Tributes continue to pour in for Pittsburgh Pirates legend Dave Parker after his death at the age of 74 on Saturday. Parker, who played 11 seasons with the Pirates, died from complications of Parkinson’s disease weeks before he was to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
One of the most feared sluggers in baseball during the 1970s and 1980s, Parker was awarded the National League MVP in 1978 and won two World Series championships over his 19-year Major League career.
Best known as a member of the Pirates’ 1979 World Series championship team, Parker was a career .290 hitter with 2,712 hits, 339 home runs, and 1,493 RBIs in 2,446 games with the Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels and Toronto Blue Jays.
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred paid tribute to the seven-time All-Star in a statement released shortly after news of Parker’s death was first made public.
“Dave Parker was a gifted all-around player whose numerous accomplishments led to his upcoming induction in Cooperstown this summer,” said Manfred.”He was a World Series Champion with the 1979 Pirates and the 1989 Athletics, a beloved All-Star Red in his hometown of Cincinnati, and an All-Star in Milwaukee. Dave was also a three-time Gold Glover on the strength of his famous arm, a two-time batting champion, and the winner of the inaugural Home Run Derby in 1985.”All of us throughout the game are deeply saddened by this loss. We will remember the Cobra forever, especially as his name soon officially joins the legends of our national pastime.”
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The Pirates also paid tribute to Parker on Saturday with a social media post that highlighted his importance to the organization and the city of Pittsburgh.
“We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Hall of Famer Dave Parker,” the statement read. “A legendary Pirate, Parker spent 11 years in a Pirates uniform, winning 2 batting titles, an MVP award and a World Series Championship in 1979. The Cobra 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.”
Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images