Parrish named to International League’s Hall of Fame

1/30/2013
BY JOHN WAGNER
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
Parrish
Parrish

Former Mud Hens manager Larry Parrish is one of three men who have been elected to the International League's Hall of Fame, the IL announced Tuesday.

Parrish, Mack Jones, and Don Richmond were elected in a vote of living Hall of Famers, league executives, broadcasters, and media members. Both Jones and Richmond will be inducted posthumously.

Parrish is the winningest manager in Toledo professional baseball history with 569 victories. He served as the Mud Hens manager for eight seasons and ranks fifth among all-time Toledo managers in winning percentage (.508) with his career record of 569-551.

Parrish first managed in Toledo in 1994, taking over in May and leading the Mud Hens to a 56-62 record. He returned as manager in 2003 and led the team until 2010. He missed the 2007 season with an ankle injury.

In 2005 Parrish and the Hens had an 89-55 record and won the franchise's first Governors' Cup title since 1967. He was named IL manager of the year and The Sporting News named him minor league manager of the year after that season.

The next season Parrish and the Hens posted a 76-66 record and tied for first in the IL's West Division. After winning a one-game playoff with Indianapolis to earn a playoff berth, Toledo beat Charlotte and Rochester to claim a second straight Governors' Cup.

Parrish, who also managed the Tigers in 1998-99, left Toledo to become hitting coach in Atlanta in 2011 but was fired after one season. He has rejoined the Tigers organization and will manage at Hi-A West Michigan this season.

Parrish’s playing career included 15 seasons in the major leagues with Montreal, Texas, and Boston. He hit 256 career home runs and was selected to all-star teams in 1979 and 1987.

The International League Hall of Fame, which was established in 1947, now has 110 members. A total of 12 of those Hall of Famers have ties to the Mud Hens, but Parrish is just the third who was involved with the organization since it joined the IL in 1965, joining Frank Carswell and Gene Cook.

Contact John Wagner at: jwagner@theblade.com, 419-724-6481 or on Twitter @jwagnerblade.