He played all or part of eleven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), between 1899 and 1911, for the St. Louis Perfectos, Boston Americans and Chicago White Sox, primarily as a shortstop.

Listed at 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m), 154 lb., Parent was known primarily for his fielding skills, but he also was a solid hitter and an intelligent baserunner.

[2] He also was a member of the Boston team who clinched in 1903 the first World Championship in major league history.

He visited the Red Sox and closed the sale of Ruth with help of Parent who was trusted by player-manager Bill Carrigan.

In the fall of 1960, Parent appeared on the television program I've Got A Secret alongside Pittsburgh Pirate Tommy Leach, as a commemoration of participating in the first World Series in 1903.