Dave Parker is a Hall of Famer.
No, not the National Baseball Hall of Fame, although it’s hard to understand why Parker is not a member, considering the former National League MVP’s dominance on the diamond.
A member of the Reds and Cincinnati Public Schools halls of fame, Parker will add to that legacy when he returns to Pittsburgh this weekend for his induction into the Pirates Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class during a ceremony along the PNC Park Riverwalk on Saturday.
As special as those other two might be, Parker said this latest honor means a little more given how much his success here launched an incredible career that Pirates fans will undoubtedly tell you should include a presence in Cooperstown, N.Y.
“Pittsburgh gave me my first opportunity to play,” Parker told the Post-Gazette. “There will always be a special place in my heart for the Pirates. The guys I played with there are very special to me.
“The Pirates Hall of Fame is a great honor, probably the greatest I’ve received thus far.”
Having turned 71 in June, Parker previously said he would stop worrying about his Hall of Fame omission — a glaring one to both Parker and those who watched him play — after this latest step, when he was not selected through the Modern Era (1970-87) committee in December 2019.
Turns out Parker sort of broke that promise. Citing his part in the Pittsburgh Drug Trials as why he believes he remains out of the Hall of Fame, Parker still thinks about baseball’s top honor and hopefully one day receiving it.
“That’s what everybody plays for,” Parker said. “It’s something that I think I’ve earned. I was a good player. I played with a passion unlike most who ever played. Some people have said that they see me as one of the best players ever. I’m still hoping that I can make the Hall.”
Parker played for the Pirates from 1973-83 and was a seven-time All-Star during his 19-year career in the majors, four of those happening here. The athletic, five-tool outfielder ranks among the Pirates top 10 in home runs (166), doubles (296), RBIs (758) and extra-base hits (524) while producing a .305 batting average.
In 2,466 career games, Parker accumulated 2,712 hits, 1,272 runs, 1,493 RBIs, 339 home runs and 526 doubles, winning the NL MVP in 1978, finishing third in 1975 and capturing three Gold Gloves, three Silver Slugger awards and two batting titles.
“I did well as a player,” Parker said. “My numbers stack up against anybody.”
Parker isn’t wrong, and he certainly doesn’t have to convince anyone he’ll see this weekend of his candidacy. Which is why Parker was a slam dunk for the Pirates’ inaugural class as arguably the most electric player on their 1979 World Series winner.
Although he has lived in his native Cincinnati since 1984, coming back to Pittsburgh is something Parker tries to do at least once a year. He loves the chance to see old friends. Memories start flooding back. Parker is also jealous because he wishes he could have played at PNC Park.
During a reunion of the ’79 team in 2019, Parker joked how that group would have “capsized some boats.”
“Oh yeah,” Parker said, remembering that quote. “There would have been some noise out there.”
Parker said he still follows the current Pirates, saying that he likes some of their “young and talented players,” though he also understands they’re in the middle of a rebuild. He does believe they’ll figure this thing out.
“They will,” Parker said. “Forty years is a long time.”
As for his own health, Parker has been living with Parkinson’s disease for about the past decade. There are good days and bad days, he said. One positive — if you want to call it that — is that Parkinson’s remains his only significant health challenge. The downside is that it’s obviously not going anywhere.
The best Parker can do is realize when a specific day or time might be worse than another and adjust.
“It’s tough,” Parker said. “It’s a battle every day, but I’ve picked up on when I can maybe expect an attack. That gives me an opportunity to get to a safe place.
“I had a doctor who would joke with me, ‘When you get in a room, look around and find a safe place to land.’ It’s one of those things. If you get an idea of when it’s gonna come, that helps.”
While there will be 18 others honored Saturday, Parker will be one of just three living members in attendance; Steve Blass and Bill Mazeroski are the others. He’s also unquestionably among the fan favorites, his confidence combining with his incredible ability to form one of the best and most entertaining players of his era.
It’s terrific that these organizations have lauded Parker for what he is — a Hall of Famer. But there’s still one more big one to go.
“When I go do autograph sessions and public appearances throughout the country, people tell me how much they respected my style of play and that I should be a Hall of Famer,” Parker said. “Numberswise, I’ve done everything.
“I do know this: If I ever make the [National Baseball] Hall of Fame, my Pirates plaque will be sitting right there.”
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: September 1, 2022, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: September 1, 2022, 9:48 a.m.