Dave Parker

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

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, he 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. He later used modified football helmets with and without a facemask, which was controversial among opposing players. Parker was an instrumental part of the Pirates' 1979 World Series championship team and was one of multiple Pirates to make the United Press International all-star selection at the end of the 1979 season (alongside Willie Stargell, among others). In 1981, Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him in 'The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time.' By the early 1980s, his 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 over deferred payments; the matter was resolved through an out-of-court settlement.

In Their Own Story

In 1977, Parker was the National League batting champion, a feat he subsequently repeated in 1978 when he was also named the National League Most Valuable Player. During his MVP campaign, Parker led the National League 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 during a game against the New York Mets on June 30, 1978, in which he sustained a fractured 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 a series of modified football helmets with—and ultimately without—a facemask that he only wore when running the bases. The gear was controversial among opposing players because it enhanced his already imposing presence, and they feared being injured when defending against his unabated physical play. However, neither the league nor umpires disallowed it, and he continued using it until voluntarily giving it up in the early 1979 season.

Reader's Guide

Parker was known as a solid defensive outfielder during the first half of his career, winning three straight Gold Glove Awards. From 1975 to 1979, he threw out 72 runners, including 26 in 1977. His power hitting resulted in an at-bat that 'knocked the cover off the ball' upon landing in the outfield. After the 1983 season, he signed with the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent. In 1985, he led the NL in RBIs (125), doubles (42), extra-base hits (80), and total bases (350), and won the league's first Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game. He finished second in 1985 MVP voting. Parker was among several players who testified against a dealer in the Pittsburgh drug trials; he and six others were suspended but the sentences were commuted in exchange for community service and drug testing. After the 1987 season, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics, where he spent most of his time as a designated hitter. He won the 1989 World Series with Oakland. He later played for the Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels, and Toronto Blue Jays, retiring after the 1991 season.

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 used a sledgehammer to warm up in the on-deck circle, instead of a lead-weighted bat.
• After fracturing his jaw in 1978, he wore a hockey mask and later modified football helmets while playing.
• In 1985, he won the first Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game, hitting six home runs in ten attempts.
• Parker won World Series titles with the Pirates in 1979 and the Athletics in 1989.