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Dave Parker — a 19-year MLB veteran who was voted into Cooperstown just months ago — has died … according to the league office.
MLB announced the news Saturday afternoon … saying Parker passed away after a long bout with Parkinson’s disease.
Parker — who played for the Pirates in 11 of his 19 total seasons in the league — was honored with a scoreboard tribute at PNC Park, where the Pirates are taking on the New York Mets.
Dave began his MLB career with Pittsburgh in 1973 … quickly rising to prominence among the league’s young stars. He was named to his first of seven All-Star teams in 1977 and won the National League MVP award the following year.
DP — nicknamed “The Cobra” — won two World Series titles … his first in 1979 with the “We Are Family” Pirates and then a decade later in 1989 with fellow Hall of Famers Rickey Henderson and Dennis Eckersley on the Oakland A’s.
He collected 2,712 hits, 339 home runs and 1,483 RBIs throughout his prolific career … also playing for the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels and Toronto Blue Jays.
While he had an impressive career, he never quite garnered enough support to make it to the Hall of Fame until last year when the Classic Baseball Era Committee voted him in.
He was set to speak at the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in July … and, Chairman of the Board of the Hall, Jane Forbes Clark, says they remain committed to honoring him as well as they can next month.
Dave was 74.
RIP
