PHILADELPHIA – Over the course of a grinding season — and through losing streaks, critical headlines and self-doubt which can often creep out of nowhere — every major league clubhouse needs a guy who shifts the collective mindset. Who reminds everyone else of the joy rooted in the intensely difficult game that is their job.
Gerardo Parra, with his high-wattage smile, persistent hustle and a love for baseball which he wears on his sleeve, does just that for the Rockies. And the veteran outfielder’s energy has become even more imperative amid Colorado’s slide from first to third in the National League West.
“When things are tough, those are the guys who really help,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “They have everything in perspective — they provide that levity, keep it loose yet still stay focused and know what this is all about.”
Parra can be found during homestands zooming around the clubhouse on his electric scooter, blaring Latin music, slapping hands with teammates and coaches as he passes. And when there’s no scooter on the road, it’s the same energetic Parra, with the top of his black hair bleached blonde, a 31-year-old who is quick to get a game of cards going in the clubhouse and dole out celebratory shouts following victories.
“A lot of the guys in here are leaders, but they’re more on the quiet side because it’s just their personality,” rookie outfielder Noel Cuevas said. “Parra’s personality is more vocal, and we need that.”
Of course, as Black noted, the “double-blessing” for Colorado is that Parra isn’t merely a clubhouse leader. He’s producing on the field, too, to the tune of a .291 average, 21 RBIs, a .332 on-base percentage and a few timely home runs. The two-time Gold Glove winner also has five outfield assists, tied for third in the National League.
“I’m seeing the ball good at the plate, and the important thing is I’m just putting the ball in play and I’m not trying too much,” Parra said. “My goal is to make every at-bat a good at-bat, and then do everything I can in the field to help us win.”
And there’s no sign the journeyman, who has also played for the Diamondbacks (2009-14), Brewers (2014-15) and Orioles (2015), will run out of energy — or laughs — anytime soon.
“If I lose that, I wouldn’t want to play anymore,” Parra said. “Every day, I try to find the happiness in the game — I play hard and I play every inning of every game like it’s my first day in the big leagues.”
Footnote. As Trevor Story continued his offensive tear Wednesday night with a 3-for-5 showing to continue a torrid June in which he’s hitting .400 (18-for-45) with three homers and 10 RBIs, Black noted the shortstop’s work with Colorado hitting coaches Duane Espy and Jeff Salazar is paying dividends. “His swing can get a little big, a little hard and a little long at times,” Black said. “But he and (the hitting coaches) talked about controlling the effort of his swing — not over-swinging, not the big swing. ‘Controlling the effort’ has sort of been a catch phrase for those guys, and I think it really comes into play with two strikes.”
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