Blake Parker had a fantastic spring training for the Los Angeles Angels.
The 31-year-old journeyman reliever struck out 24 batters in 12 1/3 innings, including 17 straight at one point.
And that performance gave Parker a spot on the big league roster.
Now, one might expect a major league pitcher to rent a nice apartment near the stadium in Anaheim, Calif., but that isn’t the case for the new Angels reliever. Parker has elected to live in a recreational vehicle with his wife and stepson, according to Pedro Moura of The Los Angeles Times.
“The 31-year-old journeyman reliever purchased a so-called fifth wheel last week in Phoenix, towed it to California when the Angels broke camp and kept it parked at Angel Stadium until he found out where to go,” Moura writes. “He scouted several locations across Orange County that have WiFi and pool access for his wife and stepson to enjoy.”
Parker spent the first decade of his professional career in the Chicago Cubs organization but has bounced around since then and decided to make his life more mobile. And he is very comfortable with his living space.
“It’s not like we’re all in this one, little, tiny room,” Parker said, per Moura. “It’s small, but it’s big enough. It helps to be able to pack up and take all your stuff, wherever you go. And then at the end of the year, I have this fifth wheel I can go camping in for a couple weeks, take a road trip.”
After the first week of the season, Parker has allowed two earned runs and recorded seven strikeouts in four innings of work.
Thumbnail photo via Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports Images
