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The Pittsburgh Pirates legend Dave Parker, who passed away Saturday at the age of 74, was honored by the Pittsburgh Steelers as they extended their condolences to the Pirates organization and all those mourning the baseball icon. Parker, a two-time World Series champion and former National League MVP, had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and was scheduled to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 27, 2025.
“We send our condolences to the Pirates organization and the family and loved ones of Dave Parker. May he rest in peace,” the Steelers wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The Pirates announced Parker’s passing before Saturday’s game against the New York Mets, observing a moment of silence in his honor. No additional details surrounding his death were immediately disclosed.
Nicknamed “The Cobra,” Parker made his MLB debut in 1973 with the Pirates and played 19 seasons in the league, including 11 with Pittsburgh. During his career, he posted a .290 batting average, hit 339 home runs, and recorded 1,493 RBIs. A seven-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner, Parker was also a two-time batting champion, leading the NL with averages of .338 in 1977 and .334 in 1978.
In 1978, he was named National League MVP after leading the majors in both batting average and OPS (.979), while hitting 30 home runs and posting an NL-best 7.0 WAR. He followed that up by helping the Pirates win the 1979 World Series, contributing a .345 average in the Fall Classic and four RBIs.
Parker’s journey to Cooperstown was long and arduous. Despite never receiving more than 24.5% of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, he was finally elected in December 2024 by the 16-member Classic Baseball Era Committee, receiving 14 votes. He was set to be inducted alongside fellow Pennsylvania native Dick Allen, who also passed away before his induction.
After leaving the Pirates in 1983, Parker signed with his hometown Cincinnati Reds. In 1985, he led the National League in RBIs (125) and doubles (42) and finished second in MVP voting. He later won his second World Series title with the 1989 Oakland Athletics, serving as their primary designated hitter and hitting 22 home runs that season.
Parker was the subject of the 2019 MLB Network documentary The Cobra at Twilight, which highlighted both his on-field dominance and off-field struggles. Between 1979 and 1982, he battled drug addiction and later testified in a federal drug distribution trial. Parker turned that experience into mentorship for younger players, guiding them away from similar pitfalls.
His upcoming Hall of Fame induction was a moment Parker long awaited. “I’ve been holding this speech in for 15 years,” he said in December. Though he won’t be present in Cooperstown, his legacy will be.
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