The Ex Files: Jim Parque

Jim was drafted by the White Sox in 1997, in the supplemental draft of the first round. He made his debut in 1998 and helped the White Sox reach the playoffs in 2000.

Parque was a nice reliable workhorse that could be counted on for close to two-hundred innings in his prime. The future was looking good for butter. PARQUE! (Sorry. A lot of Sox fans would take that classic commercial refrain and repeat it whenever Parque would start a game.)

In 2000, Parque's troubles would begin. He would have a shoulder injury which would make his next few years atrocious. His ERA would balloon as Jim would suffer from multiple shoulder injuries.

Jim would be granted free agency after the 2002 season. He signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2003. After racking up an 11.94 ERA over five starts, the Devil Rays released him. He signed a contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2004, but never made it to the majors after Tampa Bay. Jim announced his retirement in 2004.

Fast forward to 2007. Parque signs a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners, after regaining is arm strength. He was released without reaching the majors, but the real excitement would leak in December 2007. His name popped up on a list of players who tested positive for steroids.

When that list came out, I physically scratched my head.I couldn't imagine little skinny Jim Parque using steroids. When the list came out, Jim denied using, but in 2009, he came clean. Parque had used HGH in his shoulder rehab, while with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2003. HGH was not yet banned in MLB when Jim used, but his name remains on the list.