Jarrett Parker: A Big Day

      It's nice to see a kid who has struggled during his early career to breakout, all of a sudden, on prime time TV in front of a Bay Area crowd at the Oakland Colosseum.  In the top of the 8th inning, with the bases loaded, Parker unloaded on a pitch right down the middle and launched it into the right field seats.  He joins an elite group of rookies who have hit 3 home runs in a game.  His hits and RBI's have put the Giants ahead 14-10.   Not a pitchers duel, the game was touted as a contest between old teammates Barry Zito of the A's, and Tim Hudson of the Giants.  They played together for the A's in 2002-3.  Zito was brought up for the occasion, and also announced he would be retiring at the end of the season.
      Jarrett Parker is 26 years old and played ball at the University of Virginia before being drafted by the Giants.  He was brought up from Triple A after playing for the Richmond Flying Squirrels in 2013-2014.  He was on the Giants roster in 2014 for a few days and thus was presented a World Series ring when the season was over.   
      It's all about timing.