Jim Parque

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor2=#181818
bgcolor1=#F9461C
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Jim Parque


position=Pitcher
bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date and age|1976|2|8
deathdate=
debutdate=May 26
debutyear=by|1998
debutteam=Chicago White Sox
finaldate=May 21
finalyear=by|2003
finalteam=Tampa Bay Devil Rays
stat1label=Win-Loss Record
stat1value=31-34
stat2label=Strikeouts
stat2value=335
stat3label=ERA
stat3value=5.42
teams=
*Chicago White Sox (by|1998-by|2002)
*Tampa Bay Devil Rays (by|2003)
highlights=
*Bronze Medalist 1996 Summer Olympics Baseball

James Vo Parque (born February 8, 1976 in Norwalk, California) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched for the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Devil Rays from by|1998 to by|2003.

High school years

Parque attended Crescenta Valley High School, where as a senior, he compiled a 12-3 record and was voted the League Player of the Year and MVP.

Later career

Parque attended UCLA, and was the Bruins' top starter. He earned All-Pac 10 Honorable Mention, leading his school with 84 strikeouts in 14 starts. In 1996, he was the only left-handed pitcher on the Olympics baseball team that won a bronze medal in Atlanta.

In by|1994, he was drafted in the 50th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the by|1997 supplemental draft he was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 1st round. Parque spent his first five seasons with the White Sox. He enjoyed his best season in by|2000, going 13-6 with a 4.28 ERA before being beset by arm problems (torn labrum).

On June 24, by|2004, he announced his retirement after playing seven seasons of professional baseball due to his recurring arm injury from by|2000.

Return to baseball

After being out of baseball for three years, Parque announced his willingness to return to the game of baseball. The Chicago Tribune reported that he threw his fastball in the range of 90 mph. On February 2, by|2007, he signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners. He was released by Seattle on May 31, 2007. He has since been linked to steroids in December 2007, though he denied the account in the Seattle Times newspaper. [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2004069470&zsection_id=2002990524&slug=webparque13&date=20071213]

External links

*baseball-reference|id=p/parquji01
* [http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/DB/issues/97/04.18/sports.baseball.html Parque was voted Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week for April 15, Battle for Six-Pac title begins tonight]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6012 ESPN profile and stats]
* [http://www.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb_news_story.jsp?article_id=mlb_20011215_battingaroundparque_news&team_id=mlb Batting Around with Jim Parque]
* [http://www.asianweek.com/071996/feature.html The Asian American Olympians]
* [http://www.wndu.com/sports/062000/sports_2640.php Ford, Parque to face off as Yankees challenge White Sox in Chicago]
* [http://www.jewishworldreview.com/bob/greene051000.asp Maybe it's time for the right people to hear our cheers]
* [http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/sidewinders/20167.php Meet the Sidewinders]
* [http://www.tucsonsidewinders.com/index.php?zone=news&sub=article&news_id=573 Sidewinders Jim Vo Parque announces retirement]
* [http://www.asianweek.com/2001_04_06/feature_profiles.html#CHW AsianWeek.com: Feature:]
* [http://www.homeruncards.com/rookiecards/jim-parque-rookie-card.shtml Jim Parque Rookie Card]
* [http://mlans.dynip.com/blogpics/2002-08/2002-08-31-whiteboard.shtml Scouting on Sox pitcher Jim Parque] Photo
* [http://mlans.dynip.com/blogpics/2002-02-01-soxfest-clinic-garlandparque.htm Pitching Clinic with Jon Garland and Jim Parque] Photo