CINCINNATI (AP/WKRC) – Former Reds player and Cincinnati native Dave Parker passed away on Saturday at the age of 74. No further details about Parker’s death were immediately available. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2012.
Parker, nicknamed “the Cobra,” was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Dec. 8, 2024, and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 27.
Parker, who was a standout athlete at Courter Tech, was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 14th round of the 1970 Major League Baseball draft.
He hit .290 with 339 homers and 1,493 RBIs for Pittsburgh (1973-83), Cincinnati (1984-87), Oakland (1988-89), Milwaukee (1990), California (1991) and Toronto (1991).
He is a member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
“We are heartbroken by the passing of Dave Parker,” said Bob Castellini, Reds principal owner and managing partner. Dave was a towering figure on the field, in the clubhouse, and in the Cincinnati community where his baseball journey began, playing on the fields near his home and going to games at Crosley Field. Dave’s impact on the game and on this franchise will never be forgotten. We are extremely proud he wore a Reds uniform as part of his Hall of Fame career. Our thoughts are with his family and all who loved him.”
“He was such a big dude at a time when there weren’t that many ‘6-foot-5, 230-pound, dynamic defender, batting champion with power’ guys,” Hall of Famer and Reds teammate Barry Larkin said. “Everything about him was impressive.”
Parker won World Series titles in 1979 and ’89, was the 1978 NL MVP, won the 1977 and ’78 NL batting titles and was a seven-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove right fielder.
After playing for Pittsburgh he signed with his hometown Reds as a free agent. In 1985 he led the NL with 125 RBIs and was second in the MVP voting.
Parker homered for the A’s in the 1989 World Series opener and took credit for helping the Bash Brothers of Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire take the title with a four-game sweep of San Francisco.