- Aug 12, 2004
- 398
- 9
Parker Sent Down To Minors
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The Arizona Diamondbacks today announced that outfielder Doug Parker will start the 2007 season at the team’s AAA affiliate in Tucson.
Parker came up to the major leagues last year, and made a splash, showing unexpected power by hitting a number of home runs, most of them after the D-backs had been eliminated from the pennant race. But being flashy apparently wasn’t good enough.
“He needs to learn the fundamentals of the game before he can really play in the big leagues,†said Arizona General Manager Josh Byrnes. “He was trying to do too much too fast.â€
Those sentiments were echoed by Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin. “He wasn’t satisfied with just being in the major leagues, and trying to learn the game at the major league level. He was always thinking of bigger and better things, instead of taking care of the business at hand.†Pressed for details, Melvin cited several occasions last season where the D-backs had a runner at second with less than two outs. “Instead of just trying to score the guy, or at least move him over by slapping the ball to right field, Doogie was always trying to pull the ball out of the park. Most of the time, he’d fly out weakly to left, or pop up to short, and the guy would still be stranded at second.†(“Doogie†is the nickname the team hung on the baby-faced player, alluding to the TV series “Doogie Howser, MDâ€.)
“This was especially true when we played in Atlanta,†the skipper continued. “I guess he just really wanted to impress them, because they’ve been so good for so long. I couldn’t believe it. One night, he’s sitting right next to me in the dugout telling me how Bobby Cox should be managing the Braves!â€
Parker also irked many of his teammates by refusing to take responsibility for his mistakes. “He was always blaming other players for his own screw-ups,†offered a D-backs veteran who wished to remain anonymous. “When a ball would bounce over his head, he’d blame the groundskeeping staff. But when we would tell him that we don’t have as many groundskeepers as the Yankees or Dodgers, he’d suddenly stick up for management, saying, ‘Well Mr. Moorad [Jeff Moorad, the team’s General Partner] can’t afford more groundskeepers.'
“In fact, there was only one guy in training camp who liked him,†the veteran continued, “Some career minor-leaguer named ‘Chip’ something-or-other. A real know-it-all. Knew everything there was about baseball, but could never make it to The Show. Oh, he kept reminding us that he could have made it to The Show during the players strike, but he chose not to. Believe me, that was the only way that guy was going to make it.â€
“No matter what Doogie did, this ‘Chip’ character would defend him. We all got on Doogie once for throwing behind a slow runner trying to take third on a single. So this ‘Chip’ guy rushes to his defense, yelling that the third baseman never called for the ball. Well of course he didn’t. He was trying to deke the incoming runner. I mean, how do some of these guys even get to this level?â€
When asked if he thought Parker might get a return engagement with the big club, Melvin took off his cap, and wiped his brow with the sleeve of his baseball shirt.
“I don’t know,†he finally said, after pondering the question for several seconds. “He’s really not a dumb kid. I mean, he does know something about the game. But he’s got to realize he can’t go from the Arizona Instructional League to the Hall of Fame in one season. He’s got to learn the fundamentals, and keep his head in the game that’s already being played, not the one that he wants to play in.â€
Asked how Parker took the news, the Arizona manager hinted that the young Babe Ruth wannabe didn’t take it too well. In fact, witnesses stated that they saw Parker at an empty Luis Gonzalez field in neighboring Tempe, strutting around the bases to refine his home run trot, and muttering something about wanting to play in Minnesota or Chicago.
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The Arizona Diamondbacks today announced that outfielder Doug Parker will start the 2007 season at the team’s AAA affiliate in Tucson.
Parker came up to the major leagues last year, and made a splash, showing unexpected power by hitting a number of home runs, most of them after the D-backs had been eliminated from the pennant race. But being flashy apparently wasn’t good enough.
“He needs to learn the fundamentals of the game before he can really play in the big leagues,†said Arizona General Manager Josh Byrnes. “He was trying to do too much too fast.â€
Those sentiments were echoed by Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin. “He wasn’t satisfied with just being in the major leagues, and trying to learn the game at the major league level. He was always thinking of bigger and better things, instead of taking care of the business at hand.†Pressed for details, Melvin cited several occasions last season where the D-backs had a runner at second with less than two outs. “Instead of just trying to score the guy, or at least move him over by slapping the ball to right field, Doogie was always trying to pull the ball out of the park. Most of the time, he’d fly out weakly to left, or pop up to short, and the guy would still be stranded at second.†(“Doogie†is the nickname the team hung on the baby-faced player, alluding to the TV series “Doogie Howser, MDâ€.)
“This was especially true when we played in Atlanta,†the skipper continued. “I guess he just really wanted to impress them, because they’ve been so good for so long. I couldn’t believe it. One night, he’s sitting right next to me in the dugout telling me how Bobby Cox should be managing the Braves!â€
Parker also irked many of his teammates by refusing to take responsibility for his mistakes. “He was always blaming other players for his own screw-ups,†offered a D-backs veteran who wished to remain anonymous. “When a ball would bounce over his head, he’d blame the groundskeeping staff. But when we would tell him that we don’t have as many groundskeepers as the Yankees or Dodgers, he’d suddenly stick up for management, saying, ‘Well Mr. Moorad [Jeff Moorad, the team’s General Partner] can’t afford more groundskeepers.'
“In fact, there was only one guy in training camp who liked him,†the veteran continued, “Some career minor-leaguer named ‘Chip’ something-or-other. A real know-it-all. Knew everything there was about baseball, but could never make it to The Show. Oh, he kept reminding us that he could have made it to The Show during the players strike, but he chose not to. Believe me, that was the only way that guy was going to make it.â€
“No matter what Doogie did, this ‘Chip’ character would defend him. We all got on Doogie once for throwing behind a slow runner trying to take third on a single. So this ‘Chip’ guy rushes to his defense, yelling that the third baseman never called for the ball. Well of course he didn’t. He was trying to deke the incoming runner. I mean, how do some of these guys even get to this level?â€
When asked if he thought Parker might get a return engagement with the big club, Melvin took off his cap, and wiped his brow with the sleeve of his baseball shirt.
“I don’t know,†he finally said, after pondering the question for several seconds. “He’s really not a dumb kid. I mean, he does know something about the game. But he’s got to realize he can’t go from the Arizona Instructional League to the Hall of Fame in one season. He’s got to learn the fundamentals, and keep his head in the game that’s already being played, not the one that he wants to play in.â€
Asked how Parker took the news, the Arizona manager hinted that the young Babe Ruth wannabe didn’t take it too well. In fact, witnesses stated that they saw Parker at an empty Luis Gonzalez field in neighboring Tempe, strutting around the bases to refine his home run trot, and muttering something about wanting to play in Minnesota or Chicago.
