Gerardo Parra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gerardo Parra |
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Parra at the White House in 2019
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| Washington Nationals – No. 88 | |||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: May 6, 1987 Santa Barbara del Zulia, Venezuela |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: May 13, 2009, for the Arizona Diamondbacks | |||
| NPB: June 19, 2020, for the Yomiuri Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| NPB: 2020 | |||
| MLB: October 3, 2021, for the Washington Nationals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .275 | ||
| Home runs | 90 | ||
| Runs batted in | 532 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .267 | ||
| Home runs | 4 | ||
| Runs batted in | 13 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Gerardo Enrique Parra (born May 6, 1987) is a former professional baseball player from Venezuela. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for many teams. These included the Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, and Washington Nationals. He also played for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Parra is known for his excellent defense. He won the Gold Glove Award twice. He was also a key part of the Washington Nationals team that won the 2019 World Series. After retiring as a player, he became a coach for the Nationals.
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Playing Career Highlights
Starting with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Gerardo Parra made his big league debut on May 13, 2009. He was called up from a minor league team. In his very first at-bat in Major League Baseball, he hit a home run! This was a rare achievement. He was the 100th player in MLB history to do this.
Parra had a fantastic start to his career. He got at least one RBI in each of his first five games. This was a feat only one other player had done in the previous 30 years. Because of his great performance, he was named the National League Rookie of the Month for May.
In 2011, Parra had a breakout year. He batted .292, hit 8 home runs, and had 46 runs batted in. He also showed off his strong throwing arm in the outfield. His defense was so good that he won his first Gold Glove Award in 2011. This award goes to the best defensive players.
He continued to play well for the Diamondbacks. In 2013, he had a career-high five hits in one game. After that season, he won his second Gold Glove Award.
Moving to Other Teams
Milwaukee Brewers
On July 31, 2014, Parra was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. He played for them for about a year.
Baltimore Orioles
The next year, on July 31, 2015, he was traded again. This time, he joined the Baltimore Orioles. With the Orioles, he tied his career high by getting five hits in a single game.
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Colorado Rockies
In 2016, Parra signed a three-year contract with the Colorado Rockies. He had a great season in 2017, hitting for a career-high batting average of .309 and driving in 71 runs.
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He played for the Rockies until the end of the 2018 season.
San Francisco Giants
In early 2019, Parra signed a short deal with the San Francisco Giants. He played 30 games for them before moving on.
Becoming a Washington National
On May 9, 2019, Gerardo Parra joined the Washington Nationals. This move turned out to be very important for his career. Just two days after joining, he hit a grand slam, which is a home run with all bases loaded.
During his time with the Nationals, Parra became a fan favorite. This was partly because of his walk-up music. At the suggestion of his children, he started using the popular kids' song "Baby Shark". Fans at Nationals Park loved it! They would sing along and do the "shark dance" whenever he came up to bat. This became a fun tradition during the Nationals' amazing 2019 season.
The Nationals had a fantastic run in 2019. They made it all the way to the 2019 World Series. Parra's "Baby Shark" song became an anthem for the team and its fans. The Nationals won the World Series in 7 games, which was their first championship ever!
Playing in Japan
After the 2019 season, Parra signed a one-year contract to play in Japan. He joined the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played 47 games for them in 2020.
Return to the Nationals
In 2021, Parra signed another deal to return to the Washington Nationals. He played for them again before officially retiring from playing baseball.
Life After Playing Baseball
Gerardo Parra officially retired from playing professional baseball on May 8, 2022. He then took on a role in the front office of the Washington Nationals.
After the 2023 season, the Nationals named Parra their first base coach. This means he now helps players on the field during games.
See also
In Spanish: Gerardo Parra para niños
- List of Major League Baseball players with a home run in their first major league at bat
- List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
