The Bourne Braves are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bourne, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Braves play their home games at Doran Park (ballpark) ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

. Parker was drafted by the

in the 16th round of the 2006 MLB draft, being signed by scout Brian Milner.

Chicago Cubs

Parker began his professional career in 2006 as a

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...

, and

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

, and did not start pitching until 2007, splitting the season between the

AZL Cubs The Arizona Complex League Cubs are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays it home games at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona. The team is composed mainly of player ...

(11 games) and

Boise Hawks The Boise Hawks are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. Home games are played at Memorial Stadium in unincorporated Ada County, Idaho, near ...

(8 games), with a combined record of 2–0 and a 2.39 ERA. He was an AZL post-season All Star in 2006. In 2008, Parker played for three teams—the

Peoria Chiefs The Peoria Chiefs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team was established in 1983 as the Peoria Suns. They are located in Peoria, Illinois, and are named for the Pe ...

(23 games; with whom he was a

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

mid-season All Star), the

Daytona Cubs Daytona may refer to: Locations * Daytona Beach, Florida * Daytona Beach Shores, Florida * South Daytona, Florida * The Daytona Beach metropolitan area * Halifax area, also known as Daytona, the region around Daytona Beach Motor racing * Day ...

(20 games), and the

Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. T ...

(two games)—going 4–2 with a 2.13 ERA and 12 saves in 45 games combined. In 71 innings, he allowed only 50 hits while striking out 75 batters. He split the 2009 season between the

Tennessee Smokies The Knoxville Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Knoxville, Tennessee. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The team was based in Kodak, Tennessee, a Knoxville suburb, fr ...

(10 games) and Iowa Cubs (45 games), going a combined 2–3 with a 2.70 ERA, saving 25 games in 55 appearances. His 22 saves with Iowa were 5th-most in the Pacific Coast League. In innings, Parker allowed 44 hits and struck out 77 batters. He then played for Mesa in the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...

, and was named a Rising Star. Parker began the 2010 season with the Iowa Cubs, and split the year between Iowa (35 games) and Tennessee (13 games), going a combined 1–5 with a 4.21 ERA. In 2011, he went 4–5 with a 3.23 ERA in 53 games split between Iowa (37 games) and Tennessee (16 games). The Cubs promoted him to MLB on May 17, 2012. He pitched only six innings with the Cubs in 2012. In 2013 with the Cubs he was 1–2 with one save and a 2.72 ERA, in 49 games, as he struck out 55 batters in 46 innings. In 2014 with the Cubs he was 1–1 with a 5.14 ERA, in 18 games, as he struck out 24 batters in 21 innings. With Iowa, he was 0–1 with a league-leading 25 saves and a 1.77 ERA in 35 games. He was a

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

mid-season and post-season All Star in 2014. In 2015 he did not pitch in the major leagues, and was limited to three games at Triple-A Iowa, as he had season-ending surgery to remove loose bodies in his right elbow. Parker was released from the Cubs in May 2015.

Seattle Mariners (2016)

On December 17, Parker signed a minor league deal with the

. The Mariners promoted Parker to the major leagues on August 4, 2016, and he pitched only one scoreless inning for them in 2016. In 2016 he was again a Pacific Coast League mid-season All Star, playing for Tacoma.

New York Yankees (2016)

On August 9, 2016, the

claimed Parker off of waivers. With the Yankees, he was 1–0 with one save and a 4.96 ERA in 16 games.

Los Angeles Angels (2017–18)

After the 2016 season, the

claimed Parker from the Yankees off of waivers. On November 23, 2016, Parker was claimed off waivers by the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

. The Brewers designated him for assignment in December, and he was claimed by the Angels on December 23. The Angels named Parker to their

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...

25-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

for the 2017 season. In his first season as an Angel, Parker enjoyed career bests in every statistical category. He was 3–3 with 8 saves and a 2.54 ERA, with 86 strikeouts in 67 innings, and pitched in 71 games (6th-most in the American League). His

WHIP A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...

of 0.83 tied for third-best among American League relievers. Parker signed a $1.8 million contract with the Angels for the 2018 season. Despite pitching to a 2–1 record with a 3.26 ERA in 67 games while also collecting 14 saves, striking out 70 batters in 66 innings, and finishing 41 games (8th-most in the American League), he was non-tendered by the Angels in the offseason.

Minnesota Twins (2019)

On January 14, 2019, Parker signed a one-year deal with the

. On July 24, Parker was designated for assignment by the Twins. In 2019 with the Twins, he was 1–2 with 10 saves and a 4.21 ERA, in 37 games.

Philadelphia Phillies (2019–2020)

On July 30, 2019, the

signed Parker to a major league contract. For the Phillies in 2019, he was 2-1 with a 5.04 ERA in 23 games (2 starts; the first of his professional career) over 25.0 innings in which he struck out 31 batters (11.2 strikeouts per 9 innings). Parker re-signed with the Phillies organization on a minor league deal on February 5, 2020. On August 11, Parker was selected to the active roster. In 2020 for Philadelphia, Parker pitched to a 3-0 record with a 2.81 ERA and 25 strikeouts over 16.0 innings pitched in 14 appearances. On October 30, 2020, Parker was outrighted off of the 40-man roster and elected free agency.

Cleveland Indians (2021)

On February 16, 2021, Parker signed a minor league contract with the

organization, worth $2.5 million in incentives, and was invited to the Indians' 2021 major league spring training camp. He began the 2021 season with the

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, merch ...

of the newly-formed

Triple-A East The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball (M ...

. On June 5, 2021, Parker was selected to the active roster. Parker became a free agent on November 3, 2021.

St. Louis Cardinals (2022)

On March 26, 2022, Parker signed a minor league contract with the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

. In 26 appearances for the Triple–A

Memphis Redbirds The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbird ...

, he struggled to a 6.59 ERA with 36 strikeouts across innings pitched. Parker was released by the Cardinals organization on July 6.

Personal life

Parker and his wife, Jordan, have three sons and one daughter.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, Blake 1985 births Living people Águilas de Mexicali players American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Arizona League Cubs players Arkansas Razorbacks baseball players Baseball catchers Baseball players from Arkansas Boise Hawks players Bourne Braves players Chicago Cubs players Cleveland Indians players Columbus Clippers players Daytona Cubs players Iowa Cubs players Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball pitchers Memphis Redbirds players Mesa Solar Sox players Minnesota Twins players Naranjeros de Hermosillo players New York Yankees players Peoria Chiefs players Philadelphia Phillies players Seattle Mariners players Sportspeople from Fayetteville, Arkansas Tacoma Rainiers players Tennessee Smokies players Waikiki Beach Boys players Fayetteville High School (Arkansas) alumni