Dave Parker, the intimidating Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder known as “The Cobra,” died Saturday, June 28 at age 74, just one month before his scheduled induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The Pirates announced his death before their game against the New York Mets that day and held a moment of silence in his honor.
No details about Parker’s death were immediately available, though he had been battling Parkinson’s disease since receiving his diagnosis in 2012. The towering six-foot-five, 230-pound right fielder was set to be posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 27 in Cooperstown, New York.
Parker’s decorated 19-season career spanned from 1973 to 1991, with 11 of those years spent with Pittsburgh. He compiled a .290 batting average with 339 home runs and 1,493 RBIs, earning recognition as one of baseball’s most complete players. His accolades included the 1978 National League MVP Award, two World Series championships a decade apart, back-to-back NL batting titles in 1977 and 1978, three Gold Glove awards, and seven All-Star selections.
Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting described Parker as one of the most dominating and intimidating players to ever wear a Pirates uniform, noting his role as a critical part of the 1979 World Series Championship team. The chairman expressed condolences to Parker’s wife, Kellye, and his family, acknowledging that Parker’s big personality left an even bigger void with all who knew him.
Born on June 9, 1951, in Grenada, Mississippi, Parker moved to Cincinnati with his family when he was five years old. He became a three-sport athlete at Courter Tech High School, excelling as a star running back until a knee injury during his senior season ended his football career. Doctors told him his football days were over, a moment Parker would later say changed his life.
The Pirates selected Parker in the 14th round of the 1970 Draft, taking a chance on a high school catcher with a bad knee. By 1972, he had become the best prospect in the defending World Series champions’ system. He made his major league debut in San Diego on July 12, 1973, the summer following the tragic death of Pittsburgh legend Roberto Clemente.
Despite early comparisons to Clemente, Parker established his own identity. He indicated that everyone was talking about him being the next Roberto Clemente, but that was not what he was trying to achieve, as he wanted to make his mark as the first Dave Parker. He established himself as a regular in 1975, beginning a six-year run during which he batted .317 with an .891 OPS.
Parker became a trailblazer in professional baseball contracts, signing a five-year deal worth more than five million dollars before the 1979 season that made him the first professional baseball player to average one million dollars per season. His poetic, bombastic quotes led teammates to call him the Muhammad Ali of baseball, and he was among the first professional athletes to wear an earring.
The contract and his confident personality drew criticism from some fans, who reportedly threw nuts, bolts, batteries, and other objects at him during games. His legacy became complicated by his cocaine use and involvement in the 1985 Pittsburgh drug trials, with some believing this ultimately kept him from being elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Parker spent the maximum 15 years on the writers’ ballot, topping out at 24.5 percent of the vote, and also fell short on the Modern Baseball Era ballot in 2019. Former teammate Eric Davis noted that Parker should be in Cooperstown, and not as a visitor.
After leaving Pittsburgh in 1983, Parker signed with his hometown Cincinnati Reds and spent four seasons with the club. In 1985, he led the National League with 125 RBIs and finished second in MVP voting. He was later traded to the Oakland Athletics at the end of the 1987 season, where his veteran leadership helped the team reach consecutive World Series appearances in 1988 and 1989.
Parker homered for the Athletics in the 1989 World Series opener and took credit for helping the Bash Brothers of Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire capture the title with a four-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants. He also played for the Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels, and Toronto Blue Jays before retiring after the 1991 season.
Following his playing career, Parker served as a coach for the Los Angeles Angels and St. Louis Cardinals, and worked as a hitting instructor for the Pirates. He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2014 and became part of the inaugural Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame class in 2022.
Parker was finally elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in December 2024 through a vote from the Classic Baseball Era Committee, which considers candidates whose contributions came prior to 1980. He needed at least 12 of 16 votes and received 14. Upon learning of his selection, Parker told MLB Network that he had been holding his acceptance speech in for 15 years.
Hall of Fame Chairman Jane Forbes Clark indicated that Parker’s legacy would be one of courage and leadership, matched only by his outstanding accomplishments on the field. She noted that his election in December brought great joy to him, his family, and all fans who marveled at his remarkable abilities. The Hall of Fame plans to honor his incredible life and career at next month’s induction ceremony, where his legacy will be remembered forever.
Parker burst into tears upon learning of his Hall of Fame selection. Parker said, “Yeah, I cried. It only took a few minutes, because I don’t cry.”
