Francis James "Salty" Parker (July 8, 1912 – July 27, 1992) was an American
baseballinfielder,
manager, and
coach. He was part of organized baseball for 60 years.[1]
Parker was born in
East St. Louis, Illinois, in 1912.[2] As a boy, he worked at a store in East St. Louis; the store's owner gave him the nickname "Salty" due to his habit of eating the store's salted peanuts.[3]
Parker's family later moved to
Granite City, Illinois, where Parker played four years of high school baseball.[4] He also played
quarterback on the Granite City
football team and forward on the
basketball team and received all-conference honors in both sports.[5][6] He also competed for the track team and received 15
major letters at Granite High School.[7]
Minor leagues (1930–1936)
Parker began his professional baseball career in 1930 with the
Moline Plowboys of the Class D
Mississippi Valley League.[8] His uncle, Riley Parker, was manager of the Plowboys at the time.[4] He spent three years with Moline from 1930 to 1932.[8]
In 1935, Parker joined the
Toledo Mud Hens under option from the Tigers. He spent the 1935 season and the first half of the 1936 season with Toledo.[4][8]
Detroit Tigers (1936)
In July 1936, Parker was called up from Toledo to play for the Tigers.[4][9] Shortly after joining the club, the team was invited to a dinner by an automobile company; Parker was one of only seven players to attend, each of whom received a new automobile.[7] Manager
Mickey Cochrane became enamored by Parker's work ethic, one profile noting:
Cochrane likes the boy, likes the way he plays, the way he hustles, the way he keeps busy during the day. In batting practice, you'll see him shagging flies or pitching to the regulars until his turn to bat comes around.[7]
Parker appeared in his first major-league game on August 13, 1936, and appeared in 11 games, seven of which were at
shortstop, collecting seven
hits and four
RBIs for a .280
batting average and a .333
on-base percentage.[2]
In December 1937, Parker was sold to the
Tulsa Oilers of the
Texas League.[11] After spending the first part of the 1938 season with Tulsa, he was sold to the
Shreveport Sports in June 1938.[8][12] He finished the 1938 season in Shreveport.[8]
Minor league manager
Lubbock and Marshall (1939–1940)
In April 1939, Parker was assigned to the
Lubbock Hubbers of the
West Texas–New Mexico League where he served as a field manager and shortstop.[13][14] He led Marshall to the West Texas-New Mexico League championship.[4]
In October 1939, Parker was drafted by the
Marshall Tigers of the
East Texas League.[15] He served as Marshall's manager and shortstop in 1940. He led Marshall to the East Texas League championship. He also led the league with a career-high .349 batting average in 1940.[8][4] He also compiled career highs in doubles (46) and
slugging percentage in 1940.[8]
Shreveport (1941–1942)
At the end of August 1940, the Shreveport Sports repurchased Parker's contract. (Marshall was a farm team for Shreveport at the time.)[16][17] He was Shreveport's manager and shortstop in 1941 and led the Sports to a third-place finish in 1941. In 1942, he led Shreveport to the
Texas League championship and a berth in the Dixie Series.[4]
St. Paul (1943)
The Texas League disbanded in 1943 due to
World War II.[4] Parker and 16 other players were purchased by the
St. Paul Saints of the
American Association.[18] He served as a player-manager for the 1943 St. Paul team.[4][19] He appeared in 132 games as a player, compiling a .247 batting average and .323 on-base percentage with 51 RBIs and 57 runs scored.[8]
Military service (1943–1944)
In December 1943, Parker was inducted into the Army.[4] He missed the 1944 baseball season due to military service. He held the rank of private with the Headquarters Battery, 147th AA Battalion, Fort Bliss, Texas.[20] He was given a medical discharge in November 1944 due to a leg injury received previously while playing baseball.[4][21]
Montreal (1945)
In 1945, Parker played for the
Montreal Royals of the
International League. He compiled a .302 batting average and was selected as the league's all-star third baseman.[8][4]
Shreveport (1946–1951)
In 1946, Parker returned to the Shreveport Sports as a player-manager.[22] He held that dual job at Shreveport for six years from 1946 to 1951. His Shreveport teams finished in fifth place in 1947, four place in 1948 and 1949, seventh place in 1950, and eighth place in 1951.[4] Parker resigned as manager at Shreveport in October 1951.[23]
Temple (1952)
In December 1951, Parker was hired manager of the
Temple Eagles of the
Big State League.[8][24] He remained with Temple during the 1952 and 1953 seasons.[25] He also appeared in 23 games as a player in 1952, at age 40,[8] and led the team to a first-place finish in the Big States League.[26]
Tyler (1954)
In December 1953, Parker was hired as both general manager and field manager of the
Tyler Tigers of the
Big State League.[27] Parker led the Tigers to a second-place finish in 1954 and a berth in playoffs.[28]
El Dorado (1955)
In January 1955, Parker was hired as manager of the
El Dorado Oilers of the
Cotton States League.[29] El Dorado was an affiliate of the New York Giants, and the 1955 season was Parker's first in the Giants organization.[30] Parker led the 1955 El Dorado team to a second place finish in the Cotton States League and tied for manager-of-the-year honors.[31]
Danville (1956)
After the 1955 season, the Giants appointed Parker as the manager of the Class B
Danville Leafs of the
Carolina League.[30] He led Danville to a third-place finish in the Carolina League and a berth in the playoffs.[32]
Dallas (1957)
In October 1956, Parker was transferred by the Giants to manage his third team in three years, this time as the manager the Double-A
Dallas Eagles of the
Texas League for the 1956 season.[32][33] He led the club to 102 wins and the Texas League pennant and was named manager of the year by the Texas League Baseball Writers Association.[34]
Major league coach and manager
Giants (1958–1961)
In December 1957, the Giants added Parker to their coaching staff.[35] He was the club's third-base coach from 1958 to 1961. He resigned the position in October 1961 to accept a position with the
Cleveland Indians.[36]
Indians (1962)
In October 1961, Parker was hired as third-base coach for the
Cleveland Indians. He joined longtime friend
Mel McGaha who took over as the Indians' manager.[36]
In December 1962, Parker was hired as a managerial consultant for the
Pittsburgh Pirates' farm clubs.[37]
Angels (1964–1966)
In October 1963, Parker was hired by the
Los Angeles Angels. He rejoined manager
Bill Rigney for whom he had previously coached with the Giants.[38] He was the Angels' third-base coach from 1964 to 1966, during which time the team became the California Angels. In October 1966, the Angels fired four of their coaches, including Parker.[39] He served as manager of the Santo Domingo team in the
Dominican Republic league during the off-season between the 1966 and 1967 seasons.[40]
New York Mets (1967)
Parker was hired as a coach by the
New York Mets in November 1966, replacing
Whitey Herzog as the club's third-base coach.[41] When
Wes Westrum resigned as the Mets' manager on September 21, 1967, Parker took over as interim manager for final 11 games of the season,[42] compiling a 4–7 record.[43]
Astros (1968–1972)
Parker was hired by the
Houston Astros in October 1967 as the team's third-base coach.[44] He held that post through the 1972 season. On August 26, 1972, he led the Astros to a victory as interim head coach in between the tenures of
Harry Walker and
Leo Durocher.[43][45] In early October 1972, Durocher fired Parker.[46]
Angels (1973–1974)
Parker returned to the
California Angels in November 1972 as their third base coach.[47]Dick Williams took over as the Angels' manager in late June 1974, and Parker was not asked to return to the club for the 1975 season.[48]
Giants (1976–1985)
Parker returned to the
San Francisco Giants in 1976 and was assigned as manager of the Class-A
Cedar Rapids Giants.[49][50] He led Cedar Rapids to the league's division championship and won the league's manager-of-the-year award.[51] He then worked as the Giants' minor league infield instructor from 1977 to 1985.[52][53][54][55] Interviewed in 1983, Parker described his lifelong love of baseball: "It's a beautiful disease, that's the best way to describe it. I'll never be able to get it out of my system."[56]
Mariners (1986–1987)
In 1986, Parker was hired by the
Seattle Mariners. He was a roving minor league instructor in 1986. In 1987, at age 74, he was a coach for the Bellingham Mariners, working mainly with the infielders.[3]
Family and later years
Parker married his grade-school sweetheart, Thelma Millard, in the fall of 1936.[4] They had three daughters: Jean, Nancy, and Frances.[57]