:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/1984580/GYI0063621963.jpg)
Happy birthday to Larry Parrish, who turns 58 today.
Parrish was signed as an amateur free agent by the Montreal Expos in May, 1972, and made his major league debut in 1974 with Montreal as a 20 year old. From 1975 through 1981 he was the Expos' regular third baseman, but was traded in the 1981-82 offseason to Texas, along with Dave Hostetler, for Al Oliver.
The Rangers acquired Parrish with the idea that they would move him in right field and make him their cleanup hitter, but Parrish started off incredibly poorly with the Rangers, hitting just one home run in the first three months of the season and posting a .211/.257/.333 line in the first half of the season, leading many in the media to proclaim him a bust. He rebounded and posted an 811 OPS in the second half of 1982, though, and was a solid, productive member of the club through the 1987 season.
In 1988, at the age of 34, Parrish's production suddenly fell off the cliff. After posting a .190/.253/.319 line in 68 games, the Rangers released Parrish. He was picked up by Boston and, while he rebounded somewhat, putting up a 722 OPS for Boston over the rest of the season, that was Parrish's last season as a major leaguer, although he played in Japan in 1989 and 1990.
Parrish was a coach and scout in the Tigers organization for a number of years, beginning in 1992, including a lengthy stint as the manager of the Toledo Mud Hens. Parrish was the Atlanta Braves' hitting coach in 2011, although he was not retained for the 2012 season.