Dave Parker

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

David Gene Parker was born in Grenada, Mississippi, on June 9, 1951, and grew up in Cincinnati near Crosley Field, where he learned to play baseball on the stadium's parking lots. His father, Dick Parker, was a shipping clerk in a foundry. Dave Parker attended Courter Tech High School. He said his favorite sport was football, and he starred at tailback but he injured a knee in a game during his senior year and gave up the game. Also a baseball star, one of his fondest memories was playing at Western Hills High School, where he hit a home run that landed on the roof of a Frisch's restaurant.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of Parker's Reds tenure is defined by the contrast between his 1985 dominance and the subsequent drug trials. In Cincinnati, he proved that despite a decline in Pittsburgh due to weight issues and injuries, he could still lead the league. His .312 average and 34 home runs that season were his best since his MVP campaign in 1978. Yet, the shadow of cocaine consumption loomed large. Parker became a central figure in the major leagues' drug scandal, leading to a suspension that was only lifted after significant concessions regarding community service and testing. While he later won a World Series with Oakland in 1989, his time in Cincinnati remains a complex chapter of resurgence followed by controversy.

Reader's Guide

Parker commenced his Major League Baseball career in 1973 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He adopted a unique approach to warming up in the on-deck circle, utilizing a sledgehammer. In 1977, Parker was the National League batting champion, a feat he repeated in 1978 when he was also named NL MVP. During his MVP campaign, he led the NL in slugging percentage (.585), on-base plus slugging (.979), and total bases (340). He achieved these statistics despite a collision with John Stearns at home plate on June 30, 1978, that fractured his jaw and cheekbone. A specially crafted hockey mask allowed him to return in a little over two weeks. Because the mask hindered his ability to see pitches, he tried modified football helmets with and without a facemask that he only wore when running the bases. The gear was controversial but not disallowed, and he continued using it until voluntarily giving it up in early 1979. The next year, the Pirates rewarded him with a five-year deal that was American sports' first million-dollar-per-year contract. The increase over his reported $225,000 annual salary angered working-class Pittsburgh fans. Parker's power hitting resulted in an at-bat that 'knocked the cover off the ball.' He was instrumental in the Pirates' 1979 World Series championship. In 1981, Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him in 'The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time.' By the early 1980s, Parker's batting waned due to injuries, weight issues, and cocaine consumption. He became a central figure in a drug scandal involving dealer Curtis Strong. The Pirates initiated legal action against him in 1986, and the matter was resolved through an out-of-court settlement. At the end of the 1983 season, Parker signed with the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent on December 7, 1983. In 1985, he finished with a .312 average and 34 home runs, leading the NL in RBIs (125), doubles (42), extra-base hits (80), and total bases (350). He won the league's first Home Run Derby at the 1985 All-Star Game, hitting six home runs in ten attempts. He finished second in 1985 MVP voting. Parker testified in the Pittsburgh drug trials; he and six other players were suspended for the following season, but the sentences were commuted in exchange for donations, drug testing, and community service. After the 1987 season, the Reds traded Parker to the Oakland Athletics for José Rijo and Tim Birt

Did You Know?

• Parker was the first American athlete to earn an average of $1 million per year, signing a five-year, $5 million contract in January 1979.
• He won the first Home Run Derby at the 1985 All-Star Game, hitting six home runs in ten attempts.