The baseball world is in mourning this weekend. On Saturday, news broke that Dave Parker passed away at the age of 74, bringing tremendous sadness to MLB and his family and friends.
Parker had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2012, and Adam Berry of MLB.com reports that his long battle with Parkinson’s ended with his passing on Saturday. He leaves behind six children, three of which he shared with his wife, Kellye Crockett Parker.
Dave Parker dies one month before his Baseball Hall of Fame induction
Parker was getting set to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in a special ceremony on July 27. After several years of being snubbed through the traditional voting process, Parker was elected by a special committee last December. He was quoted as saying that he cried when he heard the news.
Parker was a true baseball star in every sense of the word. He was the quintessential five-tool player, racking up 339 home runs, 154 stolen bases and batting .290 for his career across 19 MLB seasons. He won three Gold Glove awards and won the NL MVP award in 1978. The following season, he won his first World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Parker spent 11 seasons in Pittsburgh before joining the Cincinnati Reds and then the Oakland Athletics. He helped the A’s win the World Series in 1989, hitting three home runs across 25 at-bats in the seven-game series.
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