Dave Parker, two-time World Series champ, dies one month before Hall of Fame induction

USA Today

4 hours ago

Dave Parker, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2013 and died at age 74, won two batting titles and two World Series during his career.
Dave Parker, the two-time World Series winner and two-time batting champion whose dangerous exploits at the plate earned him the nickname Cobra, died Saturday after a long battle with Parkinson's disease, just one month before he was to be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame.
Parker, 74, was an imposing left-handed hitting threat on two power-packed championship teams, the 1979 'We Are Family' Pirates and the 1989 'Bash Brother' Oakland Athletics. He hit 339 home runs and won National League batting titles in 1977 (.338) and 1978 (.334) for the Pirates.
Parker never earned more than 24.5% support in 15 years of Hall of Fame voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, well short of the 75% required. But he was named on 14 of 16 ballots in December voting by the Classic Baseball Era Committee and will be elected alongside fellow Pennsylvania legend Dick Allen next month.
We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Hall of Famer Dave Parker.A legendary Pirate, Parker spent 11 years in a Pirates uniform, winning 2 batting titles, an MVP award and a World Series Championship in 1979.The Cobra was part of the inaugural Pirates Hall of Fame… pic.twitter.com/UuikGxw6dI
But neither will be around to see it. Parker was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2013 and his prominence in the public eye diminished in the decade-plus since.
'I'm a battler,' Parker said in 2018.
That was evidenced in his climb to the Hall of Fame, and while he won't be there for induction, he was able to celebrate last December, when his election was announced.
'I've been holding this speech in for 15 years,' Parker told MLB Network that night.
Parker left such an impact that he's a member of both the Pirates' and Cincinnati Reds' halls of fame. He was the 1978 NL MVP, when he led the majors in both batting average (.334) and OPS (.979), slammed 30 homers and earned an NL-best 7.0 WAR.
One year later, Parker banged out 193 hits and 20 home runs and, alongside Willie 'Pops' Stargell, helped lead the Pirates to their first World Series title since 1960. Parker had a dominant postseason performance, getting four hits in 12 at-bats of an NL Championship Series sweep of the Reds, and was 10-for-29 (.345) and drove in four runs in the Pirates epic seven-game triumph over the Baltimore Orioles.
Parker left Pittsburgh for Cincinnati after the 1983 season but was still in his prime. He led the NL with 42 doubles and 125 RBIs in 1985 and earned All-Star nods in two of his four seasons with Cincinnati.
In 1989, he was the oldest player on a brash, power-hitting Oakland A's team that featured beefed-up sluggers Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. Parker hit 22 homers as the A's primary DH as he added a second championship to his portfolio. He made his seventh and final All-Star team one year later with Milwaukee.