Pittsburgh Pirates icon and two-time World Series champion Dave Parker has died at the age of 74, the team announced Saturday.
Nicknamed “The Cobra,” Parker was one of Major League Baseball’s brightest stars throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He made seven All-Star appearances, hit 339 home runs, and collected over 2,700 hits during his decorated career. Parker was also named National League MVP in 1978, a season that solidified his status as one of the game’s most feared hitters.
Though best remembered for his time with the Pirates, where he helped lead the team to a World Series title in 1979, Parker also played for the Cincinnati Reds, Oakland A’s, Milwaukee Brewers, and a handful of other MLB teams. He later added another championship ring to his collection as a member of the A’s during their 1989 title run.
His death comes just weeks before he was set to be officially enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
The Pirates paid tribute to Parker with a moment of silence before Saturday’s game against the New York Mets, and fans at PNC Park stood in quiet reflection for the man who helped bring glory to Pittsburgh.
Parker had publicly battled Parkinson’s disease since 2013 and remained a beloved figure in the baseball community throughout his health struggles.
Ricky Cobb, creator of the Super 70s Sports feed, posted an emotional tribute online: “I’m sad he won’t be there physically to be enshrined in Cooperstown in less than a month. But I’m happy he passed secure at last in the knowledge he will forever reside among baseball’s immortals. Have your lighter handy, St. Peter, because smoking one with the Cobra will be a privilege. #RIP”
Parker’s swagger, power, and presence made him a legend—and now, a Hall of Famer forever.
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