Manuel Alex Parra (born October 30, 1982) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

player who is a free agent. He has played as a

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

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

and

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

Early life

Parra graduated from

Casa Roble High School Casa Roble Fundamental High School is a public high school located in Orangevale, California. It is a part of the San Juan Unified School District with a student body of approximately 1250 students from northern Orangevale and a portion of Citrus ...

Orangevale, California Orangevale is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade– Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 33,960 at the 2010 census, up from 26, ...

, in 2000. In addition to pitching in high school, he also played

first base 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 ...

. He graduated from

American River College American River College (ARC) is a public community college in unincorporated Sacramento, California. It is part of the California Community Colleges System. History The college was opened in 1955 as American River Junior College, on the site ...

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

, in 2002. He was selected as the National

Junior College A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and workers in su ...

Player of the Year by ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

'' that season. In 14 games, he had a 7–2

win–loss record In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...

with a 2.02

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA).

Professional career

Milwaukee Brewers

Parra was drafted by the

in the 26th round of the

2001 Major League Baseball draft The 2001 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 5 and 6. First round selections Supplemental First Round Selections Compensation Picks Background On June 1, 2001, Rolando Viera, a Cuban ba ...

. Shoulder problems resulted in a slower-than-expected advancement through the Brewers' minor league system for the

draft-and-follow The first-year player draft is the primary mechanism of Major League Baseball (MLB) for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on a lo ...

prospect. They had also hindered the left-hander's ability to pitch deep into games, having only gone over 100

innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...

in his 2003 season at Class A Beloit. After beginning the 2006 season at

Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

Brevard County Brevard County ( ) is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 606,612, making it the 10th-most populated county in Florida. The official county seat is located in T ...

, he was promoted to Double-A

Huntsville Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...

in August and selected to participate in that year's

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

. Through 5 years of professional baseball, Parra had a career minor league record of 28–15 with a 3.22 ERA. He had pitched just two complete games during this period. At the time, Parra relied primarily on his

four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is ca ...

but also utilized a

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

and

split-finger fastball A split-finger fastball or splitter is an off-speed pitch in baseball that looks to the batter like a fastball until it drops suddenly. Derived from the forkball, it is so named because the pitcher puts the index and middle finger on different ...

. Parra attended spring training with the Brewers in 2007 where he allowed no runs or

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

while

striking out ''Striking Out'' is an Irish television legal drama series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017. Produced by Bl!nder F!lms for RTÉ Television, ''Striking Out'' stars Amy Huberman as Dublin-based solicitor Tara Rafferty, who is ...

3 batters in innings over 4 relief appearances. He was assigned to Double-A Huntsville to begin the 2007 season. After 13 starts, he had a win–loss record of 7–3 with a Southern League-leading 2.68 ERA. He was promoted to the Triple-A

Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...

in mid-June to replace

ace An ace is a playing card, Dice, die or domino with a single Pip (counting), pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit (cards), suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large a ...

pitcher

Yovani Gallardo Yovani Gallardo (pronounced gah-YAR-doh; born February 27, 1986) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher. He was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft out of Trimble Technical High ...

who had been called up to Milwaukee. Parra made his first career Triple-A start on June 20—a 3–0 loss in which he allowed 2 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks while striking out 6 batters in 6 innings. On June 25, 2007, Parra's second Triple-A start, he pitched a

perfect game Perfect game may refer to: Sports * Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners * Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game * Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New York ...

against the

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home games at the Dell Diamond. The team is named ...

. This was only the third nine-inning perfect game in

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 ...

history. In all, Parra stuck out 11 batters, achieving strikeouts in every inning except the eighth. Six ground outs and 10

fly out In baseball, the rules state that a batted ball is considered in flight when it has not yet touched any object other than a fielder or his equipment. Such a ball can be caught by a fielder to put the batter out. Once a batted ball touches the g ...

s accounted for Parra's other outs in the game. Seventy-seven of his 107 pitches were counted as strikes. After just two more Triple-A starts, Parra made his major league debut on July 20 against the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

. Coming on in

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

, he surrendered no runs over innings and struck out 3 of the 4 batters he faced. Parra appeared in eight more games, including two starts, before breaking his left thumb during a

bunt Bunt may refer to: * Bunt (community), an elite social group from Karnataka, India * Bunt (baseball), a batting technique in baseball * Bunt (sail), a part of a ship's sail * Bunt Island, island in Antarctica * The Bunt, nickname of the Bunting ...

attempt in a game on August 30, which forced him to finish the season on the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

. Parra ended the campaign with an 0–1 record and a 3.76 ERA in 9 games with the Brewers. He returned to the mound at the beginning of the 2008 season, in which he had a 10–8 record. Despite throwing 17

wild pitch In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, or the batter (on an uncaught third stri ...

es in that season, tying for the major league lead, his

was the most effective among major league starting pitchers. He remained in Milwaukee's

starting rotation R rabbit ears :Indicates a participant in the game who hears things perhaps too well for their own good. A player who becomes nervous or chokes when opposing players or fans yell at or razz them is said to have rabbit ears. Also, an umpire ...

through 2009. Parra was moved to the

bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...

in 2010. On June 6 of that year, Parra became the 52nd major league pitcher to strike out four batters in an inning, doing so against 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 (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...

. Problems with his back and the necessary surgical removal of a

bone spur An exostosis, also known as bone spur, is the formation of new bone on the surface of a bone. Exostoses can cause chronic pain ranging from mild to debilitatingly severe, depending on the shape, size, and location of the lesion. It is most commonl ...

in his throwing elbow resulting in him missing the entire 2011 season. He continued in a relief role for the Brewers in 2012, but was non-tendered at the season's end and became a free agent. After five years with Milwaukee, Parra held a 26–33 record with a 5.12 ERA in 74 starts and 98 relief appearances.

Cincinnati Reds

On February 1, 2013, the

signed Parra to a one-year contract. He pitched in the bullpen with the Reds as a middle reliever. On April 26, he was placed on the disabled list with a strained pectoral muscle, and missed almost a month. From June 11 to July 28, he had a 19-game, 15.1 inning scoreless streak. In a year where he filled in for the high expectations of Sean Marshall, he shined, going 2–3 with a 3.33 ERA and 16 holds, striking out 56 in 46 innings (57 games). He entered June with a 6.23 ERA, and starting on June 11 to the end of the season, he had a 1.78 ERA in 35.1 innings. On November 27, 2013, Parra agreed to a two-year, $5.5 million contract with Cincinnati. In 150 relief appearances from 2013 to 2015, Parra accumulated a 3–8 record with a 3.91 ERA before reaching free agency after the 2015 season.

Chicago Cubs

In 2016, Parra signed a minor league contract with the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

that included incentives potentially bringing the total value of the deal to US$2.7 million if he made the

40-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, and ...

. Despite a strong showing in spring training, he was released by the Cubs and resigned to a new minor league contract on the same day in late March. Ultimately, Parra missed the entire 2016 season following

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...

in early April. In 2017, he was signed to a minor league contract and pitched out of the bullpen on 11 occasions for Chicago's Triple-A

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. The ...

. He was released on June 25 with an ERA of 14.09.

Bridgeport Bluefish

On July 31, 2017, Parra signed with the

Bridgeport Bluefish The Bridgeport Bluefish were an American minor league baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The team was a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which was not affiliated with Major League Baseba ...

of the independent Atlantic League where he played for the remainder of the season.

San Francisco Giants

Though Parra was selected by the

Long Island Ducks The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "partne ...

in the Bridgeport Bluefish dispersal draft, he later signed a minor league deal with the

in February 2018. He pitched for their Triple-A

Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics for 15 yea ...

that season and was granted free agency after its end.

Leones de Yucatán

On June 1, 2019, Parra signed with the

Leones de Yucatán The Leones de Yucatán (English: Yucatán Lions) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. The team play its home games at Parque Kukulcán Alamo in Mérida, Yucatán. The Leones have won the Mexican League title five times in , , , ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...

. Parra did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Mexican League season because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

Mariachis de Guadalajara

On March 11, 2021, Parra was loaned to the

Mariachis de Guadalajara The Mariachis de Guadalajara (English: Guadalajara Mariachis) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Zapopan, Jalisco. Their home ballpark is Estadio Panamericano, and has a capacity of 16,500 people. The Mariachis were e ...

of the

, a new expansion team. In 8 relief appearances, Parra posted a 3.18 ERA and 5 strikeouts over 5.2 innings pitched.

Leones de Yucatán (second stint)

On July 19, 2021, Parra was returned to the

of the

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Parra, Manny 1982 births Living people Baseball players from California Major League Baseball pitchers Milwaukee Brewers players Cincinnati Reds players Arizona League Brewers players Ogden Raptors players Brevard County Manatees players Beloit Snappers players Bridgeport Bluefish players High Desert Mavericks players Huntsville Stars players Scottsdale Scorpions players Nashville Sounds players Wisconsin Timber Rattlers players Pensacola Blue Wahoos players American River Beavers baseball players American baseball players of Mexican descent American expatriate baseball players in Mexico People from Carmichael, California Louisville Bats players Iowa Cubs players Sacramento River Cats players Leones de Yucatán players

Early life

Professional career

Milwaukee Brewers

Cincinnati Reds

Chicago Cubs

Bridgeport Bluefish

San Francisco Giants

Leones de Yucatán

Mariachis de Guadalajara

Leones de Yucatán (second stint)

See also

References

External links