Dave Parker, ex-Reds/Pirates great, dies 1 month before Hall of Fame induction: reactions
Former Reds great, Reds Hall of Famer and National Baseball Hall of Fame electee Dave Parker, who grew up in Cincinnati, has died. He was 74 years old.
Nicknamed "the Cobra," Parker was elected in December 2024 to Cooperstown's National Baseball Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2025. Parker was among seven players and one manager who were candidates on the Classic Baseball Era Committee's ballot for the upcoming class.
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Parker and Dick Allen will be enshrined posthumously in Cooperstown on July 27 of this year.
"It was a long time waiting, so I was excited," Parker said on MLB Network. "Wish I could play in today's market with the salaries anyway. I think that would be ideal. … My wife was super excited. She's saying that she can't believe it's been taking this long. And I agree with it."
Reds Hall of Famer Dave Parker
Parker graduated from Courter Tech High School in 1970. A longtime Cincinnati resident, he worked often with young players at the Reds Urban Youth Academy in Roselawn.
Parker was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2014. He revealed in 2013 that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and his Cobra Classic Golf Outing raised funds for Parkinson's research.
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Parker hit .281 with 107 home runs and 432 RBIs in four seasons for the Reds from 1984 to 1987. A two-time All-Star for Cincinnati, he finished second in National League MVP voting in 1985 and fifth in 1986.
Parker hit .290 with 339 home runs and 526 doubles in 19 big-league seasons. He won the National League MVP award for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1978.
Social media reactions, including from MLB, the Reds and the National Baseball Hall of Fame:
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Dave Parker, former Reds great, dies before Hall of Fame induction
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