Dave Parker
Encyclopedia
David Gene "The Cobra" Parker (born June 9, 1951 in Calhoun, Mississippi) is an American
former player in Major League Baseball
. He was the 1978 National League MVP and a two-time batting champion. Parker was the first professional athlete to earn an average of one million dollars per year, having signed a 5-year, $5 million dollar contract in January 1979. Parker's career achievements include 2712 hits, 339 home run
s, 1493 runs batted in and a lifetime batting average
of .290. Parker was also known as a solid defensive outfielder during the first half of his career, with a powerful arm. From to , he threw out 72 runners, including 26 in .
He was a baseball All-Star
in , , , , 1985
, , and . In the 1979 All-Star Game, Parker showcased his defensive ability and powerful arm by throwing out Jim Rice
at third base and Angels catcher Brian Downing
at home. Parker also contributed an RBI on a sacrifice fly
and was named the game's MVP.
, for whom he played from to . In 1977, he was National League batting champion, a feat he repeated in 1978 when he was named the National League
's MVP
. This was in spite of a collision at home plate with John Stearns
during a game against the Mets on June 30, 1978 in which Parker fractured his jaw and cheekbone; he wore a facemask in order to minimize his time away from the lineup. The Pirates rewarded him with baseball's first million-dollar-per-year contract. The following year, he was an instrumental part of the Pirates' World Series
championship team.
During a game in 1979, a powerful hit he made to right field was very difficult to throw into the infield, because he had "knocked the cover off the ball." One of the seams on the ball ruptured, making nearly half of the cover come loose.
Pittsburgh fans angered by his million-dollar contract threw "nuts and bolts and bullets and batteries" at him, as pitcher Kent Tekulve
stated; a typo in a news story made it appear that they threw car batteries.
In 1981, at a point in his career when it looked as if he would one day rank among the game's all-time greats, Lawrence Ritter
and Donald Honig
included him in their book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time. The authors, noting that Parker had succeeded Roberto Clemente
at the position, wrote, "Someone must have a fondness for right field in Pittsburgh."
However, in the early 1980s, Parker's hitting suffered due to injuries, weight problems and his increasing cocaine
use. He became one of the central figures in a drug scandal that spread through the major leagues. Parker was among several players who testified against a dealer in the Pittsburgh drug trials
, and he was later fined by Major League Baseball
for his admitted drug use.
season, Parker became a free agent and signed with the Cincinnati Reds
. In Cincinnati, he returned to the form that made him an All-Star in Pittsburgh. In 1985
, he enjoyed his best season since he won the MVP with a .312 batting average, 34 home runs, and 125 RBI. Parker finished second in 1985 MVP voting to Willie McGee
.
After the 1987
season, Cincinnati traded Parker to the Oakland Athletics
for José Rijo
and Tim Birtsas
. In Oakland, Parker was able to extend his career by spending most of his time as a designated hitter
. Although injuries and age caught up to him to a degree – he hit just .257 with 12 homers in 377 at-bats in 1988
and .264 with 22 homers in 553 at-bats in 1989
– his veteran leadership was a significant factor in the A's consecutive World Series appearances.
Parker signed with the Milwaukee Brewers
for the season and had a solid year as the Brewers
' DH with a .289 average and 21 home runs in 610 at-bats. However, Milwaukee opted for youth at the end of the year and traded the aging Parker for Dante Bichette
.
Parker's last season was . He played for the California Angels
until late in the season when he was released. The Toronto Blue Jays
then signed him as insurance for the pennant race, and Parker hit .333 in limited action. However, since he was acquired too late in the season, he did not qualify for inclusion on the post-season roster and thus was unable to play in the American League Championship Series
against the Minnesota Twins, which the Blue Jays lost in five games. Parker retired at the end of the season.
, a batting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals
in 1998
, and a special hitting instructor for Pittsburgh. He owns several Popeye's Chicken
franchises in Cincinnati
.
Parker now has had both of his knees replaced due to knee injuries from his playing career.
Parker never got more than 24% of votes on Hall of Fame ballots and his 15-year Baseball Writers Association of America eligibility was exhausted on the 2011 ballot.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former player in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He was the 1978 National League MVP and a two-time batting champion. Parker was the first professional athlete to earn an average of one million dollars per year, having signed a 5-year, $5 million dollar contract in January 1979. Parker's career achievements include 2712 hits, 339 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 1493 runs batted in and a lifetime batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .290. Parker was also known as a solid defensive outfielder during the first half of his career, with a powerful arm. From to , he threw out 72 runners, including 26 in .
He was a baseball All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
in , , , , 1985
1985 in sports
1985 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup:** Men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg** Women's overall season champion: Michela Figini, Switzerland-American football:...
, , and . In the 1979 All-Star Game, Parker showcased his defensive ability and powerful arm by throwing out Jim Rice
Jim Rice
James Edward "Jim" Rice , nicknamed "Jim Ed", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder.Jim Rice played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox from 1974 to 1989...
at third base and Angels catcher Brian Downing
Brian Downing
Brian Jay Downing is a former professional baseball player who had a 20-year MLB career with the Chicago White Sox, California Angels and Texas Rangers.- Chicago Years :...
at home. Parker also contributed an RBI on a sacrifice fly
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
and was named the game's MVP.
Pittsburgh Pirates
In the early 1970s, as a member of the Pirates AAA minor league ball team Charleston (WV) Charlies, Parker hit a home run that landed on a coal car on a passing train and the ball was later picked up in Columbus Ohio. He began his major league career on July 12, 1973 with the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, for whom he played from to . In 1977, he was National League batting champion, a feat he repeated in 1978 when he was named the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
's MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
. This was in spite of a collision at home plate with John Stearns
John Stearns
John Hardin Stearns is a former major league catcher who played for the New York Mets from to , and played a single game for the Philadelphia Phillies in ....
during a game against the Mets on June 30, 1978 in which Parker fractured his jaw and cheekbone; he wore a facemask in order to minimize his time away from the lineup. The Pirates rewarded him with baseball's first million-dollar-per-year contract. The following year, he was an instrumental part of the Pirates' World Series
1979 World Series
The 1979 World Series matched the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates against the American League's Baltimore Orioles , with the Pirates coming back from a three games to one deficit to win the Series in seven games...
championship team.
During a game in 1979, a powerful hit he made to right field was very difficult to throw into the infield, because he had "knocked the cover off the ball." One of the seams on the ball ruptured, making nearly half of the cover come loose.
Pittsburgh fans angered by his million-dollar contract threw "nuts and bolts and bullets and batteries" at him, as pitcher Kent Tekulve
Kent Tekulve
Kenton Charles Tekulve is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 16-year baseball career, he pitched for three different teams, but spent most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
stated; a typo in a news story made it appear that they threw car batteries.
In 1981, at a point in his career when it looked as if he would one day rank among the game's all-time greats, Lawrence Ritter
Lawrence Ritter
Lawrence S. Ritter was an American writer whose specialties were economics and baseball.Ritter was a professor of economics and finance, and chairman of the Department of Finance at the Graduate School of Business Administration of New York University. He also edited the academic periodical...
and Donald Honig
Donald Honig
Donald Martin Honig is a novelist, historian and editor who mostly writes about baseball.While a member of the Bobo Newsom Memorial Society, an informal group of writers, Honig attempted to get Lawrence Ritter to write a sequel to The Glory of their Times. Ritter declined but gave Honig his blessing...
included him in their book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time. The authors, noting that Parker had succeeded Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
at the position, wrote, "Someone must have a fondness for right field in Pittsburgh."
However, in the early 1980s, Parker's hitting suffered due to injuries, weight problems and his increasing cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
use. He became one of the central figures in a drug scandal that spread through the major leagues. Parker was among several players who testified against a dealer in the Pittsburgh drug trials
Pittsburgh drug trials
The Pittsburgh drug trials of 1985 were the catalyst for a baseball-related cocaine scandal which resulted in the harshest Major League Baseball penalties since the Black Sox scandal of 1919...
, and he was later fined by Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
for his admitted drug use.
Later career
At the end of the 19831983 Pittsburgh Pirates season
- Offseason :* December 22, 1982: Tim Burke, Don Aubin , John Holland , and José Rivera were traded by the Pirates to the New York Yankees for Lee Mazzilli.- Notable transactions :...
season, Parker became a free agent and signed with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. In Cincinnati, he returned to the form that made him an All-Star in Pittsburgh. In 1985
1985 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds' 1985 season consisted of the Cincinnati Reds attempting to win the National League West. The Reds finished in second place, 5½ games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. This year, the Reds adopted an alternate uniform...
, he enjoyed his best season since he won the MVP with a .312 batting average, 34 home runs, and 125 RBI. Parker finished second in 1985 MVP voting to Willie McGee
Willie McGee
Willie Dean McGee is a retired professional baseball player who won two batting titles and was named Major League Baseball's National League MVP. McGee primarily played center and right field, winning three Gold Glove Awards for defensive excellence. McGee spent the majority of his 18-year career...
.
After the 1987
1987 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds' 1987 season consisted of the Cincinnati Reds attempting to win the National League West. The Reds finished in 2nd place with a record of 84-78.-Offseason:*November 11, 1986: Chris Welsh was released by the Cincinnati Reds....
season, Cincinnati traded Parker to the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
for José Rijo
José Rijo
José Antonio Rijo Abreu is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent the majority of his career with the Cincinnati Reds .-Playing career:...
and Tim Birtsas
Tim Birtsas
Timothy Dean Birtsas , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1985–1986 and from 1988–1990...
. In Oakland, Parker was able to extend his career by spending most of his time as a designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
. Although injuries and age caught up to him to a degree – he hit just .257 with 12 homers in 377 at-bats in 1988
1988 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics' 1988 season involved the A's winning their first American League West title since , with a record of 104 wins and 58 losses. In 1988, the elephant was restored as the symbol of the Athletics and currently adorns the left sleeve of home and road uniforms. The elephant was...
and .264 with 22 homers in 553 at-bats in 1989
1989 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season saw the A's finish in first place in the American League West division, with a record of 99 wins and 63 losses, seven games in front of the Kansas City Royals. It was their second consecutive AL West title, as well as the second straight year in which they finished...
– his veteran leadership was a significant factor in the A's consecutive World Series appearances.
Parker signed with the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for the season and had a solid year as the Brewers
1990 Milwaukee Brewers season
The Milwaukee Brewers' 1990 season involved the Brewers' finishing 6th in the American League East with a record of 74 wins and 88 losses.-Offseason:* October 16, 1989: Joey Meyer was released by the Brewers....
' DH with a .289 average and 21 home runs in 610 at-bats. However, Milwaukee opted for youth at the end of the year and traded the aging Parker for Dante Bichette
Dante Bichette
Alphonse Dante Bichette, Sr. is a former Italian-American Major League Baseball player. Bichette was a four-time All-Star as a member of the Colorado Rockies.-Career:...
.
Parker's last season was . He played for the California Angels
1991 California Angels season
The California Angels 1991 season involved the Angels finishing 7th in the American League west with a record of 81 wins and 81 losses.-Offseason:...
until late in the season when he was released. The Toronto Blue Jays
1991 Toronto Blue Jays season
The 1991 Toronto Blue Jays season involved the Blue Jays finishing 1st in the American League East with a record of 91 wins and 71 losses. The team's paid attendance of 4,001,527 led the American League, as the Jays became the first team in MLB history ever to draw four million fans in a season...
then signed him as insurance for the pennant race, and Parker hit .333 in limited action. However, since he was acquired too late in the season, he did not qualify for inclusion on the post-season roster and thus was unable to play in the American League Championship Series
1991 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 8, 1991 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, MinnesotaGame 1 saw a surprise starter for Toronto as Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston chose knuckleballer Tom Candiotti to face the Twins over his new young gun Juan Guzmán and his left-handed ace Jimmy Key. Twins...
against the Minnesota Twins, which the Blue Jays lost in five games. Parker retired at the end of the season.
Retirement
Parker has served as a first-base coach for the Anaheim AngelsLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
, a batting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in 1998
1998 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 1998 season was the team's 117th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 107th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 83-79 during the season and finished 3rd in the National League Central division....
, and a special hitting instructor for Pittsburgh. He owns several Popeye's Chicken
Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits
Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits is a chain of fried chicken fast food restaurants, owned since 1993 by the Sandy Springs, Georgia-based AFC Enterprises, which was originally America's Favorite Chicken Company...
franchises in Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
.
Parker now has had both of his knees replaced due to knee injuries from his playing career.
Parker never got more than 24% of votes on Hall of Fame ballots and his 15-year Baseball Writers Association of America eligibility was exhausted on the 2011 ballot.
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences