By Ray Porter, Jr. for Urban Media Today
Dave Parker, who spent 10 of his 18 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, passed away Saturday morning. He was 74.
“We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Hall of Famer Dave Parker,” The Pittsburgh Pirates said in a statement. “He had a big personality, and his passing has left an even bigger void with all who knew him. Our hearts go out to his wife, Kellye, and his family.”
Though Parker had been battling Parkinson’s Disease for 13 years, there are no further details of Parker’s Passing. Many of the Major League Baseball teams that he for informed their respective crowds of the unfortunate news. Parker was 3 weeks away from getting inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame through the Classic Baseball Era Committee. He was also inducted into the Pirates and Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, respectively.
After getting drafted by the Pirates in the 14th round of the 1970 MLB June Amateur Draft, Parker made his MLB Debut in 1973 and played his first full season in 1975. He was inserted into a lineup that included: fellow Hall of Famer Willie Stargell, Al Oliver, Manny Sanguillen, Richie Zisk, Richie Hebner, Frank Taveras, and Rennie Stennett and was dubbed ‘The Lumber Company.’
Nicknamed ‘The Cobra,’ Parker’s first RBI season was also in 1975 as he helped lead the Pirates to the National League (NL) East Division Title. He also led the National League in slugging percentage (.541) and finished third in NL MVP voting.
But Parker really began to heat up in 1977 when he won the first of 2 consecutive NL Batting Titles and in 1978, he hit 31 HR, drove in 117 RBI, and won the NL MVP Award. As a result, the Pirates awarded him with a five-year, $5 million contract in January 1979, becoming the 2nd athlete to earn $1 million per year (The first was Nolan Ryan).
And in 1979, he became the first Pirate to earn All-Star MVP Honors after two amazing defensive plays at the All-Star Game in Seattle. He also helped lead the Pirates to the 1979 World Series Championship with the slogan, ‘We Are Family’.
Unfortunately, 1980-83 wasn’t the best for Parker as a Pirate as he battled injuries and drug problems that affected his performance on the field. Off the field, he also battled the ignorance of racism from disgruntled fans who threw batteries at him from the stands. In 1985, he also was one of the players involved in a drug scandal (Dubbed the ‘Pittsburgh Drug Trials’) in which he and six other players were suspended in 1986. The sentences were commuted in exchange for donating ten percent of their base salaries to drug-related community service, submitting to random drug testing, and contributing 100 hours of drug-related community service.
Parker would leave the Pirates in 1984 and join his hometown Reds, and he regained his All-Star form in 1985 when he hit .312, 34 HR and 125 RBI, but finished a controversial 2nd in NL MVP Voting. He would have another All-Star season the following season and would remain with the Reds until 1988 when he was traded to the Oakland A’s. There he played on two of three American League National Championships and helped lead the A’s to the 1989 World Series Championship, the 2nd ring of his career.
In 1990, Parker would move onto Milwaukee and earn his final All-Star appearance before finishing up his career in California and Toronto. Parker then served as a first-base coach for the Anaheim Angels, a batting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1998 (During Mark McGwire’s 70-HR season), and returned to the Pirates as a special hitting instructor.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of 2025 Hall of Fame electee Dave Parker.” MLB said in a statement. “The Cobra” was one of the fiercest hitters of his generation. The two-time batting champion and 1978 NL MVP won two World Series rings, one with the Pirates in 1979 and one with the A’s in 1989.”
For his career, Parker hit .290 with 339 HRs, 1,493 RBI and 2,712 hits. He also was a 7-time All-Star.
“It is with immense sadness that we received the news of the passing of our great friend, my mentor, my brother Dave Parker. It was an honor, a privilege to be his teammate; I learned so much from him on and off the field. Our deepest condolences to Kellye and the entire family.”-Former Pirates teammate Omar Moreno posted on ‘X.’
After getting denied the necessary 75% votes for induction into the Hall of Fame in years past, Parker finally received 87.5% votes on December 8, 2024. He will be formally inducted on July 27, 2025.
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