New Hall of Famer, Milwaukee Brewers DH Dave Parker Dies at 74, One Month Before Formal Induction

Even on a notoriously toxic platform like Twitter, many came to express condolences for Parker’s death.

Dave Parker Inked His Legacy in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, Made Most of Single Season with Milwaukee Brewers

Parker’s single season in Milwaukee came in the penultimate year of his career, 1990, when the Brewers were still an American League team. This allowed him to spend the season as a designated hitter, an AL-specific role from 1973 to 2022, after a career playing outfield.

Still swinging a strong lefty bat at age 39, Parker delivered for the Brewers. That year he batted .289 and hit 21 of his 339 career homeruns, driving in 92 of 1,493 RBIs. He finished his playing days with 2,712 hits, an .810 OPS and a 40.1 WAR.

Nicknamed “The Cobra,” he also made seven All-Star games and won an MVP award in 1978. He finished in second or third place three other times. The following season, Pittsburgh won the World Series 4-3 over the Orioles.

Parker circumvented severe repercussions despite being linked to the drug scandal of the 1980s. By testifying, cooperating with drug tests, and donating part of his salary to community-service initiatives, he had his one-year suspension commuted. His Hall of Fame Induction stands in stark contrast to how MLB has treated the more infamous drug users of the 1990s and early 2000s – names such as Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGuire and Barry Bonds.

In addition to the Pirates and Brewers, Parker also played for the Reds and A’s. He spent his final season between the California Angels and the Blue Jays.

On social media, Parker received no shortage of respects paid, and not just from Pirates fans.

Parker will be posthumously honored at the induction ceremonies alongside position players Ichiro Suzuki and Dick Allen and pitchers Billy Wager and CC Sabathia. Sabathia also logged a brief Brewers stint as a midseason trade acquisition in 2008.