Thomas "Big Train" Parker, Jr. (February 12, 1912 – October 14, 1964) was an American

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, ...

in the

Negro leagues The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relativel ...

Career

He played from 1931 to 1948 with several teams, playing mostly with the

Homestead Grays The Homestead Grays (also known as Washington Grays or Washington Homestead Grays) were a professional baseball team that played in the Negro league baseball, Negro leagues in the United States. The team was formed in 1912 in sports, 1912 by Cum ...

. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Parker briefly returned to professional baseball, but returned home to Louisiana.

Death

Parker died in 1964 and is buried in Plot E, Grave 3664 in the

Alexandria National Cemetery Alexandria National Cemetery is the name of two US National Cemeteries: * Alexandria National Cemetery (Alexandria, Virginia), in Virginia * Alexandria National Cemetery (Alexandria, Louisiana), in Louisiana, listed on the NRHP {{disambig ...

Pineville, Louisiana Pineville is a city in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located across the Red River from the larger Alexandria, and is part of the Alexandria Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,555 at the 2010 census. It had ...

References

External links

an
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1912 births 1964 deaths Indianapolis ABCs (1931–1933) players Harrisburg Stars players Homestead Grays players Indianapolis Athletics players New York Black Yankees players New York Cubans players Birmingham Black Barons players Elmwood Giants players New Orleans Crescent Stars players Baseball pitchers {{Negro-league-baseball-pitcher-1910s-stub