Pittsburgh Pirates legend Dave Parker inducted into National Baseball Hall of Fame

CBS News

17 hours ago

Longtime Pirates outfielder Dave Parker was officially enshrined into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, almost exactly a month after his death after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.
His son read a poem written by "the Cobra" as he accepted a plaque on his father's behalf.
"I told y'all Cooperstown would be my last ride," Parker wrote. "So the star of Dave will be in the sky tonight. Watch it glow."
The Pirates have been paying tribute to Parker all weekend, including unveiling a new concrete baseball with Parker's name on it, which will sit on the riverwalk, an honor only bestowed on Hall of Famers.
Some fans grew emotional when discussing Parker.
"If there's someone who deserves to be in the hall of fame, it's him," said one fan at Sunday's game. "The way he played, the spirit, the drive, the way he drove not just himself but everyone around him to be what they could."
One man from Greensburg said he remembers watching Parker when he was growing up.
"What a fantastic honor," he said of Parker making it into the Hall of Fame. "He was a great player and quite a personality, and we were lucky as a team to have him in Pittsburgh."
His personality was also shown through in his attire, with some fans calling him a "fashion icon," recalling the hat and shirt he'd wear, along with the time they said Parker wore a hockey mask to a game.
At Sunday's game, fans left messages for Parker and his family at a wall at PNC Park.
His son, Dave Parker II, spoke on Parker's behalf at the induction ceremony in Cooperstown, New York.
"I know my pops is so touched on how the Steel City fans have welcomed him back. Each and every one of you meant the world to him," Parker II said.
He recalled driving through Pittsburgh with his father many years ago and passing billboards and installations that celebrated the city's cultural history.
"Pops loved to say, 'Man, you see these legends. I see old friends. You pass a restaurant, 'I know Dick Primanti.' You pass a jazz mural, 'I know Walt Harper.'"
Parker died a month before giving a speech he'd been writing for years, but not before passing a poem to his son to read.
"I'm him, period, the Cobra," the poem read. "I'm a Pirate for life. Wouldn't have it no other way. That was my family, even though I didn't go on parade day. I love y'all."
He penned that the Pirates will always be on his heart.
"I'm in the Hall. Now you can't take that away. That statue better look good. You know, I got a pretty face, top-tier athlete, fashion icon, sex symbol."
The Pirates, ahead of Sunday's game, said they would show part of the ceremony at PNC Park.
The team will also wear "Cobra" patches on their uniforms for the remainder of the season.
Parker was 74 years old.