Washington Nationals: Fans clamoring for memory lane trip with Gerardo Parra
The 2019 Washington Nationals were eight games under .500 after the first game Gerardo Parra played for them. He hit a game winning grand slam the next game to help the Nationals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in what was the beginning of the Gerardo Parra phenomenon.
No need to recap, I’m sure you are well aware of Baby Shark, the hugs, the hype, the hopping the railing in Los Angeles. The Nationals are still giving away red colored glasses as promotions at the stadium. Parra may have hit just .250 after joining the Nationals, but many fans refer to him as the savior to that season.
As the Nationals find themselves in a similar place as the 2019 season, some fans yearn for the second coming of Gerardo Parra.
The 2021 Washington Nationals currently sit eight games under .500 and seem to be in an offensive stalemate. Having been shutout nine times already on the season, and having a centerfielder plagued by base running miscues, fans are calling for the addition of Parra to help shake things up.
https://twitter.com/RocRedWings/status/1404186627841347584
Parra hit a game winning grand slam for Triple-A Rochester in their most recent game, his first home run of the year. His two hits on the day out of the leadoff spot, raised his batting average to .246 for the Red Wings.
Is it time to call up Parra Shark? Yes, the roster stinks. But the chemistry isn’t good either. No one is having fun, players aren’t dancing, fans aren’t cheering. I see no hugs in this dugout. Might as well try an obscure move that turned a 19-31 team into World Series champs.
— Rudy Gersten (@DCBarno) June 9, 2021
Nats Twitter be like: Parra’s bench presence > Shwarber’s bombs
— Brandon Grimes (@bgrimes004) June 14, 2021
Has Gerardo Parra’s career come to this? Has he become the dancing clown in the corner set on entertaining the fans and keeping things light in the dugout?
Maybe.
Parra is 34 years old and four years removed from hitting .309 with the Colorado Rockies. He played in Japan last year before returning to the States prior to baseball season this season. Unable to secure a guaranteed job he signed with the Nationals on a minor league contract. He was hampered by off-season knee surgery. Yes, he has limitations with the bat, but does provide a feel good story and a history of being a good clubhouse guy.
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Daniel Palka, Yasmany Tomas, Yadiel Hernandez, and Cody Wilson. These are the outfielders currently at Triple-A I’d rather see in a Nats uniform than Gerardo Parra. However, with the year the Nationals are having and the decisions general manager Mike Rizzo has made, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Baby Shark craze take over Nationals Park in the near future.