Wes Parker: Baseball Career, Net Worth, Wife & Awards

An exciting life is a life worth living. There are only memories to cherish and reflect on at your old age. Wes Parker, a former American Professional Baseball Player, is one such person who has lived an extraordinary and wondrous life.

Parker is currently 85 years old and in good health. He has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and has won a World Championship Series with them.

Along with winning numerous awards, Parker has worked as an actor, broadcaster, and businessman.

Today, we will learn about Wes Parker and the journey of his life. But, before learning about him in-depth, let’s look at some quick facts about him.

Quick Facts

Wes Parker | Early Life, Childhood & Family

Maurice Wesley “Wes” Parker III, or only Wes Parker, is a former professional baseball player. Wes Parker has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Wes Parker was born on November 13, 1939, in Evanston, Illinois. Parker is the middle child of his parents. He has an older sister named Celia Parker and a younger brother named Lyn Parker.

Parker had a reasonably peaceful and comfortable childhood as his family was wealthy. Parker’s father, who hails as a native of the Boston area, sells casualty insurance for a living.

Likewise, Parker’s father met his wife, Mary Josyln, while on vacation in Chicago. Interestingly, Mary’s father owned a winter home in Bel Air, one of the country’s upper-class neighborhoods in California.

Career Choices

Wes Parker hated the idea of continuing in his father’s steps and working on the insurance business. However, after a few years in the insurance industry, Parker switched to working for a Santa Monica company.

However, as the whole world was in turmoil due to the World War, Parker instead opted to fill up a manufacturing company’s leadership position. The company made bomb parts to supply the military with needed weapons.

As the war ended, so did the demand. Parker took over the company and began manufacturing steel kitchen cabinets. The company, after the takeover, was renamed Parker Manufacturing Company. 

Parker, a dynamic personality, also ventured into other business prospects. Soon, Parker entered the industrial real estate business. The real estate business carried more excellent value and was a lucrative endeavor. 

Early Steps Into Baseball

A Little League coach named Ned Bowler spotted Wes Parker’s potential qualities in baseball. Parker has expressed that at the age of 11, the coach became an instrumental figure in shaping his baseball approach.

Furthermore, coach Ned Bowler taught a valuable lesson of giving your best and minimizing the importance of victory to Parker. Consequently, these lessons became useful pillars that guided Parker to the Major League and heights of success.

During the same time, Charlie Dressen, a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers, kept an eye on Parker’s baseball qualities. Dressen, also a friend of Parker’s father, tracked Parker’s play throughout high school and college.

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Education & Other Interests

Harvard Military Academy

Wes Parker attended Harvard Military Academy, which is now Harvard Westlake School. The school located in Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles, was established in 1900 by Grenville C. Emery.

An amazing fact about Wes Parker is that he played intramural sports at Harvard. Parker played intramural basketball, football, and track at Harvard. Also, Parker frequently played for Harvards’ baseball team. 

Parker has expressed his liking for football and revealed that football is his second favorite sport. The versatile Parker played as a quarterback and safety in college football. 

Claremont Men’s College

While at Harvard, Parker’s marvelous display in the gridiron earned him an Olympic League MVP Award. However, his brilliance in sports his grade average of C brought forth rejections from UCLA and USC. 

As a result, Wes Parker enrolled in Claremont Men’s College, now Claremont McKenna College. Initially, Parker was interested in pursuing a career in medicine. But, likewise, Parker also took on a job as an orderly in the Santa Monica Hospital to explore the career path. 

In an interview, Parker revealed that he, at first, believed that he wanted to be a doctor. However, later on, Parker figured out that he didn’t have the dedication required to follow the goal.

Though attending Claremont McKenna College, Parker later transferred to the University of Southern California. He graduated from USC with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History.

Dilemma, Dilemma & Dilemma

After much confusion, Parker traveled to Europe to clear up his mind and decide on his career. From Parker’s perspective, he had three choices. The three options, equally appealing, led Parker on to a dilemma.

Firstly, he could work for his father in his father’s company. Secondly, he could ask his father to connect him with a company like Carnation or a stock selling job. Thirdly, he had the option to go back home and pursue a career as a baseball player.

Since Parker loved baseball and had the desire for it, he made the easy choice to choose the sport. Parker re-connected with his father’s friend Charlie Dressen and discussed opportunities and pathways to move ahead in baseball. 

Charlie Dressen, a scout for the Dodgers, decided to help and got him a spot on the Dodger’s rookie team. 

Wes Parker | Age, Height & Physical Appearance

Wes Parker is currently 85 years old as of December, 2024. As Parker was born on November 13, his zodiac sign is Scorpio.

As their Zodiac sign, people with Scorpio are characterized by their strong will, sensitivity, and caring nature.

Despite being 81 years old, Parker continues maintaining his health and lives a healthy life. Below is a video of Parker discussing “Good Health” on California Life HD. 

He quotes, “I love good health. I was not healthy as a kid, and I’ve pursued it all my life.”

Parker stands 6 feet 1 inch tall (185 cm). Likewise, he weighs 180 lbs (81 kg).

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Wes Parker | Baseball Career 

After Charlie Dressen connected Parker to the Dodger’s Rookie team, Parker slowly climbed up to the first team. Likewise, Parker signed for the Dodgers in December 1972.

Santa Barbara Dodgers & Albuquerque Dukes

But soon after signing for the Dodgers, Parker was shipped off to Santa Barbara Dodgers. After his spell with Santa Barabara, Parker went on to play in the Double-A Texas League for the Albuquerque Dukes.

With Santa Barbara, Parker played 92 times and hit .305. Likewise, for Albuquerque, Parker made 26 appearances, hitting for .350.

Los Angeles Dodgers (1964 – 1972)

After LA Dodger stood victorious against New York Yankees, Buzzie Bavasi, LA’s then manager, bought Parker from Spokane Indians.

Buzzie put Parker on the 40-man roster, making Parker eligible to train with the team and available for selection for the 25-man roster.

Wes Parker then enjoyed training with the Dodgers’ team and described the Spring Training in 1964 as ‘phenomenal.’ Consequently, Parker joined the first team and started competing for a starting place.

The player made his debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 19, 1964. 

Parker played for nine years for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Primarily, he played as a first baseman and outfielder. Also, Parker batted right and threw left. In those nine years, Parkers made 1288 appearances for the Dodgers. 

Rookie Season

Wes Parker debuted for the LA Dodgers at age 24 on April 19, 1964. In his rookie season with the Dodgers, Parked played 124 times and made 240 plate appearances (PA). He ended the season with a .357/.303/.341.

Parker won the World Series Championship in 1965 with the Dodgers. However, during the tournament, he had doubts about whether or not he was good enough to play high.

Parker answered all his doubts about an impressive performance against Minnesota Twins by hitting for .304 and scoring a home run, helping his team win by 7-2.

Soon after the World Series ended, Parker visited Mayo Clinic in Rochester for a health check-up. He had dislocated his shoulder and had to get an x-ray done along with a few allergy tests.

After the needed visit to the doctor, Parker started adding weight and building muscle. Moreover, he began consuming protein supplements and milk to add an extra 1800 calories per day. Parker did this to strengthen himself and increase his mental confidence through his physical health.

As a result of his impeccable performance on the field, Parker received the Gold Glove Award. He received the award six times for first base from 1967 to 1972. He became known as the slickest fielding first baseman of all time.

Most Notable Performances

Likewise, in 1970, Parker played a career-high of 161 games in one single season. Furthermore, he scored a career-high batting average of .319 and struck ten home runs. 

One of Parker’s most notable performances came against New York Mets on May 7, 1970. Parker hit for the cycle (single, double, triple, and a home run in the same game). 

In the next two seasons, Parker played a total of 287 times for the Dodgers. Also, he posted a batting average of .274 and .179 in 1971 and 1972. 

Parker played nine seasons with the Dodgers and featured 1288 times for them. He managed a batting average of .267 scored 548 runs, 64 home runs, and 470 RBI. At first base, Parker played a total of 1,108 games and compiled a fielding percentage of .996.

Awards & Recognitions

World Series Champion (1965)

6x Golden Glove Award (1967 – 1972)

MLB All-time Gold Glove Award

Best Defensive Baseman (August 21, 2007)

Diamond Glove (1974)

Parker received the vote for the best defensive baseman on August 21, 2007. Likewise, he was also named as a member of the MLB All-time Gold Glove Team.

However, Parker became the only Gold Glove Team member not to be included in the Hall of Fame.

This was because Parker had played nine seasons in the league. A player must have played 10 seasons in the MLB to be eligible for the award. Despite this, Parker still is the only player from the Dodgers to have received the All-Time Gold Glove Team award.

Nankai Hawks (1974)

After leaving Los Angeles Dodger, Parker switched continents and signed for Nankai Hawks in 1974. Nankai Hawks or Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks play in the Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB).

Parker adapted well to life in a new country. Despite only playing for one season with the Japanese outfits, Parker played 128 games. He managed to hit a batting average of .301 and struck 15 home runs in the process.

Wes Parker’s defensive attributes and skills never really faded away. Even in Japan, he quickly became famous for his razor-sharp defense. As a result, he won the Diamond Glove: Japan’s version of the Golden Gloves. 

Despite a pleasant time in Japan, Parker felt the loneliness of being an American in a foreign land. In addition, Parker, a joyous person, found difficulty communicating efficiently due to language barriers. As a result, he returned to America.

Wes Parker | Career Stats

Wes Parker | Personal Life

In 1973, the year between Parker’s time in America and Japan, Parker worked as a television color analyst. After that, he worked for the Cincinnati Reds, another MLB outfit in the country.

Wes Parker has also worked as a sports broadcaster. NBC and the USA Network have employed Parker as a baseball broadcaster in 1978-79 and 1980-83.

Wes Parker & Film Industry

The versatile player and personality continued in life in his next journey. His next destination would be TV and Hollywood. Parker began pursuing an acting career and started applying for roles in different projects. 

During the 70s, Parker was featured in several movies and TV shows. For example, Parker played the role of Greg Brady‘s math teacher in episode number 17 of The Brady Bunch.

Likewise, Parker has been featured in different movies. Pleasure Cove, The Courage and the Passion, and Cry From The Mountain are some movies played by Wes Parker.

Religious Beliefs

Wes Parker is a Christian and is aligned with the views of Christianity. However, Parker always wasn’t a believing person. In a 1982 broadcast, Parker revealed that he never had understood Christianity and wasn’t drawn towards it.

That was until he met Dr. Gene Scott, American pastor and teacher of the Voice of Faith ministry. After meeting Dr. Scott and learning through his intelligent and fact-based approach, Parker built his faith. 

Wes Parker | Net Worth, Income & Investments

Wes Parker has accumulated his net worth and wealth through his playing career in baseball and other endeavors.

Likewise, Parker has invested funds in real estate as well. He recently listed his LA house on the market for $7.2 million. Furthermore, Wes comes from an affluent and wealthy family.

According to online sources, WES PARKER’S NET WORTH IS $10 MILLION

Wes Parker | Wife & Relationship

Parker is a private man in regard to his relationship. Parker’s relationship status is still unverified despite plenty of news and rumors surrounding his relationship. 

Likewise, we cannot confirm whether he is married or not. 

Wes Parker | Social Media Presence

Unfortunately, Wes Parker is not on any social media platforms. However, you can still learn about him and check out his highlights and interviews on Google and Youtube.

Wes Parker | Frequently Asked Questions

What teams did Wes Parker play for?

Wes Parker has played for MLB outfits Los Angeles Dodgers and Japanese team Nankai Hawks.

Is Wes Parker on band camp?

No, the former Dodger player is not on band camp. However, someone with the same name as the baseballer is mentioned in it. 

What awards has Wes Parker won?

As a player, Parker has won six Golden Gloves awards, Diamond Glove, and has been included in the All-Time Gold Glove Award. He is also a World Series Champion.

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Has Wes Parker worked at Ares Management Corporation?

No, the first baseman did not work at Ares Management Corporation. 

When did Wes Parker retire?

Parker retired from professional baseball just eight days after turning 33 and following the conclusion of the 1972 MLB season. He claimed that he wanted to have a “more settled life” and enjoy other life endeavors while he was still young. 

Furthermore, he stated that he had given ten years of his life to baseball and has had enough. Nevertheless, the former athlete is not bitter at baseball and cited that he still loves baseball but wants to give time to other things that he loves to do as well. 

Does Wes Parker have a profile on the perfect game?

Since he played from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, he probably does not have a profile on the perfect game, which is “devoted to furthering the development and career of the talented high school baseball players.”

What was Wes Parker’s jersey number with the Los Angeles Dodgers?

The baseballer’s jersey number with the Los Angeles Dodgers was 28. 

(Make sure to comment down below if any information regarding Wes Parker is missing.)