Dave Parker
A member of the Pittsburgh Pirates "Lumber Company" of the 1970s, Dave Parker was an imposing man with the bat in his hands. At nearly 6'6" and weighing 230 pounds, Parker terrified opposing pitchers, evident by the fact that he led the league in intentional walks twice in his career. He was named 1978 National League Most Valuable Player, when he hit .334 with 30 homers, 117 RBI, 12 triples and 20 stolen bases. He earned the nickname "Cobra" due to his coiled batting stance, and he lasted into his 40s, hitting 339 career homers in a 19-year career.
| Career Batting Stats |
| G |
AB |
H |
R |
HR |
RBI |
SB |
AVG |
SLG |
OBP |
OPS |
OPS+ |
| 2466 |
9358 |
2712 |
1272 |
339 |
1493 |
154 |
.290 |
.471 |
.339 |
.810 |
115.0 |
|
Quotes About Dave Parker
"Parker gave 100 percent effort in every inning of every game that he played. He was one of the greatest I ever managed and one of the greatest who ever played, in my opinion. He has Hall of Fame credentials." — Chuck Tanner
Quotes From Dave Parker
"I think the day will come when I'll be the Stargell in the lineup." — Parker, in 1976
"There were a couple of years where my numbers probably weren't what they should have been. But for the majority of those 10 years, from 1975 to '80, I was probably the best player in the game.... I should be in the Hall of Fame. Ain't no doubt about it." — reflecting on his career, 2006
Where does Dave Parker rank among baseball greats?
Dave Parker ranks #18 among the Top 50 all-time at RF. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1978
NL MVP Voting Results:
Parker... 320
Steve Garvey... 194
Larry Bowa... 189
Reggie Smith... 164
Jack Clark... 107
George Foster... 104
Greg Luzinski... 48
Gaylord Perry... 45
Willie Stargell... 39
Dave Winfield... 37
Born
David Gene Parker was born on June 9, 1951, in Calhoun, MS.
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Major League Debut
7 12,
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1973
Dave Winfield
George Brett
Dave Parker
Brian Downing
Frank White
Bill Madlock
Frank Tanana
Steve Rogers
Randy Jones
Nicknames
Cobra
Similar Players
Mo Vaughn had a similar batting style.
Related Players
Willie Stargell
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1997 |
BBWAA |
83 |
17.5% |
1998 |
BBWAA |
116 |
24.5% |
1999 |
BBWAA |
80 |
16.1% |
2000 |
BBWAA |
104 |
20.8% |
2001 |
BBWAA |
84 |
16.3% |
2002 |
BBWAA |
66 |
14.0% |
2003 |
BBWAA |
51 |
10.3% |
2004 |
BBWAA |
53 |
10.5% |
2005 |
BBWAA |
65 |
12.6% |
2006 |
BBWAA |
76 |
14.4% |
2007 |
BBWAA |
62 |
11.4% |
2008 |
BBWAA |
82 |
15.1% |
2009 |
BBWAA |
81 |
15.0% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1974 National League Championship Series
1975 National League Championship Series
1979 National League Championship Series
1979 World Series
1988 American League Championship Series
1988 World Series
1989 American League Championship Series
1989 World Series
Awards and Honors
1977 NL Gold Glove
1978 NL Gold Glove
1978 NL MVP
1979 ML AS MVP
1979 NL Gold Glove
Milestones
- June 27, 1990: 2500th Hit...
Notes
In 1975, his first season as a regular, Parker hit .259 against southpaws and .339 against RHP. He batted .272 at Three Rivers Stadium, and .359 on the road.
Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
Parker spent time on the DL in 1974 with a severe hamstring pull... In spring training in 1976, Parker set his goals for the season: "I'd like to add 10 points to my average, hit 10 more home runs and drive in 10 more runs." But a few nagging injuries (the hamstrings again) kept him out of the lineup for a few days here and there, and he fell short, raising his batting average five points, hitting 12 fewer homers, and driving in 11 fewer runs.
Hitting Streaks
22 games (1977)
22 games (1977)
15 games (1980)
All-Star Selections
1977 NL
1979 NL
1980 NL
1981 NL
1985 NL
1986 NL
1990 AL
Learn More about Dave Parker
Search Amazon.com for Books about Dave Parker ⇒
Search for Dave Parker at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒