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13 hours ago
- Sport
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Dave Parker's teammates, Hall of Famers, current Pirates react to his death: 'One of the greatest to ever do it'
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. Advertisement 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 '80s 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,'" he added. "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. Advertisement 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 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." Advertisement 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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14 hours ago
- Health
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'The Cobra' Dave Parker prayed to live one more month. MLB legend's legacy lives on.
Dave Parker, his mind still sharp but his body failing, kept pleading. One more month, he prayed. Please, let him be healthy enough to get to Cooperstown, New York, to be inducted July 27 into Baseball's Hall of Fame. Advertisement If not, at least keep him alive so he could hear his son present his speech. He fought so courageously since hearing the news in December that he was elected to the Hall of Fame. He was in and out of physical rehab centers these past six months, losing part of his leg battling this dreadful Parkinson's disease, leaving him confined to a wheelchair. DAVE PARKER: Social media reacts to MLB, Pirates legend's death Two weeks ago, when he left his last rehab center, he was informed nothing more could be done. Hospice intervened. And on Saturday morning, the man they called "The Cobra," was gone. Parker was 74. Advertisement 'Man, I am crushed," former Oakland Athletics teammate Dave Stewart, one of Parker's closest friends, told USA TODAY Sports. 'He's one of the greatest teammates I've ever had. He had such a presence when he walked into the room. 'He was always the biggest in the room with his size (6-foot-5, 230 pounds)," Stewart said, 'but when you add in his personality, he's suddenly 7 feet tall. Just an unbelievable human being and was so charismatic. Everyone loved him." Barry Meister, Parker's long-time agent, called him one of the greatest personalities in baseball history. 'There was no player in baseball with more magnetism than Dave Parker," Meister said. 'The hair on your arms would stand up when he walked into that room. Everyone was aware that The Man had arrived." Advertisement Parker, the former MVP, seven-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, two-time batting champion and two-time World Series champion, was nearly as well-known for his swagger and friendly braggadocio as his accomplishments. He created the phrase: 'When the leaves turn brown, I'll be wearing the batting crown." And he would drop: "The sun is going to shine, the wind is going to blow, and Dave is going to go 4-for-4.' He once wore a Star of David necklace, and when asked about it since he wasn't Jewish, he said, 'I'm a David. And I'm a star" When notified in December that he and Dick Allen were voted in by the Classic Baseball Era Committee into the Hall of Fame, his initial reaction was, 'Why did it take so long?" Advertisement Few in the game of baseball had Parker's personality. He was one of the first professional athletes to wear an earring, a two-carat diamond earring. He was the first baseball player to earn $1 million per season. And he was among the first who was unafraid to bring a powerful personality into a clubhouse. 'He probably had more impact on young players," former Cincinnati Reds teammate Eric Davis said in a statement, 'than any player I've ever been around.' Davis was too distraught to talk, heartbroken that his close friend wouldn't be in Cooperstown. So many friends and family members already planned trips, but even without Parker's presence, most plan to still go, making sure everyone is aware of the impact he had on their lives. Kellye, Parker's wife, expressed to many of them Saturday how terribly difficult life has been for Parker these past few months. They're comforted knowing he is now in a better place. No more pain. No more doctors. No more Parkinson's. Advertisement 'He was having such a hard time," Stewart said. 'He had the ability to stand up, but not stand up for long periods of time. I remember when I talked to him after he got elected, I told him how happy I was for him, that it was long overdue, and how it should have happened long ago. 'All he could really say is, 'Thank you Stew. I appreciate it. I love you brother.' 'I knew he was happy, but when you have Parkinson's, you can't really tell the emotion in people." Parker was diagnosed in 2012, and his family chooses to remember the good times: the healthy Parker, the vibrant Parker, and, oh, the hysterical Parker. Advertisement 'He was always so funny," Stewart said. 'He had you laughing all day. Parker had all of the leadership qualities, but he knew how to keep a clubhouse loose. In the worst of times, he always found something inspiring to say. In your personal worst of times, he would always make you laugh at yourself." Said Meister: 'He was the funniest guy who ever played the game. He always had insults." The last time Parker saw Stewart, he noticed that Stewart was wearing a black shirt, black pants and a black jacket, blending in with his skin color, and blurted out: 'Man, go put some clothes on! Why you walking around here naked?" Oh, and he had nicknames for everyone. Advertisement Pitcher Greg Cadaret: 'Dippy," for his big chin. Catcher Terry Steinbach: 'Home plate face." Pitcher Dennis Eckersley: 'Pretty Pony." 'I remember the time he and John Candelaria met up one night in spring training," Meister said, 'and they really got after it. They hit the town hard. Well, Dave comes in the next day, and goes to sleep on the trainer's table. 'They wanted him to pinch-hit late in the game, so they woke him up, he goes to the plate, and he hits this monstrous home run. The reporters asked him after the game, 'What did you hit Dave? Was that a fastball? A curveball? What was it?' 'Dave says, 'Well, I couldn't really see. It looked like the guy was throwing three baseballs at once. So, I just swung at the middle one.' Advertisement That was Parker, always full of life, always colorful, and oh, so talented. He hit 22 home runs with a team-leading 97 RBIs when he helped lead the A's to the 1989 World Series. He was 38 years old. 'They just don't make them like that anymore," Meister said. 'They really don't. He's one-of-a-kind. Believe me, everybody in baseball took a loss for this one." 'Yes," says Stewart, 'but we're all better for having known him, and being such good friends with him. 'He will never be forgotten." Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dave Parker death makes Hall of Fame bittersweet for legend's friends
