Dave Parker, Hall of Famer and former MVP, passes away at 74

mlb.com ^ | 06/28/2025 | Adam Berry

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

One of the best right-field throwing arms in mlb history in his prime.

An absolute cannon.

[boop]

Wow, I see that Dick Allen got into the HOF.

That guy should have been in years ago.

If he wasn't so testy with the press, I'm sure he would have been.

[PBRCat]

Parker’s last great season was with the Milwaukee Brewers. His introduction music when he approached the batter’s box was Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer.”

I also remember Parker’s unorthodox fielding technique on fly balls. He would simply swipe and the ball and snatch it. This made me shake my head. Later, he misplayed a ball with this method and the wound up hurling the ball away when the baseball wound up as a snow cone and flew away from him.

[Mariner]

So many times I saw Buhner gun somebody down at 3rd or home.

A true cannon for an arm. The perfect right fielder.

[usafa92]

Borderline at best HoFer, never got more than 25% of the vote in 15 years on the ballot. Elected on his 4th try through the Veterans Committee.

[Jane Long]

Ken Caminiti is unavailable to answer that question.

[Verginius Rufus]

He will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next month--he didn't live to see that but at least knew that he had been elected.

They mentioned his passing at the Padres/Reds game this afternoon in Cincinnati. Before the game they had a ceremony featuring dozens of veterans of the 1975 and 1976 Reds teams which won the World Series (the Big Red Machine). Many of them are largely forgotten players now but when they introduced each player they made it sound like he had been a great player. They saved the best for last--Johnny Bench.

Joe Morgan and Pete Rose were part of that but have passed away. They would have been happy to have Joe Morgan there. Not sure about Pete Rose.

[Ditto]

I was a Pirate fan and never had any love for the Reds but I really did like watching Morgan and Bench play the game. Those guys were really good and classy characters to boot.

[Dr. Franklin]

Borderline at best HoFer, never got more than 25% of the vote in 15 years on the ballot. Elected on his 4th try through the Veterans Committee.

Seriously?
19 year career
OBP .339
OPS .810
.290 batting average
2712 hits
526 doubles
75 triples
339 home runs
683 walks
1493 RBI
3 x gold glove winner
6 x All Star
3 x Silver Slugger (was not awarded the first seven years of Parker's career)
1978 NL MVP
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/parkeda01.shtml

[usafa92]

Seriously.

[Repealthe17thAmendment]

What a great moment in that game! Just look at who was on the field, besides Parker and Carter. Pete Rose playing 1st, Reggie Jackson on 2nd base, and Bruce Sutter backing up home plate. One of the great eras of baseball!

[Dr. Sivana]

Yes, and even with no salary caps and small market teams (like Pittsburgh), great talents were spread throughout:
Just off the top of my head,
Mike Schmidt
Gorman Thomas
Fred Lynn
Willie Randolph
Steve Garvey
Goose Gossage
Alan Trammel
Gary Templeton
Bake McBride
Bob Boone
George Brett
Rod Carew

[ifinnegan]

Like a lot of the 70’s and 80’s players.

Parker, Vida Blue, Keith Hernandez, they’d probably be in Hall of Fame if it weren’t for the nose candy.

[irishjuggler]

“Keith Hernandez”

Nice game, pretty boy.

[Dr. Franklin]

Vida Blue was the last switch hitter to win the AL MVP, and only the second after Mickey Mantle. It’s a great trivia question!

[DAC21]

Yeah, incredible throw. I appreciate it as I played right field and Catcher and was considered as having a very good arm and Glove. Unfortunately my barely above Mendoza line batting average wasn’t going to make it at the College level so I gave it up after High School / American Legion.
The fact that the ball Parker threw was on the fly was crazy. Carter made a good play, all made possible by Parker.

[ifinnegan]

That’s a great trivia question.

[Dr. Sivana]

Unfortunately my barely above Mendoza line batting average wasn’t going to make it at the College level

Sometimes Dodger catcher Steve Yeager dipped BELOW the Mendoza line (1978), and he still started for a World Series team. His fielding and leadership was that good. They should have batted him 9th when Rhoden was pitching, since Rhoden was actually a decent hitter.

When my college roommates played strato-matic baseball, snake-eyes on the dice was referred to as "Home run for Yeager".

[Dr. Sivana]

That is a great question. Not only a pitcher, but an AL pitcher before things were messed up. We no longer even KNOW which pitchers are switch-hitters.

My favorite baseball trivia question is:
Who has the most UNASSISTED double plays as an OUTFIELDER? He is in the Hall of Fame. How many did he have?

[Dr. Franklin]

Who has the most UNASSISTED double plays as an OUTFIELDER? He is in the Hall of Fame. How many did he have?

A. Tris Speaker, six.
AI makes the answers easy. We now need to ask such questions when someone can't use his phone.