CINCINNATI (WKRC) – The Pittsburgh Pirates are joining the Reds in honoring late local high school star Dave Parker, who played for both teams in his Major League Baseball career.
Parker, who was a standout football player as well as baseball player at Courter Tech High School from where he graduated in 1970, passed away on June 28 after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Dec. 8, 2024, and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame Class of 2025 on July 27.
Parker was a 14th round pick of the Pirates in the 1970 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft and made his debut for the team in 1973.
Nicknamed “The Cobra,” Parker played for the Pirates until 1983. He was selected to the National League All-Star team four times with Pittsburgh (1977, 1979, 1980, 1981) and was voted NL Most Valuable Player in 1978.
The Pirates announced on social media on Thursday that their players will wear a “Cobra” patch on their uniforms for the remainder of the season.
He signed with the Reds as a free agent on Dec. 7, 1983, and played for the team from 1984-87.
The Reds announced on July 9 that they are honoring Parker on the outfield wall at Great American Ball Park.
A depiction of a uniform bearing Parker’s name and the No. 39 was placed on the wall in foul territory near the left field foul pole. That area of the outfield was also used for similar homages to Tom Browning, who died in December 2022, and Pete Rose, who died in September.
In his Major League career, Parker hit .290 with 339 homers and 1,493 RBI for Pittsburgh (1973-83), the Reds (1984-87), Oakland (1988-89), Milwaukee (1990), California (1991) and Toronto (1991).
He was a member of two World Series champion teams: Pittsburgh in 1979 and Oakland in 1989.