Boston Red Sox: Most underrated players in franchise history (part 2)

Mel Parnell

Another overlooked left-handed pitcher from the Red Sox past, Mel Parnell was one of the best hurlers in history, right or left handed. He spent his entire career, which went from 1947 to 1956, in Boston and sits at or near the top in several team pitching categories. He also had the distinction of throwing the last no-hitter by a lefty at Fenway Park, a feat he accomplished on July 14, 1956, until Jon Lester matched the feat fifty-two years later in 2008.

Parnell finished his career with a 123-75 win-loss record, a 3.50 ERA, and 732 strikeouts. His best seasons were from 1948 to 1953 when he won 15, 25, 18, 18, 12, and 21 games over that span. His 1949 season was the best of his career when he led the league in wins and ERA. He went 25-7 with 2.77 ERA, 122 strikeouts, a whopping 295.1 innings pitched (including 27 complete games!), and an equally ludicrous 1240 batters faced.

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Parnell made two All-Star teams, in 1949 and 1951, and he was the starting pitcher in the first game of the brutal final series of the 1949 season against the Yankees that cost the Red Sox the pennant. He led 4-0 in that game before the Yankees came back to win 5-4. He was then brought in the next day in relief and unsurprisingly was tired and gave up a home run to the Yankees.

After going 21-8 in 1953, Parnell suffered a series of arm injuries which hampered him for his final three seasons (where he went a combined 12-16) before he retired after 1956. Following his playing career, he spent a few years calling Red Sox games on television and is known for his famous call of the final out of the 1967 season when the Red Sox clinched the pennant.

However, as a pitcher he is severely underrated and should be remembered for being one of the best Red Sox pitchers of his era during a time when the team was, apart from his first three seasons, not competitive at all.