Lance Parrish, baseball player, 324 home runs, 1977-1995

Lance Parrish

Born: 6/15/1956 in Clairton, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1977-09-05 | Final Game: 1995-09-23

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 210 lbs

Full name: Lance Michael Parrish

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Biography

Lance Parrish, born in 1956, was a prominent figure in Major League Baseball who played from 1977 until his retirement in 1995. Known primarily for his role as a catcher, Parrish established himself as one of the leading power hitters of his era. Over the course of his 18-year career, he appeared in 1,988 games, amassing 1,782 hits, 324 home runs, and 1,070 RBIs. His batting average stood at .252, complemented by 28 stolen bases, showcasing a blend of power and speed that was unusual for a player in his position. Parrish was an eight-time All-Star, reflecting his consistent performance and impact on the field. He played during a transformative period in baseball, marked by the rise of power hitters and the evolution of catching as a position. Parrish's ability to contribute both offensively and defensively made him a valuable asset to every team he played for, including the Detroit Tigers, where he won a World Series title in 1984. His legacy as a strong, reliable catcher and a significant contributor to the game remains noteworthy in baseball history.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1988 7067 856 1782 305 27 324 1070 28 612 1527 0.252 0.313 0.440 0.753 6410.6

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG PIV
1977 DET AL 12 46 10 9 2 0 3 7 0 5 12 0.196 -30.6
1978 DET AL 85 288 37 63 11 3 14 41 0 11 71 0.219 -319.8
1979 DET AL 143 493 65 136 26 3 19 65 6 49 105 0.276 989.0
1980 DET AL 144 553 79 158 34 6 24 82 6 31 109 0.286 1459.4
1981 DET AL 96 348 39 85 18 2 10 46 2 34 52 0.244 113.4
1982 DET AL 133 486 75 138 19 2 32 87 3 40 99 0.284 1937.6
1983 DET AL 155 605 80 163 42 3 27 114 1 44 106 0.269 1063.7
1984 DET AL 147 578 75 137 16 2 33 98 2 41 120 0.237 152.6
1985 DET AL 140 549 64 150 27 1 28 98 2 41 90 0.273 1184.2
1986 DET AL 91 327 53 84 6 1 22 62 0 38 83 0.257 881.4
1987 PHI NL 130 466 42 114 21 0 17 67 0 47 104 0.245 -438.1
1988 PHI NL 123 424 44 91 17 2 15 60 0 47 93 0.215 -407.5
1989 LAA AL 124 433 48 103 12 1 17 50 1 42 104 0.238 -33.8
1990 LAA AL 133 470 54 126 14 0 24 70 2 46 107 0.268 1058.8
1991 LAA AL 119 402 38 87 12 0 19 51 0 35 117 0.216 -424.4
1992 LAA AL 24 83 7 19 2 0 4 11 0 5 22 0.229 -88.8
1992 SEA AL 69 192 19 45 11 1 8 21 1 19 48 0.234 -88.8
1993 CLE AL 10 20 2 4 1 0 1 2 1 4 5 0.200 0.0
1994 PIT NL 40 126 10 34 5 0 3 16 1 18 28 0.270 -4.8
1995 TOR AL 70 178 15 36 9 0 4 22 0 15 52 0.202 -783.6

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
8 30 4 8 2 0 2 5 3 5 0.267

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1984 ALCS DET 3 12 1 3 1 0 1 3 0 3 0.250
1984 WS DET 5 18 3 5 1 0 1 2 3 2 0.278

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 30 24 185 6 4 23
C 1818 1715 9647 980 94 133
OF 6 4 8 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1977 DET C 12 12 76 6 0 0
1978 DET C 79 73 353 39 5 5
1979 DET C 142 135 707 79 9 10
1980 DET C 121 114 557 66 6 8
1980 DET 1B 5 5 42 1 1 7
1980 DET OF 5 4 8 0 0 0
1981 DET C 90 88 407 40 3 6
1982 DET C 132 127 627 76 8 8
1982 DET OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1983 DET C 131 126 695 73 4 8
1984 DET C 127 123 720 67 7 11
1985 DET C 120 117 695 53 5 9
1986 DET C 85 82 483 48 6 5
1987 PHI C 127 124 724 66 9 1
1988 PHI C 117 114 639 73 9 11
1988 PHI 1B 1 0 1 0 0 1
1989 CAL C 122 118 638 63 5 7
1990 CAL C 131 125 760 88 6 15
1990 CAL 1B 4 3 34 2 0 6
1991 CAL C 111 102 658 57 2 11
1991 CAL 1B 3 1 12 0 0 0
1992 CAL C 22 21 107 8 3 2
1992 SEA C 34 23 183 12 1 4
1992 SEA 1B 16 14 93 3 2 9
1993 CLE C 10 7 47 10 3 1
1994 PIT C 38 35 225 15 3 4
1994 PIT 1B 1 1 3 0 1 0
1995 TOR C 67 49 346 41 0 7

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 1820
First Base 30
Left Field 2
Right Field 4
Designated Hitter 121

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1990 Silver Slugger C
1986 Silver Slugger C
1985 Gold Glove C
1984 Gold Glove C
1984 Player of the Week Week of 1984-06-22
1984 Silver Slugger C
1984 TSN All-Star C
1983 Gold Glove C
1983 Silver Slugger C
1982 Silver Slugger C
1982 TSN All-Star C
1980 Silver Slugger C
1979 Player of the Week Week of 1979-06-01

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1995 TOR AL $290,000
1993 CLE AL $125,000
1993 PIT NL $209,000
1992 CAL AL $2,416,667
1991 CAL AL $2,416,667
1990 CAL AL $1,916,667
1989 CAL AL $1,000,000
1988 PHI NL $1,000,000
1987 PHI NL $1,000,000
1986 DET AL $850,000
1985 DET AL $766,667
Total Career Earnings $11,990,668

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1984 Most Valuable Player AL 16th 8.0 392 0
1983 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 66.0 392 0
1982 Most Valuable Player AL 13th 26.0 392 0