PITTSBURGH – Dave Parker, a hard-hitting outfielder who was set to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame next month, has died, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced Saturday. He was 74.



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Pirates Hall of Fame

Former Pittsburgh Pirates players Steve Blass, Dave Parker and Bill Mazeroski were inducted into the team’s inaugural Hall of Fame class on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022.

Obit Dave Parker Baseball

FILE – Pittsburgh Pirates’ Dave Parker poses in this 1982 photo.

Obit Dave Parker Baseball

National League’s Dave Parker, of the Pittsburgh Pirates, holds the trophy he received in Seattle, Tuesday, July 17, 1979, after winning the MVP award in the All Star game.

Obit Dave Parker Baseball

FILE – Dave Parker, a member of the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates World Championship team, tips his cap during a pre-game ceremony honoring the team before a baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 20, 2019.

Obit Dave Parker Baseball

FILE – Oakland Athletics’ Dave Parker (39) watches the ball fly over the right center field wall for a sixth inning solo home run in Game 2 of the American League Championship baseball series against the Toronto Blue Jays, at Oakland, Calif., Oct. 4, 1989.

Obit Dave Parker Baseball

FILE – Cincinnati Reds Dave Parker joins hands with Pittsburgh area little leaguers during a pre-game Hands Across America celebration in Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, May 25, 1986.

Obit Dave Parker Baseball

FILE – Pittsburgh Pirates Dave Parker smashes ball that took a bad hop in front of Orioles Rich Dauer and sailed into right field scoring Omar Moreno and the Bucs first run in the seventh inning in Game 6 in baseball’s World Series game, Oct. 16, 1979, in Baltimore.

Obit Dave Parker Baseball

FILE – Oakland Athletics Dave Henderson (42) greets teammate Dave Parker (39) after Parker hit a home run against the San Francisco Giants in the third inning in Game 1 of baseball’s World Series, Oct. 14, 1989, in Oakland, Calif.

Pirates Hall of Fame

Former Pittsburgh Pirates players Steve Blass, Dave Parker and Bill Mazeroski were inducted into the team’s inaugural Hall of Fame class on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022.

Obit Dave Parker Baseball

FILE – Pittsburgh Pirates’ Dave Parker poses in this 1982 photo.

Obit Dave Parker Baseball

National League’s Dave Parker, of the Pittsburgh Pirates, holds the trophy he received in Seattle, Tuesday, July 17, 1979, after winning the MVP award in the All Star game.

Obit Dave Parker Baseball

FILE – Dave Parker, a member of the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates World Championship team, tips his cap during a pre-game ceremony honoring the team before a baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 20, 2019.

Obit Dave Parker Baseball

FILE – Oakland Athletics’ Dave Parker (39) watches the ball fly over the right center field wall for a sixth inning solo home run in Game 2 of the American League Championship baseball series against the Toronto Blue Jays, at Oakland, Calif., Oct. 4, 1989.

Obit Dave Parker Baseball

FILE – Cincinnati Reds Dave Parker joins hands with Pittsburgh area little leaguers during a pre-game Hands Across America celebration in Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, May 25, 1986.

Obit Dave Parker Baseball

FILE – Pittsburgh Pirates Dave Parker smashes ball that took a bad hop in front of Orioles Rich Dauer and sailed into right field scoring Omar Moreno and the Bucs first run in the seventh inning in Game 6 in baseball’s World Series game, Oct. 16, 1979, in Baltimore.

Obit Dave Parker Baseball

FILE – Oakland Athletics Dave Henderson (42) greets teammate Dave Parker (39) after Parker hit a home run against the San Francisco Giants in the third inning in Game 1 of baseball’s World Series, Oct. 14, 1989, in Oakland, Calif.

No further details about Parker’s death were immediately available. The Pirates informed the crowd of his death just before the start of their game against the New York Mets and held a moment of silence.

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