Bobby Parnell: Former Mets Relief Pitcher (2008 - 2015)

Robert Allen Parnell was born September 8, 1984, in Salisbury, North Carolina. After high school, Parnell attended Charleston Southern University. The six foot four right hander was signed by the New York Mets in the 9th round of the 2005 draft.

In 2005 he was 2-3 with a 1.73 ERA at A ball with the Brooklyn Cyclones, getting named to the NY / Penn. Leagues All Star Game. Parnell went up the ranks making two more All Star teams in his minor league career, once for A ball St. Lucie in the Florida State League & then again in the Eastern League.

That year he was 10-6 at AA Binghamton with 91 strike outs. In 2008, he got a September call up to the Mets to help out a struggling bullpen.

MLB Debut: On September 15th, Parnell debuted pitching one inning in relief of a 7-2 loss in Washington. He made six appearances that month allowing three runs in five innings of work.

2009: Parnell made himself a spot in the Mets bull pen right out of Spring Training. In the second game of the season, he was credited with a hold in the Mets 9-7 win at Cincinnati. He would get credit with four hold s in the month.

On May 8th at Citi Field, he pitched a scoreless 8th inning against the Pirates earning his first career win. He had another solid month in May getting six more holds & posting a 2.11 ERA by the month's end.

On June 11th & June 12th, he lost back-to-back games to the Phillies at Citi Field, both in extra innings. On June 11th he served up a top of the 10th inning HR to Chase Utley. The next game, he put two men on in the top of the 10th then was relieved by Ken Takahashi who served up a grand slam to Raul Ibanez.

On June 21st he gave up four-runs to the Tampa Rays at Citi Field, with HRs to B.J. Upton & Evan Longoria.

In July he did not allow an earned run in 11 appearances & got credit for two holds. 

In August Parnell notched his first save & then was put in the starting rotation. On August 14th he shut out the Giants for six innings at Citi Field & earned the victory, his third win of the year. But his next three starts were terrible.

 On August 19th he allowed nine runs to the Braves, then on August 25th five runs to the Phillies followed by another eight runs to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Parnell took four straight losing decisions into September before going back to the bullpen.

On the year he went 4-8 with a 5.30 ERA. He was credited with 16 holds, striking out 74 batters
with 46 walks in 88 innings of work in 68 appearances.

2010: Parnell began the 2010 season at AAA Buffalo, going 1-1 with four saves in 24 appearances. He got called up to the big-league squad at the end of June to replace Jenrry Mejia when he got injured.

Parnell pitched as a mid-reliever / set up man through the summer. On August 6th, he blew a save opportunity at Philadelphia taking the loss. On September 21st, his season was ended early when he went on the DL with an injury.

In 41 appearances, he posted a 2.83 ERA, getting credit with nine holds & strike out 33 batters in 35 innings of work.

2011: After nine appearances, Parnell went on the DL again, with a blood clot in his finger. He returned in June then missed a few days when his grandmother passed away. He began in his same role as a setup man, to Francisco Rodriquez.

On June 15th, he earned a win in Atlanta pitching two scoreless innings & striking out five. On June 22nd, he came on in the 13th inning & was the winning pitcher when Justin Turner was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded by Oakland A's pitcher Brad Ziegler.

On June 29th in a game against the Detroit Tigers, Parnell was clocked throwing six pitches over 100 mph in an at bat to Miquel Cabrera. 

In the summer, when troubled reliever Francisco Rodriquez was traded away to the Milwaukee Brewers Parnell was given the Mets closer role albeit temporarily.

On August 15th he blew a save in San Diego losing to the Padres in the 8th inning. 

In the final week of August, Parnell earned four saves during a home stand with the Phillies & Florida Marlins.

In a busy September he made 14 appearances, earning a win & three saves. But he also blew four games as well.

In 60 appearances he was 4-6 with six saves, a 3.64 ERA striking out 64 batters with 27 walks, in 59.1 innings pitched.

2012: The Mets acquired Frank Francisco as the teams closer and Parnell was lined up as the setup man. He got credit for three holds in April in May earned eight more. The Mets had a good start to the season but had the most trouble in their bullpen.

In June, Parnell blew a save at Washington & then one against the A.L. New York team in the subway series. Later that month he was given the closer's role when Frank Francisco went down with injury. 

On June 28th he earned his first save, it came in a 3-2 Mets win at Dodger Stadium. 

On July 5th, he was credited with a win, when Daniel Murphy tied up a game a game against the Phillies in the bottom of the 9th inning. Then David Wright singled home the winning run with a hit off Jonathan Papelbon.

On July 14th, in Atlanta, Parnell took a loss to the Braves in the midst of a terrible Mets losing streak where they dropped 12 of 13, ruining their strong first half of the season. 

On August 26th he earned a victory over the Astros & then earned another two games later in Philadelphia where he pitched two scoreless innings. From September 27th to October 3rd, he ended the year with three saves in the final seven games. 

 Parnell was 5-4 with seven saves & career best 2.49 ERA. In 74 appearances he was credited with 18 holds, 61 strike outs & 20 walks in 68 innings pitched.

2013: Parnell was named the teams closer, a role he was home grown into. On April 13th, he earned his first save coming in Minnesota during Matt Harvey's third win of the season. 

Centerpiece: During that game a fan brought a sign to the game that read "Bobby Parnell the Centerpiece". The team ran with it, using it as Parnell's nickname in the club house. 

In April he posted a 1.59 ERA with a win & two saves, plus two blown saves. 

From May 1st to May 9th, he didn't allow a run in eight appearances in eight innings pitched with eight strike outs. On May 1st, he earned a save in South Florida, then won three straight appearances. earning seven saves while going 3-1 with a 1.85 ERA.

On May 22nd, he gave up three runs to the Reds, giving up three hits & walk in the 9th inning loss. On May 26th he earned a save in Atlanta.

Subway Series Sweep: Parnell earned two saves in the Mets subway series sweep of the A.L. New York team. On May 27th in the Bronx, he held a 2-1 lead striking out two in the bottom of the 9th inning to close out the game. On May 30th he pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his ninth save of the year.

Parnell began June with a blown save in Washington where he gave up two runs. On June 9th he took a loss at Citi Field to the Miami Marlins giving up three runs.

But from June 12th to July 30th, Parnell gave up just three runs in 23.1 innings of work over 22 appearances posting a 1.16 ERA as opposing batters hit just .191 against him. He earned 13 saves going 1-2.

Season Ending Injury: On August 5th, he went on the disabled list with a herniated disk. Parnell was done for the season, finishing the year at 5-5 with 22 saves with a 2.16 ERA. He struck out 44 batters & walked 12 in 50 innings in 49 appearances, finishing off 41 games.

2014: Once again, Parnell was penciled in as the Mets closer. On Opening Day he blew a save, allowing a game tying RBI double in the top of the 9th inning to Denard Span in an eventual loss to the Washington Nat's. 

Season Ending Injury: The next day it was reported he tore his collateral ligament & needed Tommy John surgery, shutting him down for the season.

As his rehab was coming along well, the Mets gave him a new one-year deal in January.

2015 Mets Pennant Season: At Spring Training 2015 Parnell made the news when he found rookie Noah Syndergaard eating his lunch in between an inter squad scrimmage. Parnell tossed Noah's lunch into the garbage scolding him that a rookie does not eat in the club house while the others are working out. Team Captain, David Wright would have a quieter talk with the young pitcher.

On June 13th, Parnell returned to the mound after 15 months pitching in the 8th inning of a 5-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves. 

On June 16th, three days after his return, he recorded his first save in two years, pitching 1.2 innings in a 3-2 win over the Jays at Toronto.

On June 27th Parnell earned a victory over the Reds at Citi Field, after Dilson Herrera scored on a Lucas Duda fielder's choice in the bottom of the 13th inning.

Parnell's return was slowly coming along well as the Mets season was also going well.  

On July 22nd, he gave up three runs on three hits plus two walks, surrendering a 3-1 Mets lead to the Washington Nat's. The Mets took the loss & fell behind the Nat's by three games in second place. 

Parnell gave up runs in three straight games. As the Mets hosted the Padres, he gave up three runs in 1.1 innings over the next two games. On August 1st, Parnell pitched a scoreless 7th inning against the Nat's, with the Mets down by a run at Citi Field. Lucas Duda would hit two HRs in the game, to put the Mets one game behind the Nat's in the standings. They would move into a tie the next day after sweeping the series.

On August 14th Parnell came on in the 10th inning of a 1-1 tie with the Pirates. He gave up two runs taking the loss. Two games later the Pirates got him for four runs (two earned) in another loss.

The Mets clinched the NL East that September, with Parnell making seven appearances in the month. 

On September 13th, he earned a win, pithing two scoreless innings, closing out a game against the Atlanta Braves. On September 30th he blew a two-run lead to the Phillies taking the loss. 

On the season, he was 2-4 with one save, posting a 6.38 ERA. He struck out 13 batters walking 17 in 30 appearances, finishing off eight games.

2015 Post Season: Parnell did not pitch in any post season games.

Post Mets Career: After the World Series, he was granted free agency. In February 2016 he signed with the Detroit Tigers, got released & then was resigned by them. In 2016 he made six appearances at the big-league level. 

Over the next two years, he signed with the Royals & then the White Sox but did not play at the MLB level.

Career Stats: In his nine-year career Parnell was 20-28 with 37 saves & a 3.82 ERA. He struck out 297 batters & walked 138 in 336 innings over 335 appearances (eight starts).

Charities: While growing up, Parnell's dad was a firefighter in North Carolina. While pitching for the Mets he hosted NYFD families at Citi Field. He was also very active in the Police & Fire Widows & Children’s Fund.

Family: In 2011 Bobby & his wife Maegan (Walker) were married in North Carolina. Together they have two daughters & live in his hometown of Salisbury.

Bobby & Maegan were dog lovers. At one-point the couple owned seven dogs & HAD adopted two from the North Shore Animal League.