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Now, Major League Baseball has lost one of its fiercest competitors and all-time best players.
Dave Parker, the seven-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion who helped define an era of Pittsburgh Pirates baseball, has died at age 74.
The towering outfielder's death came on Saturday, June 28, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, his family confirmed.
Known as "The Cobra” for his smooth-yet-striking playing style, Parker spent 19 seasons in Major League Baseball and left an imprint on every franchise he touched.
He won the 1978 National League MVP, led the league in hits twice, and earned three Gold Gloves with a cannon of an arm that made opposing runners think twice.
Parker was a centerpiece of the 1979 “We Are Family” Pirates squad that captured a World Series title, and later helped the Oakland A’s win it all again in 1989. He also played for the Reds, Brewers, Angels and Blue Jays in a career that spanned from 1973 to 1991.
"We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Hall of Famer Dave Parker," the Pirates said late Saturday afternoon in a statement.
Parker was part of the inaugural Pirates Hall of Fame class in 2022, and will be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown next month.
Parker finished his career with 339 home runs, 1,493 RBIs and a .290 career batting average.
Despite his accolades, Parker was not elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame during his initial period of eligibility. But he was set to be honored by the Hall this summer, joining the Class of 2024 as a recipient of the Contemporary Era Committee’s lifetime achievement award, an induction that now becomes a posthumous tribute.
Details about services have not yet been announced.
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