Mel Parnell

Mel Parnell is the winningest left-hand pitcher in Red Sox history and stands second on the Red Sox all-time wins list, second only to the immortal Cy Young. 

Though many lefthanded hurlers feared taking the mound in front of Fenway Park's "Green Monster," Parnell found comfort there. Led by his slider, he pitched his way to a 70-30 record at Fenway over his 10-year career in Boston. "I take pride in being the winningest lefthander in Red Sox history while pitching half my games in a ballpark that a lot of southpaws would bypass," Parnell once said. 

A graceful pitcher with a gentlemanly demeanor, Parnell's shining moment came on July 14, 1956 in what would be his final year with the Sox. The 34-year old pitcher threw a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox -- a 4-0 Red Sox win -- despite a variety of arm problems over the three previous years. It was the first no-hitter for a Red Sox pitcher since Howard Ehmke's gem in 1923. A torn muscle in his left elbow shortly thereafter ended his career, but not before he amassed 123 career wins. 

His best year was 1949 when Parnell led the American League in wins with his 25-7 record and 2.77 ERA. He pitched to 18-10 and 18-11 records in '50 and '51 respectively before suffering a down year in '52. But he was back in Parnell form in 1953 with a 21-8 record and a 3.06 ERA.