(Published Thursday, April 5, 2007 11:23:01 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By John McPoland Gazette staff
BELOIT-Chris Parmelee gave in to temptation for a brief moment when he signed with the Minnesota Twins last summer.
The team's No. 1 pick and the 20th player chosen in last June's draft, Parmelee used a chunk of his $1.5 million signing bonus to buy a Lexus. But Parmelee got rid of the luxury ride in short order for something that fit his personality-a 2000 Ford F150 pickup.
A blue-collar vehicle for a blue-collar athlete.
Parmelee, 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, will likely be the marquee player on the Beloit Snappers' roster this season. The 19-year-old graduated from Chino Hills (Calif.) High School last June, then played 45 games for the Twins' rookie league team in Fort Myers, Fla., and 11 games for Beloit late in the season and during the playoffs.
Parmelee, who is expected to play left field, knows he will be under the microscope as he plays his first full season of professional baseball. But he is supremely confident that he will live up to the Twins' expectations.
"At the beginning of last year, there was a little bit of pressure being the No. 1 pick," Parmelee said at Tuesday night's "Meet the Snappers" event. "There is pressure to come out and perform. "But I'm confident what I did in the offseason will prepare me for this year."
Just days before last year's draft, Parmelee was invited to Minnesota where he sprayed the baseball all over the Metrodome and knocked several out of the park.
"Did he hit it further than we thought he might? Yeah, he did," Twins scouting director Mike Radcliff said last summer. "We've been watching him a long time, and so we have great conviction that his makeup is top notch.
"If he reaches the bat ceiling that we think he can, this guy will be a middle of the lineup impact player down the road.
"We're happy that we are going to be able to get him out quick and get his career started. Each year, there are always players that have problems with negotiations and it just stalls their ability to move."
In Parmelee's first at-bat of his first professional career, he drilled a home run.
"I was ecstatic," Parmelee said. "I was trying to keep a straight face as I was running the bases, but when I saw the guys coming out of the dugout, I had a big smile when I got to home plate."
Parmelee, who is represented by sports super-agent Scott Boras, had eight home runs, 32 RBIs and a .279 average before his brief trip to Beloit. He had just five hits in 22 at-bats with the Snappers for a .227 average.
Before last year's draft, Parmelee was viewed as the best pure hitter available among prep players. The left-hander's swing, in fact, has been compared to Toronto's Lyle Overbay.
Parmelee's prep career produced line drives to all fields and a good eye for the strike zone. Parmelee batted .407 with 11 home runs, 26 RBIs, 34 walks, 24 stolen bases and a .614 on-base percentage during his senior season.
Not blessed with blazing speed, Parmelee does move well in the field and on the base paths. A former high school pitcher, he also has a strong arm.
He also needed a strong stomach on draft day, waiting for his name to be called.
"As each (pick) went by, the nerves got a little worse," Parmelee said. "But then when I heard my name called by the Twins at No. 20-it was the best feeling I've ever had in my life."
Parmelee's hometown of Chino Hills is located about five to 10 minutes outside of Orange County. He grew up rooting for the then-California Angels.
His parents took him to his first Angels game when he was a year old. He still has the ticket stub as proof. He also went to Games 1 and 3 of the 2002 World Series when the Angels knocked off the San Francisco Giants.
"I was always a die-hard Angels fan," Parmelee said.
But now he is a Minnesota Twin. And a fan of Janesville's Terry Ryan, the team's general manager.
"He is a great guy," Parmelee said of Ryan. "It's awesome to see the way the Twins develop their players. That's what I love about the Twins."
Parmelee began gearing up for this season the day after Christmas. He lifted weights for 2-3 hours on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. He did cardiovascular workouts on Saturdays.
"I'm thrilled to be in Beloit," Parmelee said. "I loved playing here last year, even though it was only for a few games. I like playing most of the games at night. It gives you a better feel for what it's like to be in professional baseball."
