For the first time since he graduated from Walnut High School (Walnut, Calif.) 34 years ago, Lance Parrish will not be going to the ballpark on a daily basis.
“I decided to take the season off,” Parrish said in a phone interview from his new home in Nashville, Tenn. “It is bizarre. This is the first time in 34 years I haven’t been involved in professional baseball.”
On Sept. 5, 2007, Parrish was fired as Loons’ manager by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the parent team of the Loons, a Class A affliliate. The Loons finished the first half of the Midwest League season at 34-36, good for fourth place in the Eastern Division. But the second half saw the Loons go 23-46, which landed them in last place in the division.
“I was disappointed in our performance,” Parrish said. “A lot of times, we didn’t know what we were doing.”
“I would have really liked to have the opportunity to sit down with (Dodgers’ Director of Player Development) De Jon Watson and ask why I was being let go,” Parrish said. “That didn’t happen. There might have been a concern from up top that we were not developing players.”
“I have no animosity towards the Dodgers,” he added. “It is difficult to get fired and very hard to not take it personally.”
Parrish also has no hard feelings toward the Loons. In fact, he says he received tremendous support not only from Loons’ fans, but also the entire Loons’ organization.
“The Loons’ organization bent over backwards for me,” said Parrish, who was the starting catcher on the Detroit Tigers’ 1984 World Series championship team.
“Tell (the fans) I love them and appreciate them,” Parrish added. “Because of them, I had a great summer. Midland is the best I’ve been treated anywhere I’ve been. The entire Michigan area has always treated me extremely well.”
He wished the Loons success in the upcoming season under new manager Juan Bustabad.
“Juan is a great guy,” said Parrish. “I think everybody will love him. He is a great manager. I hope they do well.”
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