PITTSBURGH — Dave Parker, a hard-hitting outfielder who was set to be inducted into the Baseball Corridor of Fame subsequent month, has died, the Pittsburgh Pirates introduced Saturday. He was 74.
No additional particulars about Parker’s dying had been instantly out there. The Pirates knowledgeable the group of his dying simply earlier than the beginning of their recreation in opposition to the New York Mets and held a second of silence.
Nicknamed “the Cobra,” the 6-foot-5 Parker made his main league debut in 1973 and performed 19 seasons, 11 for the Pirates. He was the NL MVP in 1978, received a World Sequence with Pittsburgh a 12 months later after which received one other championship in 1989 with the Oakland Athletics.
Parker received NL batting titles in 1977 and ’78. He completed his profession as a .290 hitter with 339 homers and 1,493 RBIs. He additionally performed for Cincinnati, Milwaukee, the California Angels and Toronto.
Parker was elected to the Corridor of Fame by a particular committee in December. The induction ceremony in Cooperstown, New York, is about for July 27.
“We be a part of the baseball household in remembering Dave Parker. His legacy can be considered one of braveness and management, matched solely by his excellent accomplishments on the sphere,” Corridor chairman Jane Forbes Clark stated in a press release. “His election to the Corridor of Fame in December introduced nice pleasure to him, his household and all of the followers who marveled at his exceptional talents.”
Born on June 9, 1951 in Grenada, Mississippi, Parker grew up in Cincinnati and was a three-sport star at Courter Tech Excessive Faculty.
After enjoying for Pittsburgh from 1973-83, he signed along with his hometown Reds and spent 4 seasons with the membership. In 1985 he led the NL with 125 RBIs and was second within the MVP voting.
“He was such a giant dude at a time when there weren’t that many ‘6-foot-5, 230-pound, dynamic defender, batting champion with energy’ guys,” Corridor of Famer and Reds teammate Barry Larkin stated. “The whole lot about him was spectacular.”
Parker was identified with Parkinson’s illness in 2012.
He informed reporters that he burst into tears upon studying of his choice to the Corridor of Fame.
“Yeah, I cried,” Parker stated after receiving the information. “It solely took a couple of minutes, as a result of I don’t cry.”
Parker homered for the A’s within the 1989 World Sequence opener and took credit score for serving to the Bash Brothers of Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire take the title with a four-game sweep of San Francisco.
He was a seven-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove proper fielder, and when he retired after the 1991 season, he was considered one of solely 5 gamers with no less than 500 doubles, 300 homers, 150 stolen bases and a pair of,700 hits.
“I used to be a five-tool participant. I may do all of them,” Parker stated after his Corridor choice. “I by no means trotted to first base. I don’t know if individuals seen that, however I ran arduous on each play.”
