{"id":59205,"date":"2025-06-29T02:47:14","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T02:47:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=59205"},"modified":"2025-06-29T02:47:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T02:47:14","slug":"breaking-steelers-send-message-to-pirates-after-dave-parkers-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=59205","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: Steelers send message to Pirates after Dave Parker\u2019s death.."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Steelers extended condolences to the Pirates and Dave Parker\u2019s family following the MLB legend\u2019s passing at age 74.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The\u00a0Pittsburgh Pirates legend Dave Parker, who passed away\u00a0Saturday at the age of 74, was honored by the\u00a0Pittsburgh Steelers\u00a0as they\u00a0extended their condolences\u00a0to the Pirates organization and all those mourning the baseball icon. Parker, a two-time World Series champion and\u00a0former National League MVP, had been diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s disease and was scheduled to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 27, 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe send our condolences to the Pirates organization and the family and loved ones of Dave Parker. May he rest in peace,\u201d the Steelers wrote on X (formerly Twitter).<\/p>\n

The Pirates announced Parker\u2019s passing before Saturday\u2019s game against the New York Mets, observing a moment of silence in his honor. No additional details surrounding his death were immediately disclosed.<\/p>\n

Nicknamed \u201cThe Cobra,\u201d Parker made his MLB debut in 1973 with the Pirates and played 19 seasons in the league, including 11 with Pittsburgh. During his career, he posted a .290 batting average, hit 339 home runs, and recorded 1,493 RBIs. A seven-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner, Parker was also a two-time batting champion, leading the NL with averages of .338 in 1977 and .334 in 1978.<\/p>\n

In 1978, he was named National League MVP after leading the majors in both batting average and OPS (.979), while hitting 30 home runs and posting an NL-best 7.0 WAR. He followed that up by helping the Pirates win the 1979 World Series, contributing a .345 average in the Fall Classic and four RBIs.<\/p>\n

Parker\u2019s journey to Cooperstown was long and arduous. Despite never receiving more than 24.5% of the vote from the Baseball Writers\u2019 Association of America, he was finally elected in December 2024 by the 16-member Classic Baseball Era Committee, receiving 14 votes. He was set to be inducted alongside fellow Pennsylvania native Dick Allen, who also passed away before his induction.<\/p>\n

After leaving the Pirates in 1983, Parker signed with his hometown Cincinnati Reds. In 1985, he led the National League in RBIs (125) and doubles (42) and finished second in MVP voting. He later won his second World Series title with the 1989 Oakland Athletics, serving as their primary designated hitter and hitting 22 home runs that season.<\/p>\n

Parker was the subject of the 2019 MLB Network documentary The Cobra at Twilight, which highlighted both his on-field dominance and off-field struggles. Between 1979 and 1982, he battled drug addiction and later testified in a federal drug distribution trial. Parker turned that experience into mentorship for younger players, guiding them away from similar pitfalls.<\/p>\n

His upcoming Hall of Fame induction was a moment Parker long awaited. \u201cI\u2019ve been holding this speech in for 15 years,\u201d he said in December. Though he won\u2019t be present in Cooperstown, his legacy will be.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Steelers extended condolences to the Pirates and Dave Parker\u2019s family following the MLB legend\u2019s passing at age 74. 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