Dave Parker finally lost his battle with Parkinson’s Disease this past Saturday.

The Cobra may be gone, but thanks to a better late than never vote by baseball’s veterans committee last December he will never be forgotten. On July 27 Parker will get his rightful spot in Cooperstown, a spot he should have received years ago. When it was announced that Parker would get his enshrinement in baseball’s Hall of Fame, Parker said, “I’ve been holding this speech in for 15 years.” Thanks to a much too long wait, Parker won’t get to deliver that speech.

Anyone who saw Parker play knew he was a Hall of Famer. Many of his peers and teammates stumped for his inclusion in the Hall for years. He was certainly a better choice than many of the players that were previously enshrined. Selection into baseball’s Hall of Fame has never been a perfect science. Far from it. Often, personal sentiment by voters gets in the way of a vote of clear conscience.

Since the inception of this website back in 2018, I wrote a yearly column suggesting Parker should be included in Cooperstown. When I started doing podcasts I made plea after plea of the same sentiment. I am certainly not always right, but in this case I was spot on.

Certainly Parker wasn’t a sure thing by the numbers. However, when you combine the numbers with the visuals it became easy to see.

 

Check out the end of that clip at Parker looking like a runaway locomotive going into third base. That is how hard he ran the bases all the time.

Some people thought he was brash. He was.

Some people thought he was cocky. He was.

He was definitely a confident man. He drew the ire of some Pirates fans when he got paid a million dollars per year. That was a tough pill to swallow for a fan base entrenched in a hard working steel mill mentality. Let’s be honest, it didn’t help that he was a flamboyant black player.

Parker didn’t play the game like a prima donna. He never cheated the game. He would run through the wall in the outfield, run over a catcher that had the temerity to block home plate, and always ran down the line to first base as if escaping a burning building.

Parker was the best player in baseball from the mid to late 70’s. If you don’t believe me, just listen to other players of that era.

Keith Hernandez said it in the video above.

Phil Garner, Pirates second baseman:

 

If you have an hour you should click the link in the tweet below and you will hear Kent Tekulve, Eric Davis, Barry Larkin, Gary Sheffield and more say it.

 

Parker was a 7 time all star, 3 time gold glover, 1 time MVP, 2 time batting champion, and 2 World Series titles. Those are impressive numbers, and there should be another MVP on that list. Reporters admitted to not voting for Parker in 1985 because he was a “druggie” involved in the early 80’s scandalous drug trials in Pittsburgh.

Parker admitted to using cocaine for two years in Pittsburgh. He realized it was a big mistake, quit using, and took advantage of his second chance. His twilight years in Cincy, Oakland, and Milwaukee were productive and impressive. Not that it matters for the Hall of Fame, but Parker became a leader and mentor for those three teams. He became those teams’ Willie Stargell.

He may have made a big mistake. He may have been arrogant. But on the baseball diamond he excelled at the highest level and always played the game hard. Pete Rose, who knew a little something about playing hard, was quoted as saying, “Dave busted his ass every night, every at bat, and not many guys do that.”

Still, Hall of Fame voters never forgot the mistake Parker made and the cockiness he carried himself with. Instead of going into the Hall of Fame on the regular ballot, Parker got pushed to the Veteran’s Committee and the Eras Committee. There, too, he was passed over time and again.

Meanwhile Parker was suffering from Parkinson’s disease. It was tough to see Parker in that light. Struggling, yet persevering. Last summer the Pirates honored the 1979 World Champs on their 45th anniversary. Parker managed to make it back to Pittsburgh for the ceremony. It gave him a chance to forgive and reunite with the fan base that loved and hated him during his time in Pittsburgh.

 

With Parker’s health clearly deteriorating, he finally got the call to the Hall last December. The Veteran’s Committee righted all the wrongs from past votes.

My pleas, and many others, were finally answered.

The reason I felt so strongly about Parker’s case was he was one of my two baseball idols growing up. Along with Willie Stargell, Parker is who I watched closely, imitated in the backyard. I, too, was left handed, with just a tad less talent. I still possess a plastic Pirates batting helmet purchased on a family trip to Three Rivers Stadium. I put a 39 sticker on the back. As much as I loved Stargell —everyone loved Stargell— Dave Parker was the best ball player of my childhood.

Parker was larger than life, especially for a small town kid like me. He was tough. He was cool. He was a bad ass. He was greatness.

It is tough watching your heroes get old. It is tougher watching them battle a dreaded disease that rob them of their strength and dignity. It was a bit of a jolt when I found out Saturday that Dave Parker passed away. You knew it was coming, but it was always going to come with a jolt.

It is a travesty that Parker passed away 30 days before getting his Hall of Fame plaque; that the voters clowned Parker for so long. They cost him a chance to deliver that 15 years in the making speech. They cost him a chance to feel the pure adoration of the fans of several cities. It is what I warned of in all my columns promoting Parker’s case. If they wait too long, Parker won’t be around to enjoy it.

For some reason, though, I bet Parker is up there with that smile on his face telling anyone that will listen that he told them he wasn’t going to go to his own ceremony. Why would he give baseball the satisfaction?

Parker will still get his rightful place in Cooperstown. His family will still get to experience the honor. Parker’s fans can finally rejoice, even if it is bittersweet.

So the next time you hear thunder ask yourself was it really thunder or just Dave and the boys boppin’ up there.

 

Two Cent Takes

MLB

~Maybe we should give Tarik Skubal the AL Cy Young right now. In his last 15 starts Skubal is 10-0 with a 1.74 ERA and 128 strikeouts to only 9 walks.

~Look how good the Pirates would be doing if baseball would have left them in the NL East. The Bucs are 15-11 vs the NL East.

~Don’t let the last four games fool you, the Pirates need to be active at the trade deadline, and preferably before.

~Bryce Harper came back last night and didn’t get hurt. It sounds like that wrist will be hit or miss the remainder of the season. Fingers crossed, Philly fans.

~Phillies fans should be happy with me. On Memorial Day I put the Clark Curse on your team by picking the, to make the World Series. At the halfway point I picked the Mets and the curse seems to be alive and well.

~The Rockies are very bad. How very bad are they?

 

NBA

~The Sixers indeed drafted VJ Edgecombe out of Baylor. By all accounts he was the best athlete in the draft. He should play right away. As always, the real question is whether Joel Embiid will play right away.

~I always felt Ace Bailey was not invested in his team at Rutgers. After his draft fiasco I know I was right.

College Football

~For the first time, the Pac-12 will be 9 schools and all state schools starting in 2026: Oregon State, Washington State, Fresno State, Boise State, San Diego State, Utah State, Colorado State, and Texas State. Gonzaga will mess that fact up when they join for basketball. Making the best of a crappy situation they were left with.

The Weekly Shiny Penny

This whole column came to fruition because of my sports fanaticism. I write from a fan’s perspective most of the time. Well, nobody displays what sports fanaticism is all about more than Barstool’s Frank the Tank. A diehard Mets fan, Frank was less than thrilled with their performance in Pittsburgh this past weekend. Be honest, you’ve pulled a Frank at some point. I did it yesterday while playing golf when my back nine felt like the wheels on the bus were falling off. Enjoy the rage!

 

A Penny For My Final Thought…

All in.

The trade the Steelers made with Miami yesterday is the latest example of Mike Tomlin and the Steelers going all in for 2025.

I guess I can’t complain about the Steelers being directionless.

That said, I just don’t get it.

Maybe Mike Tomlin got an ultimatum from Art Rooney. We would never know because the Steelers keep t these matters in house.Maybe he is simply sick of hearing the playoff criticism. Whatever the case, Tomlin wanting Aaron Rodgers and Tomlin bringing in Jalen Ramsey/Jonnu Smith are clear signs he wants to win now.

Again, I don’t get it.

I am not losing sleep over losing Minkah Fitzpatrick. The way he was used a season ago rendered him useless. Receivers still ran past him even though he was positioned so deep. Shedding his contract actually could help going forward. But then they take on an even bigger contract with 30 year old Jalen Ramsey plus Smith’s contract to boot.

That will get worse when TJ Watt breaks the Steelers bank with his contract extension we all know is coming.

Then there is the little issue of having three starting cornerbacks and one less safety. I will give them the benefit of the doubt for figuring who will play which position.

The defense will now rely on a 30 year old in decline that will cost more money. Some guys may be shifted to new positions. The money they spend on defense is higher than anyone else, and the Steelers will still have to rely on a washed up quarterback to lead the offense.

I. Don’t. Get. It.

The Steelers have been scrambling like a chicken with its head cut off all offseason.

Three quality tight ends could lead to some mismatches. Unfortunately Arthur Smith is still calling the plays and a decrepit 41 year old wash up will be executing the plays.

On defense Cam Heyward is 36. TJ Watt will turn 31 and was nonexistent down the stretch last season. Jalen Ramsey is 30 and had his least productive season a year ago. Darius Slay is 34 and comes off his first season since he was a rookie without an interception.

I get wanting to win. Every team wants to win. The Steelers are no different. It would appear the Steelers are setting up to draft their future quarterback next year. I guess two things can be possible. You can go for it this year while still preparing for the future.

There is just no way you can convince me that bringing in past their prime players, including a washed up 41 year old quarterback is suddenly going to make you contenders.

The Chiefs are still better.

The Bills are still better.

The Ravens are still better.

The Bengals will be better.

At a bare minimum.

I just don’t get it.

Just my two cents…