Mel Parnell oral history interview
Date1993 June 04
DescriptionAn interview of Mel Parnell that was conducted by Larry Moffi on June 4, 1993 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Content of the interview includes:
Side One -- Track 1 - (Conversation picks up in the middle, not sure who is being discussed, possibly Red Sox catcher Frankie Hayes) Frankie didn’t like rookies too much because of rookies coming up to take the veterans’ spots; caught for him on his first big league game against Washington, lost the game 3-2; he was a good catcher, even in his later years; later on they made a trade and got Birdie Tebbetts for Hal Wagner, they had Matt Batts, who came up from the Minors with him; and got Buddy Rosar, and Gus Niarhos and Del Wilber; Niarhos was great, because he got real low to the ground, like Tony Pena does today; liked White because he gave him a lot of confidence; Joe Garagiola was a good catcher, but not a great hitter, but he could handle a glove; Yogi (Berra) could do it all, a tough guy to pitch to; he had trouble with Berra; had good luck with the Yankees, because he kept the ball in tight on the power hitters, (Mickey) Mantle, (Hank) Bauer even (Joe) DiMaggio didn’t give him much trouble, but Berra did, couldn’t figure out how to pitch him (00:00:00 to 00:03:44)
Track 2 - On the DiMaggio brothers being great, they were both great, but Parnell got to see more of Dom, a great centerfielder, could make the shoestring catch better than any outfielder, a hell of a team player, could run, hit, field and adequate arm, used to drive in 80-some runs a year, pretty good; at the time had the best 1-2 hitters in baseball, with Dom leading off followed by (Johnny) Pesky; Pesky had good bat control and could find the holes; also had (Bobby) Doerr and (Ted) Williams; unfortunately, they developed the “Fenway Stroke,” couldn’t hit the fences in other ballparks, Doerr a prince of a person and price of a ballplayer, a great guy all around, one of the gems of the game, a real class individual; Pesky doing special assignments for the Red Sox, on a bunch of the players living in Wellesley, MA, three of his kids born there; always came home in the off season, didn’t like the cold weather, did some public relations for Narragansett Brewery, but couldn’t take the cold weather, he was in Portland, ME one time and it was 25 below 0, and the car wouldn’t start, not his kind of living; didn’t like the cold weather even during the season, took him a while to get adjusted; on playing in Florida for spring training and having to adjust to the cold weather; on the World Series being played in the worst weather of the season, cold in Montreal, Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee; on liking broadcasting, but the travel got to be monotonous; still likes to travel for pleasure, but didn’t like traveling when he was playing or broadcasting because he was focused on the game, never saw the Empire State Building or took a Circle Line cruise when he was playing ball in New York; can’t get out after a game because night clubs were taboo, rumors would start if you frequented the clubs; concentrated on feeding the family; multi-year contracts are the biggest detriment to the game today, don’t see the real talent until it comes down to the last year or so of the contract, just like basketball, the real talent comes out in the playoffs; on having fewer Minor League teams and multi-year contracts taking away leverage from the owners; on the Red Sox being good to players, where the “country club” name came from; (Tom) Yawkey paid well, and Ted Williams worked to get them better salaries, he never got a cut with the Red Sox, got an increase every year, only played for the same money just one year, when he broke his arm, got hit with a ball by (Maurice) McDermott; when McDermott found out he broke his arm he had tears in his eyes; Parnell hit one of his better friends, Bobby Brown, broke his hand, wasn’t intentional, just trying to push him away from the plate, probably won the pennant for the Yankees that year because they put Bill Johnson in at third, and he had a hell of a year; the Yankees always picked up someone toward the end of their career, Johnny Sain, Johnny Mize, they were wise, using the old guys, they came in and settled down the club, Bobby Shantz, a good pitcher and fielder, went to Japan with them; Lefty O’Doul was the manager, was god over in Japan, he introduced baseball to Japan; had a request recently to write a paper on his behalf for the Hall of Fame, also Allie Reynolds, should be in there; Reynolds a great guy, became the chief of all the Indian tribes, a class guy and a real nice person, a lot of illnesses, but doesn’t show it (contains profanity) (00:03:44 to 00:19:50)
Track 3 - On players respecting one another, fought like hell on the field but respected each other off the field, (interviewer talks about Roberto Clemente,) on Vic Power, throwing towards his head to get him away from the plate; they had a second baseman, Billy Consolo let out a scream at second base, said they didn’t play like that in high school, and Parnell told him this wasn’t high school, but after that, Power was yours; another second baseman, Cass Michaels, didn’t like to be thrown at, eventually he got hit in the ear and caused him to go deaf, Marion Fricano hit him, but you don’t try to hit a guy, the head is the easiest part to get away from the ball, if you really want to hit a guy, you go for the leg, can’t move the legs as fast; Power was a good ballplayer, hell of a first baseman; George Scott another good first baseman, cut from a different mold, sold all of his memorabilia from baseball and got peanuts for it; memorabilia and card thing has gotten out of hand (interviewer talks about his baseball cards being thrown away) Parnell had the original set of the ’42 Series, he gave them to his doctor’s son, and now it’s worth $40,000, just unbelievable; has one card worth $350, some worth $90, $40, $30 (contains profanity) (00:19:50 to 00:25:38)
Track 4 - On working for the city department of recreation during the off season, concentrated on staying in shape; when he got out, worked for Chrysler Corp., then was in broadcasting, and managing for the Red Sox; got tired of traveling and started a pest control business, now he’s retired (interviewer talks about meeting the following day, tape is stopped and restarted) (00:25:38 to 00:27:02)
Track 5 - On playing the All Star game in Ebbets Field, started for the American League, and Warren Spahn started for the National League, (Stan) Musial hit a home run off him that went right down the right field line, which was 300-feet at most, and it just went over the fence, felt like playing at Fenway, a tough ballpark and the fans were wild in that ball park, but that’s Brooklyn (tape is stopped) (00:27:02 to 00:27:53)
Side One -- Track 1 - (Conversation picks up in the middle, not sure who is being discussed, possibly Red Sox catcher Frankie Hayes) Frankie didn’t like rookies too much because of rookies coming up to take the veterans’ spots; caught for him on his first big league game against Washington, lost the game 3-2; he was a good catcher, even in his later years; later on they made a trade and got Birdie Tebbetts for Hal Wagner, they had Matt Batts, who came up from the Minors with him; and got Buddy Rosar, and Gus Niarhos and Del Wilber; Niarhos was great, because he got real low to the ground, like Tony Pena does today; liked White because he gave him a lot of confidence; Joe Garagiola was a good catcher, but not a great hitter, but he could handle a glove; Yogi (Berra) could do it all, a tough guy to pitch to; he had trouble with Berra; had good luck with the Yankees, because he kept the ball in tight on the power hitters, (Mickey) Mantle, (Hank) Bauer even (Joe) DiMaggio didn’t give him much trouble, but Berra did, couldn’t figure out how to pitch him (00:00:00 to 00:03:44)
Track 2 - On the DiMaggio brothers being great, they were both great, but Parnell got to see more of Dom, a great centerfielder, could make the shoestring catch better than any outfielder, a hell of a team player, could run, hit, field and adequate arm, used to drive in 80-some runs a year, pretty good; at the time had the best 1-2 hitters in baseball, with Dom leading off followed by (Johnny) Pesky; Pesky had good bat control and could find the holes; also had (Bobby) Doerr and (Ted) Williams; unfortunately, they developed the “Fenway Stroke,” couldn’t hit the fences in other ballparks, Doerr a prince of a person and price of a ballplayer, a great guy all around, one of the gems of the game, a real class individual; Pesky doing special assignments for the Red Sox, on a bunch of the players living in Wellesley, MA, three of his kids born there; always came home in the off season, didn’t like the cold weather, did some public relations for Narragansett Brewery, but couldn’t take the cold weather, he was in Portland, ME one time and it was 25 below 0, and the car wouldn’t start, not his kind of living; didn’t like the cold weather even during the season, took him a while to get adjusted; on playing in Florida for spring training and having to adjust to the cold weather; on the World Series being played in the worst weather of the season, cold in Montreal, Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee; on liking broadcasting, but the travel got to be monotonous; still likes to travel for pleasure, but didn’t like traveling when he was playing or broadcasting because he was focused on the game, never saw the Empire State Building or took a Circle Line cruise when he was playing ball in New York; can’t get out after a game because night clubs were taboo, rumors would start if you frequented the clubs; concentrated on feeding the family; multi-year contracts are the biggest detriment to the game today, don’t see the real talent until it comes down to the last year or so of the contract, just like basketball, the real talent comes out in the playoffs; on having fewer Minor League teams and multi-year contracts taking away leverage from the owners; on the Red Sox being good to players, where the “country club” name came from; (Tom) Yawkey paid well, and Ted Williams worked to get them better salaries, he never got a cut with the Red Sox, got an increase every year, only played for the same money just one year, when he broke his arm, got hit with a ball by (Maurice) McDermott; when McDermott found out he broke his arm he had tears in his eyes; Parnell hit one of his better friends, Bobby Brown, broke his hand, wasn’t intentional, just trying to push him away from the plate, probably won the pennant for the Yankees that year because they put Bill Johnson in at third, and he had a hell of a year; the Yankees always picked up someone toward the end of their career, Johnny Sain, Johnny Mize, they were wise, using the old guys, they came in and settled down the club, Bobby Shantz, a good pitcher and fielder, went to Japan with them; Lefty O’Doul was the manager, was god over in Japan, he introduced baseball to Japan; had a request recently to write a paper on his behalf for the Hall of Fame, also Allie Reynolds, should be in there; Reynolds a great guy, became the chief of all the Indian tribes, a class guy and a real nice person, a lot of illnesses, but doesn’t show it (contains profanity) (00:03:44 to 00:19:50)
Track 3 - On players respecting one another, fought like hell on the field but respected each other off the field, (interviewer talks about Roberto Clemente,) on Vic Power, throwing towards his head to get him away from the plate; they had a second baseman, Billy Consolo let out a scream at second base, said they didn’t play like that in high school, and Parnell told him this wasn’t high school, but after that, Power was yours; another second baseman, Cass Michaels, didn’t like to be thrown at, eventually he got hit in the ear and caused him to go deaf, Marion Fricano hit him, but you don’t try to hit a guy, the head is the easiest part to get away from the ball, if you really want to hit a guy, you go for the leg, can’t move the legs as fast; Power was a good ballplayer, hell of a first baseman; George Scott another good first baseman, cut from a different mold, sold all of his memorabilia from baseball and got peanuts for it; memorabilia and card thing has gotten out of hand (interviewer talks about his baseball cards being thrown away) Parnell had the original set of the ’42 Series, he gave them to his doctor’s son, and now it’s worth $40,000, just unbelievable; has one card worth $350, some worth $90, $40, $30 (contains profanity) (00:19:50 to 00:25:38)
Track 4 - On working for the city department of recreation during the off season, concentrated on staying in shape; when he got out, worked for Chrysler Corp., then was in broadcasting, and managing for the Red Sox; got tired of traveling and started a pest control business, now he’s retired (interviewer talks about meeting the following day, tape is stopped and restarted) (00:25:38 to 00:27:02)
Track 5 - On playing the All Star game in Ebbets Field, started for the American League, and Warren Spahn started for the National League, (Stan) Musial hit a home run off him that went right down the right field line, which was 300-feet at most, and it just went over the fence, felt like playing at Fenway, a tough ballpark and the fans were wild in that ball park, but that’s Brooklyn (tape is stopped) (00:27:02 to 00:27:53)
Object numberBL-2000-02292-002
Artist, Creator, or Manufacturer
Moffi, Larry
Artist, Creator, or Manufacturer
Parnell, Mel, 1922-2012
Subject
Parnell, Mel, 1922-2012
Classificationsaudio/visual materials
Collection NumberBA RMA 002 Larry Moffi oral history collection
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RestrictionsDue to copyright restrictions, this interview can only be listened to at the Giamatti Research Center at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Object number: BL-2001-00092-010
St. Louis Cardinals (Baseball team)
1967 or 1968
Object number: BL-2001-00092-011
St. Louis Cardinals (Baseball team)
1967 or 1968