The baseball world mourned the death of Dave Parker, Hall of Famer and former National League MVP, on Saturday. The 19-year major leaguer had battled Parkinson’s disease for nearly 15 years.
The Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds, the teams with whom Parker played the majority of his MLB career, expressed their condolences. As did the Athletics, Angels, Brewers and Blue Jays, in addition to Major League Baseball.
Plenty of Parker’s former teammates, fellow Hall of Famers and current Pirates players voiced their sympathies as well.
Fellow Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven and Parker were teammates on the Pirates from 1977-80, which included winning the World Series in 1979.
“What a sad [day] as my former teammate and friend, HOF’er Dave Parker, passed away,” Blyleven posted on social media. “He fought Parkinson’s for years. Our condolences to his wife Kellye, his family and everyone that had the great opportunity to be with him. RIP Cobra.”
“Man, I am crushed,” former teammate Dave Stewart told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. “He’s one of the greatest teammates I’ve ever had. He had such a presence when he walked into the room.”
Parker and Stewart played together on the Oakland Athletics in 1988 and 1989, getting to the World Series in both seasons and winning a championship on their second try.
Keith Hernandez didn’t play on any teams with Parker, but was certainly a peer as both were top major leaguers in the late 1970s through the 1980s.
“The best player of the late ’70s and early ’80s,” Hernandez told the New York Post’s Mike Puma. “Great boisterous peer.
“He used to say, “When the leaves turn brown, I will be wearing the [batting title] crown.” Until I usurped his crown in ’79. He was a better player than me. RIP.”
Hernandez did indeed win the National League batting title in 1979 with a .344 average after Parker won it for the previous two consecutive seasons, batting .338 in 1977 and .334 in 1978.
Fellow Hall of Famer Frank Thomas remembered fielding a ground ball from Parker at first base early in his major league career.
“RIP, Dave Parker, the Cobra!” Thomas posted on social media. “One of the greatest to ever do it. Love watching you as a kid. I will always remember that first line drive ground ball you hit me in the show right off my chest.”
“You said, welcome to the show, kid,” he continued. “That big smile and the finger point trot. #Legendary.”
Eric Davis, Parker’s teammate with the Reds, issued a statement because he was too distraught to talk, according to Nightengale. The thought that Parker wouldn’t be alive for his Hall of Fame induction was too upsetting.
“He probably had more impact on young players than any player I’ve ever been around,” Davis said.
Current Reds manager Terry Francona played with Parker on the 1987 Reds and 1990 Brewers, remembered getting to play with a star he long admired.
“He was a big, lovable… I caught him toward the end of his career,” Francona recalled. “He was funny, you could mess with him.
“Not too much,” he added with a laugh.
Pirates veteran Andrew McCutchen shared his thoughts on Parker with MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf, acknowledging what he meant to Pittsburgh fans.
“It’s a tough thing to hear, but he had been battling Parkinson’s for quite some time,” McCutchen said. “It was rough to see him go through that. I just hope now he’s in a a better place and not having to worry about any of that stuff anymore.”
“Just thinking about his family and the fanbase who may have had any type of interaction with him, childhoods,” he added. “He was probably Superman to a lot of people when he played.”
McCutchen’s teammate, Nick Gonzales, currently wears the No. 39 jersey that Parker wore during his 11 seasons with the Pirates (and throughout his career) and thinks it should be retired.
“It just meant a little bit more today, playing with that number,” Gonzales said on Saturday. “I think it should be retired and I should get a new number, honestly.”
“That might happen at some point,” he continued. “For what he did for this community… it’s an honor just to wear it on my back.”
Parker was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in December by the Classic Era Committee, earning votes on 14 of 16 ballots. He will be officially inducted into Cooperstown on July 27.
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