In 2005 he was 2-3 with a 1.73 ERA at A ball with the Brooklyn Cyclones, getting named to the NY / Penn. Leagues All Star Game. Parnell went up the ranks making two more All Star teams in his minor league career, once for A ball St. Lucie in the Florida State League & then again in the Eastern League.
That year he was 10-6 at AA Binghamton with 91 strike outs. He got a September call up to the Mets in 2008 to help out a struggling bullpen.
Parnell debuted pitching one inning in relief at Washington on September 15th. He made six appearances that month allowing three runs in five innings of work.
In 2009 he made the Mets bull pen right out of Spring Training. In the second game of the season he was credited with a hold in the Mets 9-7 win at Cincinnati, and would get credot with four hold s in the month.
On May 8th at Citi Field he pitched a scoreless 8th inning against Pittsburgh earning his first career win. He had another solid month in May getting six more holds & posting a 2.11 ERA by the month's end.

He began the 2010 season at AAA Buffalo, going 1-1 with four saves in 24 appearances. He got called up to the big league squad at the end of June to replace the young pitcher Jenrry Mejia when he got injured.
Parnell pitched as a mid reliever / set up man through the summer of 2010 earning his first decision on August 6th, a blown opportunity which he lost at Philadelphia. His season was ended early when he went on the DL on September 21st. All in all he pitched well enough on the year to post a 2.83 ERA, get credit with nine holds & strike out 33 batters in 35 innings of work.
In 2011 he began the year on the DL again, with a blood clot in his finger. He returned in June after missing time when his grandmother passed away. He began in his same role as a set up man, to Francisco Rodriquez. In June he earned wins in Atlanta & at home against the Oakland A's.

On August 15th he blew a save in San Diego losing to the Padres in the 8th inning. In the final week of August he earned four saves during a home stand with the Phillies & Florida Marlins.

In 2012 the Mets acquired Frank Francisco as the teams closer and Parnell was lined up as a set up man. He got credit for three holds in April & by the end of May already had eleven. The Mets had a good start to the season but had the most trouble in their bullpen.
In June, Parnell blew a save at Washington & then one against the A.L. New York team in the subway series. Later that month he was given the closer's role when Frank Francisco went down with injury. Parnell had a rough time at first, getting charged with five blown saves through July. On June 28th he earned his first save, it came in a 3-2 Mets win at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

On July 14th, in Atlanta, Parnell took a loss to the Braves in the midst of a terrible Mets losing streak where they dropped 12 of 13, ruining their strong first half of the season. At the end of August, he earned a pair of victories in two late inning Mets come back wins.
He ended the year with three saves in the final seven games. His 2012 numbers were 5-4 with seven saves, in 74 appearances.
He was credited with 18 holds, 61 strike outs & 20 walks in 68 innings pitched.

During that game a fan brought a sign to the game that read "Bobby Parnell the Centerpiece". The team ran with it , using it as Parnell's nickname in the club house. After two blown saves that month, he went on to have a strong May, earning seven saves while going 3-1 with a 1.85 ERA.

But from mid June through the end of July, he was good enough to earn 13 saves while going 1-2 giving up just three earned runs in 21 innings over twenty games.

For 2014 he was named the Mets closer, on Opening Day he blew a save, allowing a game tying RBI double in the top of the 9th inning in an eventual loss to the Washington Nats. The next day it was reported he tore his collateral ligament & needed Tommy John surgery, shutting him down for the season.
As his rehab was coming along well, the Mets gave him a new one year deal in January.
At Spring Training 2015 Parnell made the news when he found rookie Noah Syndergaard eating his lunch in between an inter squad scrimmage. Parnell tossed the kids lunch into the garbage scolding him that a rookie does not eat in the club house while the others are working out. David Wright the team Captain had a quieter talking to, with the young pitcher.

On June 27th he earned a victory after Dilson Herrera scored on a Lucas Duda fielders choice in the bottom of the 13th inning.

On August 1st, he pitched a scoreless 7th inning, with the Mets down by a run at Citi Field against the Washington Nats. The Mets went on to a victory after Lucas Duda homered & then doubled in the winning run in the 8th. This put the Mets one game back out of first place, they would move into a tie the next day after sweeping the series. Parnell would finish two games the next week but then get beaten up badly in two games of a series sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Mets clinched the NL East that September, with Parnell making seven appearances in the month. He earned a win on September 13th, pithing the 8th & 9th innings against the Atlanta Braves. On September 30th he blew a two run lead to the Phillies taking the loss. He ended 2015 at 2-4 with one save & a 6.38 ERA. He did not pitch in any post season games, marking the end of his Mets career.
That February he signed with the Detroit Tigers, he would get released & resigned by them appearing in six games. He signed with the Royals & White Sox over the next two years but did not play at the MLB level.
In his nine year career he was 20-28 with 37 saves, 297 strike outs & 138 walks in 336 innings over 335 appearances.

He & his wife are also active in supporting the North Shore Animal League. The couple owned seven dogs at one point & have adopted two from the NSAL.
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