Right-handed hurler one of SPBL’s best
By Darren
Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex
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| Parker Frey unloads a pitch for the Cubs. |
For the
past two campaigns, the right-handed hurler has been one of the top pitchers at
the under-18 AAA level in the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League. This
season, he has been a key cog in helping the Cubs chase first place on the
provincial circuit.
“It has been fun,” said Frey. “We’re a fun group of guys.
“We can joke around when needed, but we get down to business
when we also need to.”
Currently,
the Cubs are holding top spot in the regular season standings with a 19-4 mark
with seven games to go. The Cubs will host the SPBL’s under-18 AAA Provincial
Championship tournament July 22 to 24 at Cairns Field and Leakos Field on the
Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.
Over six
appearances on the mound this season, Frey has posted a 4-0 record, a 2.25 ERA,
37 strikeouts and eight walks in 28 innings. He is putting together a solid
follow-up campaign from his 2021 season, where in nine appearances, he posted a
7-1 record, a 2.25 ERA, 25 strikeouts and 11 walks in 37 and one-third innings.
When he is
on the mound, Frey throws a strong slider and change-up, while locating his
fastball well. He said his finesse pitches have helped him out well the past
two campaigns.
“I’d definitely say my off-speed (pitches are working),”
said Frey, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 165 pounds. “I’m not a guy who can
blow the fastball by everyone.
“My off-speed pitches are definitely a big part of my
pitching.”
On top of
having a good season on the mound, Frey is having a solid campaign hitting, as
he is 16-of-45 at the dish for a .356 average with 10 RBI. Frey has made a
sizable improvement in that department from 2021, when he was 11-of-42 at the
plate for a .262 average with six RBI.
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| Parker Frey is batting .356 at the plate this season. |
“I’m more just trying to put the ball in play and good things
happen,” said Frey. “It is all I am trying to do at the plate right now.”
Frey
started played organized baseball at about age five or six following his older
brother, Jordan, into the sport. Since Jordan was a pitcher, Parker became a
pitcher too.
Over the
years, Parker developed his own love for pitching and the game of baseball. His
favourite hurlers to watch on television in the MLB included New York Mets ace
Jacob deGrom and late Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy
Halladay.
“I kind of think I like it a lot better than fielding and
everything else,” said Parker. “I like pitching more, so that is why I went
after that.”
For most of
his baseball career, Parker has been coached by his father, Scott. Scott is the
head coach of the Cubs and Jordan is serving as an assistant coach with the
team too.
Since
joining the Cubs in 2020, Scott said Parker has made some great overall
strides.
“We were really just looking at using him as a pitcher,”
said Scott. “He put on some inches and grew into a fairly tall kid that we
could use in a few different situations.
“This year his bat has come alive, and we’ve been able to
use him more in the field and also on the mound.”
On the
mound, Scott said Parker has benefited from working with Cory Hall at Inside
Pitch Saskatoon and consistently hits the strike zone with all his throws.
“He (Parker) works to get ahead,” said Scott. “He doesn’t
have anything overpowering, so he has worked on developing a couple of
different pitches that he can locate well and get hitters out.
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| Parker Frey rounds the bases for the Cubs. |
“Parker is location first. You get the pitch in on guys’
hands or get it away and try to work with pitching to contact and just letting
your defence play.”
When it
comes to Parker’s improvement at the plate, Scott said it helped that his son
had a growth spurt in the off-season.
“He grew and that helps,” said Scott. “He got stronger.
“I think just his approach to hitting is better as he gets
into good counts, and he has a pretty good eye. He is able to get the pitch he
wants and can put a good swing on it.”
Parker has enjoyed being coached by his father over the
years and also by his older brother in recent years. The ace pitcher added the
challenging player and coach talks come when he is not playing well, so he is
kept accountable by his father and older brother.
“At times it is tough, because they are harder on me,” said
Parker. “It is nice, and I like it.”
Scott admits he has challenging talks with Parker over the
years that comes from the relationship between player and coach. Overall, the
father appreciates the special opportunity he has had to coach his son.
“We’ve been together a long time and I have been coaching
him a lot,” said Scott. “It is always a challenge being dad and being coach.
“There are some tough talks at home and some tough talks in
the dugout, but it has been a really enjoyable experience and a lot of fun.”
Following this season, Parker, who just graduated from St. Joseph High School in June, will continue his baseball career playing for the Taft College Cougars baseball team in Taft, California. Before he thinks about the fall, Parker is focused on accomplishing big goals with the Cubs that include making it to Baseball Canada’s Under-18 National Championship tournament, which will be held August 18 to 21 in Fort McMurray, Alta.
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| Park Frey will join the Taft College Cougars in the fall. |
He is
looking forward to his future with the Cougars but admits he will miss the
Cubs.
“I’m super excited,” said Parker. “I can’t wait to get down
there, but at the same time, it will be tough trying to leave this team.”
For more information about the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League including league schedules, box scores and statistics, feel free to check out the league website at www.spbl.ca.
