Charlie Parks
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Charlie Parks was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball for the New York Black Yankees and the Newark Eagles. In 175 career games, he hit .268 with 132 hits, 6 home runs, and 64 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 729.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 195 lb
- Died
- 9/13/1987 in Salisbury, NC, USA
Full name: Charles Ederson Parks
Negro Leagues Career Statistics
Negro Leagues (season totals). Additive Retrosheet-digitized totals for seasons not already in the logs above; they are not summed into the career line. No team/league breakdown is available, and coverage may be partial.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 175 | 492 | 56 | 132 | 24 | 8 | 6 | 64 | 3 | 58 | 10 | .268 | .348 | .386 | .734 | 729 |
Career AVG .268 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .348 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .386 vs. league average .374 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .734 vs. league average .707 across their career seasons — near league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | NBY | NN2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1939 | NBY | NN2 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1940 | NE | NN2 | 17 | 32 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | .156 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1941 | NE | NN2 | 35 | 107 | 17 | 30 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 3 | .280 | .262 (+7%) | .332 (+4%) | .373 (+18%) | .705 (+11%) | 179.7 |
| 1942 | NE | NN2 | 46 | 143 | 16 | 41 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 0 | 13 | 2 | .287 | .253 (+13%) | .323 (+8%) | .349 (+30%) | .672 (+20%) | 424.7 |
| 1944 | NE | NN2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1946 | NE | NN2 | 31 | 92 | 10 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 1 | .261 | .256 (+2%) | .328 (+1%) | .358 (-3%) | .687 (-1%) | -16.1 |
| 1947 | NE | NN2 | 42 | 109 | 10 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 19 | 1 | .284 | .262 (+8%) | .336 (+16%) | .376 (-7%) | .712 (+4%) | 140.3 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 175 | 492 | 56 | 132 | 24 | 8 | 6 | 64 | 3 | 58 | 10 | .268 | — | — | — | — | 729 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | NBY | NN2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5.40 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5.40 | — | 0 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (149 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 86 | 184 | 23 | 41 | 5 | 17 | .223 |
| Away | 62 | 149 | 15 | 35 | 1 | 12 | .235 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | 1 | 1.2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-09-14 | NW2 | HOM | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-14 | NW2 | HOM | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-12 | NW2 | NY6 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-12 | NW2 | NY6 | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-11 | NW2 | NY6 | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-31 | NW2 | BLG | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-24 | NW2 | HOM | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1947-08-24 | NW2 | HOM | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-17 | NW2 | NY5 | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-15 | NW2 | NY6 | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Last 1 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938-07-19 | NY5 | HOM | — | 1.2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 7 | 5 | 44 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 3B | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| C | 142 | 121 | 669 | 91 | 20 | 9 |
| OF | 6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | NBY | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939 | NBY | C | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939 | NBY | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940 | NE | 3B | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1940 | NE | C | 9 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 1940 | NE | SS | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941 | NE | C | 31 | 28 | 148 | 22 | 5 | 0 |
| 1941 | NE | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942 | NE | 1B | 5 | 5 | 41 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 1942 | NE | 3B | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 1942 | NE | C | 32 | 29 | 164 | 19 | 5 | 0 |
| 1942 | NE | OF | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944 | NE | C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946 | NE | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946 | NE | C | 28 | 24 | 120 | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| 1947 | NE | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947 | NE | C | 40 | 35 | 194 | 32 | 5 | 8 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 1 |
| Catcher | 142 |
| First Base | 7 |
| Third Base | 7 |
| Shortstop | 1 |
| Left Field | 5 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Charlie Parks: the record in brief
The season rows for Charlie Parks begin in 1938. Club by club, the record runs the New York Black Yankees (1938 through 1939) and the Newark Eagles (1940 through 1947). Parks, a catcher by primary position, both batted and threw right-handed. Parks is listed at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds. The birth record reads June 19, 1917, in Chester, SC, USA. Parks died on September 13, 1987, in Salisbury, NC, USA. Parks's full given name, per the bio, is Charles Ederson Parks.
Parks collected 132 hits in 492 at bats across 175 games, good for a .268 batting average, along with 6 home runs and 64 runs batted in. Parks's career OPS of .734 combines a .348 on-base mark with .386 slugging. Parks hit .268 while the league hit .264 over the same span, a figure close to average. 1942 produced Parks's most hits, 41 of them for the Newark Eagles. 1942 was the strongest of the full seasons by average: .287 against a league .253, a 13% edge.
Frequently Asked Questions about Charlie Parks
- Was Charlie Parks a pitcher?
- No. Charlie Parks was a position player (Catcher), though he did pitch in 1 career game.
- How many home runs did Charlie Parks hit?
- Charlie Parks hit 6 career home runs with 132 hits.
- What teams did Charlie Parks play for?
- Charlie Parks played for 2 teams: the New York Black Yankees (1938–1939) and the Newark Eagles (1940–1942, 1944, 1946–1947).
- What were Charlie Parks's career stats?
- In 175 games, Charlie Parks had 132 hits, 6 home runs, 64 RBI, 56 runs, and 3 stolen bases, with a .268 batting average.
- What position did Charlie Parks play?
- Charlie Parks played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Charlie Parks and how much did he weigh?
- Charlie Parks was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 195 pounds.
- How many home runs did Charlie Parks hit each season?
- Charlie Parks's home runs by season: 0 in 1938, 0 in 1939, 0 in 1940, 1 in 1941, 4 in 1942, 0 in 1944, 0 in 1946, and 1 in 1947. His most in one season was 4, in 1942.
- What was Charlie Parks's career batting average?
- Charlie Parks batted .268 over his career, with 132 hits in 492 at bats.
- How many RBI did Charlie Parks have?
- Charlie Parks drove in 64 runs in his career.
- What was Charlie Parks's career ERA?
- Charlie Parks finished with a 5.40 career ERA, going 0-0 with 1 strikeouts.
- Is Charlie Parks in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Charlie Parks has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.