51���

National Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Dave Parker, famously known as “The Cobra,” passed away in Cincinnati on June 28 at age 74 after a decade-long battle with .  Services are pending.   

Parker’s death was announced inside Great American Ball Park and during the broadcast of Saturday’s game between the Reds and the San Diego Padres.

“We are heartbroken by the passing of Dave Parker,” said Bob Castellini, Reds principal owner and managing partner. “Dave was a towering figure on the field, in the clubhouse, and in the Cincinnati community where his baseball journey began, playing on the fields near his home and going to games at Crosley Field. Dave’s impact on the game and on this franchise will never be forgotten. We are extremely proud he wore a Reds uniform as part of his Hall of Fame career. Our thoughts are with his family and all who loved him.”

The Cincinnati native is most known for his years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he played for the Reds from 1984 through 1987, where he was a two-time all-star. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2014.

In a press release, the Reds said Parker died “due to complications from a long illness.” Parker was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2012.

Before the 1979 season, he signed a five-year, $5 million contract that made him the first professional baseball player to earn $1 million per season. He was one of the first pro athletes to wear an earring. His poetic, bombastic quotes led teammates to call him the Muhammad Ali of baseball.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound slugger, who was was one of the game’s most feared hitters, is Parker, a 1970 Courter Tech High School graduate, was one of eight finalists considered on the ballot.

“We join the baseball family in remembering Dave Parker. His legacy will be one of courage and leadership, matched only by his outstanding accomplishments on the field,” said Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the Baseball Hall of Fame, in a statement.   “His election to the Hall of Fame in December brought great joy to him, his family and all the fans who marveled at his remarkable abilities. We will honor his incredible life and career at next month’s Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown, where his legacy will be remembered forever.”

Parker was honored in South Cumminsville in November 2023 when the City of Cincinnati, Cumminsville 51��� Council, and the Cincinnati Reds honorarily named Borden Street at Elmore Street near his childhood home as Dave Parker Way.

“I’m really honored to be here today, because this is where it all started,” Parker said at the street naming ceremony. “I’ve seen people today I used to play baseball with, go to school with. It was a pleasure growing up here. And I drive through here on occasion just to reminisce, because this is it. This is where it started and made me the individual that I am.”

Major League Baseball posted to social media, saying, “‘The Cobra’ was one of the fiercest hitters of his generation.”

The two-time batting champion and 1978 NL MVP won two World Series rings, one with the Pirates in 1979 and one with the A’s in 1989.

The right-fielder and designated hitter hit .290 over a 19-year major league career. He hit 339 home runs and won two batting titles. The 1978 National League Most Valuable Player was named to seven Major League Baseball All-Star games. He won three Gold Glove Awards in right field.

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced his death in a heartfelt post on X.

“We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Hall of Famer Dave Parker,” Pirates said. “A legendary Pirate, Parker spent 11 years in a Pirates uniform, winning 2 batting titles, an MVP award and a World Series Championship in 1979.”

“The Cobra was part of the inaugural Pirates Hall of Fame class in 2022, and will be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown next month.”

Parker was married to Kellye Crockett Parker for over 41 years until his passing on June 28, 2025. The couple resided in Loveland, Ohio, near Cincinnati, and had three children together. Parker also had three children from a previous relationship. According to a 2023 article by The Cincinnati Herald, three of his children are named Dave Parker II, Danielle Parker and Dorian Parker.