Biographical

Portrait of Dave Parker

Dave Parker RFPirates

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Career Summary
Years PA AVG OBP SLG DRC+ WARP
19 10184 .290 .339 .471 115 38.5
Birth Date6-9-1951
Height6' 5"
Weight230 lbs
Age72 years, 10 months, 15 days
BatsL
ThrowsR
WARP Summary

MLB Statistics

YEAR TEAM AGE G PA H 2B 3B HR BB SO HBP SB CS AVG OBP SLG DRC+ DRAA BRR FRAA BWARP
1973 PIT 22 54 144 40 9 1 4 2 27 2 1 1 .288 .308 .453 85 -1.7 0.7 1.3 0.4
1974 PIT 23 73 233 62 10 3 4 10 53 3 3 3 .282 .322 .409 80 -4.2 0.6 -5.3 -0.5
1975 PIT 24 148 602 172 35 10 25 38 89 5 8 6 .308 .357 .541 137 28.9 -2.5 16.1 5.7
1976 PIT 25 138 573 168 28 10 13 30 80 2 19 7 .313 .349 .475 118 13.6 4.0 3.9 3.4
1977 PIT 26 159 706 215 44 8 21 58 107 7 17 19 .338 .397 .531 130 28.2 -4.0 43.7 8.3
1978 PIT 27 148 642 194 32 12 30 57 92 2 20 7 .334 .394 .585 152 39.4 -0.6 7.4 6.2
1979 PIT 28 158 707 193 45 7 25 67 101 9 20 4 .310 .380 .526 134 31.2 4.4 0.6 5.0
1980 PIT 29 139 550 153 31 1 17 25 69 2 10 7 .295 .327 .458 109 7.2 -2.6 -4.9 1.0
1981 PIT 30 67 254 62 14 3 9 9 25 2 6 2 .258 .287 .454 100 -0.4 1.9 -6.3 -0.1
1982 PIT 31 73 270 66 19 3 6 22 45 1 7 5 .270 .330 .447 93 -1.8 -2.0 -3.6 -0.3
1983 PIT 32 144 586 154 29 4 12 28 89 0 12 9 .279 .311 .411 94 -3.4 1.5 4.2 1.3
1984 CIN 33 156 655 173 28 0 16 41 89 1 11 10 .285 .328 .410 96 -0.9 1.7 -9.2 0.3
1985 CIN 34 160 694 198 42 4 34 52 80 3 5 13 .312 .365 .551 146 39.4 -5.6 5.2 5.4
1986 CIN 35 162 700 174 31 3 31 56 126 1 1 6 .273 .330 .477 113 11.5 -2.0 -20.6 0.1
1987 CIN 36 153 647 149 28 0 26 44 104 8 7 3 .253 .311 .433 97 -2.1 -1.8 -10.3 -0.3
1988 OAK 37 101 411 97 18 1 12 32 70 0 0 1 .257 .314 .406 105 2.5 -3.7 -2.0 0.2
1989 OAK 38 144 600 146 27 0 22 38 91 1 0 0 .264 .308 .432 110 7.6 -3.9 0.0 1.0
1990 MIL 39 157 669 176 30 3 21 41 102 4 4 7 .289 .330 .451 118 13.9 1.1 -0.5 2.2
1991 CAL 40 119 501 108 22 2 11 29 91 3 3 2 .232 .279 .358 79 -10.7 -2.7 0.0 -0.9
1991 TOR 40 13 40 12 4 0 0 4 7 0 0 1 .333 .400 .444 79 -0.9 -0.2 0.0 -0.1
Career246610184271252675339683153756154113.290.339.471115197.1-15.619.738.5

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.
YEAR Team Lg LG G PA oppAVG oppOBP oppSLG BABIP BPF BRAA repLVL POS_ADJ DRC+ DRC+ SD FRAA BRR DRAA BWARP
1973 PIT MLB NL 54 144 .253 .314 .377 .333 101 1.2 3.8 -0.5 85 16 1.3 0.7 -1.7 0.4
1974 PIT MLB NL 73 233 .256 .322 .364 .356 100 2.6 6.0 -1.5 80 15 -5.3 0.6 -4.2 -0.5
1975 PIT MLB NL 148 602 .259 .322 .371 .330 98 33.1 15.8 -5.8 137 10 16.1 -2.5 28.9 5.7
1976 PIT MLB NL 138 573 .255 .315 .362 .346 99 22.9 14.4 -5.3 118 10 3.9 4.0 13.6 3.4
1977 PIT MLB NL 159 706 .263 .325 .398 .378 104 40.3 19.7 -7.3 130 8 43.7 -4.0 28.2 8.3
1978 PIT MLB NL 148 642 .257 .319 .379 .356 104 45.7 16.7 -6.2 152 11 7.4 -0.6 39.4 6.2
1979 PIT MLB NL 158 707 .261 .322 .386 .333 104 40 19.8 -7.3 134 12 0.6 4.4 31.2 5.0
1980 PIT MLB NL 139 550 .260 .317 .379 .311 103 11.3 14.8 -5.4 109 12 -4.9 -2.6 7.2 1.0
1981 PIT MLB NL 67 254 .258 .315 .372 .254 103 1.2 6.4 -2.3 100 15 -6.3 1.9 -0.4 -0.1
1982 PIT MLB NL 73 270 .258 .317 .377 .306 107 3.7 7.3 -2.6 93 14 -3.6 -2.0 -1.8 -0.3
1983 PIT MLB NL 144 586 .255 .315 .375 .311 102 -1.1 15.9 -5.9 94 8 4.2 1.5 -3.4 1.3
1984 CIN MLB NL 156 655 .255 .316 .368 .309 99 3.8 17.5 -6.4 96 10 -9.2 1.7 -0.9 0.3
1985 CIN MLB NL 160 694 .252 .313 .373 .312 95 33.1 18.9 -7 146 9 5.2 -5.6 39.4 5.4
1986 CIN MLB NL 162 700 .253 .320 .382 .294 104 10.4 19.4 -7.1 113 8 -20.6 -2.0 11.5 0.1
1987 CIN MLB NL 153 647 .261 .326 .403 .265 101 -7.4 19.1 -7.4 97 11 -10.3 -1.8 -2.1 -0.3
1988 OAK MLB AL 101 411 .262 .327 .393 .286 96 5.5 10.8 -5.3 105 10 -2.0 -3.7 2.5 0.2
1989 OAK MLB AL 144 600 .261 .324 .385 .277 95 3.6 15.7 -10 110 8 0.0 -3.9 7.6 1.0
1990 MIL MLB AL 157 669 .259 .326 .388 .309 98 15.1 17.9 -11.5 118 10 -0.5 1.1 13.9 2.2
1991 CAL MLB AL 119 501 .265 .329 .401 .264 96 -10.9 13.6 -8.7 79 9 0.0 -2.7 -10.7 -0.9
1991 TOR MLB AL 13 40 .253 .324 .375 .414 98 2.1 1.1 -0.7 79 9 0.0 -0.2 -0.9 -0.1

Statistics For All Levels

Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.
Year Team lvl LG PA AB R H 2B 3B HR TB RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG ISO SF SH
1973 PIT MLB NL 144 139 17 40 9 1 4 63 14 2 27 1 1 .288 .308 .453 .165 0 1
1974 PIT MLB NL 233 220 27 62 10 3 4 90 29 10 53 3 3 .282 .322 .409 .127 0 0
1975 PIT MLB NL 602 558 75 172 35 10 25 302 101 38 89 8 6 .308 .357 .541 .233 1 0
1976 PIT MLB NL 573 537 82 168 28 10 13 255 90 30 80 19 7 .313 .349 .475 .162 4 0
1977 PIT MLB NL 706 637 107 215 44 8 21 338 88 58 107 17 19 .338 .397 .531 .193 4 0
1978 PIT MLB NL 642 581 102 194 32 12 30 340 117 57 92 20 7 .334 .394 .585 .251 2 0
1979 PIT MLB NL 707 622 109 193 45 7 25 327 94 67 101 20 4 .310 .380 .526 .215 9 0
1980 PIT MLB NL 550 518 71 153 31 1 17 237 79 25 69 10 7 .295 .327 .458 .162 5 0
1981 PIT MLB NL 254 240 29 62 14 3 9 109 48 9 25 6 2 .258 .287 .454 .196 3 0
1982 PIT MLB NL 270 244 41 66 19 3 6 109 29 22 45 7 5 .270 .330 .447 .176 3 0
1983 PIT MLB NL 586 552 68 154 29 4 12 227 69 28 89 12 9 .279 .311 .411 .132 6 0
1984 CIN MLB NL 655 607 73 173 28 0 16 249 94 41 89 11 10 .285 .328 .410 .125 6 0
1985 CIN MLB NL 694 635 88 198 42 4 34 350 125 52 80 5 13 .312 .365 .551 .239 4 0
1986 CIN MLB NL 700 637 89 174 31 3 31 304 116 56 126 1 6 .273 .330 .477 .204 6 0
1987 CIN MLB NL 647 589 77 149 28 0 26 255 97 44 104 7 3 .253 .311 .433 .180 6 0
1988 OAK MLB AL 411 377 43 97 18 1 12 153 55 32 70 0 1 .257 .314 .406 .149 2 0
1989 OAK MLB AL 600 553 56 146 27 0 22 239 97 38 91 0 0 .264 .308 .432 .168 8 0
1990 MIL MLB AL 669 610 71 176 30 3 21 275 92 41 102 4 7 .289 .330 .451 .162 14 0
1991 CAL MLB AL 501 466 45 108 22 2 11 167 56 29 91 3 2 .232 .279 .358 .127 3 0
1991 TOR MLB AL 40 36 2 12 4 0 0 16 3 4 7 0 1 .333 .400 .444 .111 0 0

Plate Discipline

YEAR Pits Zone% Swing% Contact% Z-Swing% O-Swing% Z-Contact% O-Contact% SwStr% CSAA

Injury History  —  No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On Date Off Transaction Days Games Side Body Part Injury Severity Surgery Date Reaggravation
1981-05-14 1981-05-29 15-DL 15 12 - Lower Leg Strain Achilles Tendon - -
1980-10-31 1980-10-31 Off 0 0 Left Knee Surgery 1980-10-31 -
1978-07-01 1978-07-16 15-DL 15 11 - Face Surgery Fracture Cheekbone In Collision 1978-07-06 -

Compensation

Year Team Salary

 

Service TimeAgentContract Status

Details

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT PA R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG DRC+ VORP FRAA WARP
Weighted Mean???????00??.000.000.00000.0?0.0

BP Annual Player Comments

No BP Book Comments have been found for this player.

BP Articles

Click here to see articles tagged with Dave Parker

BP Chats

DateQuestionAnswer
2020-04-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)I’ve read about O’Neil Cruz upside. Realistically though it’s hard to imagine someone with a 6’7” frame able the cover SS at the ML level. Particularly if his frame continues to fill out. Could he be headed for RF and a Dave Parker type comp? Does he show the ability to improve the strike zone judgement? Thanks for you insight.
(CubbieBear from Chi-Town)		Last week, I made this note about Cruz: "Oneil Cruz actually may be able to stick at shortstop long-term despite his unheard of height (6-foot-7) for the position. He has a huge arm, excellent range, and solid actions. There certainly is still a chance Cruz ultimately profiles at third base or right field, but the industry has more and more confidence in his ability to stick at the 6."

Of course, the odds of Cruz sticking at shortstop remain long simply because the tallest player to ever play shortstop was Cal Ripken Jr. at 6-foot-4. Three extra inches is a tall order (pun intended). However, that is the same thing people said about Ripken Jr. forty years ago. I do think Cruz will stick at shortstop and shock the baseball world. If he does not, he has easy fallback positions at 3B and RF.

Meanwhile, Cruz probably will always suffer plenty of swing-and-miss given those long levers. He has shown the ability to make adjustments and he did improve his walk rate to 11% in a brief 35-game run in Double-A last year. I think he will have fine strike zone judgment in the end. I just expect 25%+ strikeouts as close to a given. Cruz is also no Dave Parker, who had a special hit tool. (Jesse Roche)
2012-02-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)Any memories about Gary Carter in his days in Montreal you care to share? Remember seeing him, Steve Rodgers and the boys as a kid in da Big O was an amazing place 40k fans.
(Joe from Montreal)		I certainly didn't get to see enough of him as an Expo given the limitations of TV and geography (I grew up in Salt Lake City, without a major league team) at the time. But I was aware he was a star, and if I had to pick one memory of him as an Expo that stands out, it would be putting the tag down on Downing after Dave Parker's monster throw in the 1979 All-Star game. See the video here. Holy bleepitybleep. (Jay Jaffe)
2010-03-18 14:00:00 (link to chat)Is there any precedent for a player as good as Andruw Jones to fall off a cliff and then climb back up to something approaching his former heights? A good (not great) Jones could be a difference maker in that division. Or should I put my faith in winning the Powerball jackpot instead?
(GrinnellSteve from headed to Florida)		Dave Parker in the '80s comes to mind. I don't think Jones will be a superstar again but the reports from Arizona have been encouraging. Maybe he can at least return to being a good major-league regular. (John Perrotto)
2010-01-06 13:00:00 (link to chat)I'd call this good news for Bert. I was worried he'd stagnate around 62%. do you have the % of the vote for Edgar, Raines and Barry? They don't have it on espn.com. Thanks.
(collins from greenville nc)		539 ballots, five blanks, Andre Dawson 420 (77.9%), Bert Blyleven 400 (74.2%), Roberto Alomar 397 (73.7%), Jack Morris 282 (52.3%), Barry Larkin 278 (51.6%), Lee Smith 255 (47.3%), Edgar Martinez 195 (36.2%), Tim Raines 164 (30.4%), Mark McGwire 128 (23.7%), Alan Trammell 121 (22.4%), Fred McGriff 116 (21.5%), Don Mattingly 87 (16.1%), Dave Parker 82 (15.2%), Dale Murphy 63 (11.7%), Harold Baines 33 (6.1%), Andres Galarraga 22 (4.1%), Robin Ventura 7 (1.3%), Ellis Burks 2 (0.4%), Eric Karros 2 (0.4%), Kevin Appier 1 (0.2%), Pat Hentgen 1 (0.2%), David Segui 1 (0.2%), Mike Jackson 0, Ray Lankford 0, Shane Reynolds 0, Todd Zeile 0.

Segui gets his vote. Baines remains on life support thanks to the persistence of a stubborn few. Karros receives more votes than he had All-Star appearances. (Jay Jaffe)
2009-03-30 18:30:00 (link to chat)Jim Rice - Hall of Famer?
(john from chicago)		Before I answer, let me acknowledge that (a) Jim Rice was my favorite player growing up, and (b) I'm a "big Hall" kind of guy.

With that context, I disagree with what seems to be the prevailing sabermetric opinion, including here at BP, that Rice was obviously unworthy as a HOF selection. I don't think he's a no-brainer Hall of Famer, but I think he has a legitimate argument.

Rice's case is obviously one built on peak value, not career length. Also, the argument has been that he is less valuable according to sabermetric models than how he was regarded at the time. His OBP, home park, double-play totals, and positional adjustments are counterbalanced by the notion that he was the most "feared" hitter or his day. But how do you actually assess how "feared" he was, and how that reputation played out in his peak value.

I actually did some work on this back when the election was on people's minds. Rice had 6 Top 10 finishes in the MVP voting.

Among players with exactly 6 Top 10 finishes, 11 are in the HOF, 6 are active or too recent, and only 4 are not in the Hall (Vern Stephens, Dave Parker, Andres Galarraga, Fred McGriff). Even among those with just 5 such finishes, the ratio is 17 HOF, 6 not HOF, 5 active. There's a reasonable case that players with Rice-like peaks get into the Hall about 2/3rd of the time.

Of course, all of Rice's Top 10 finishes were in fact Top 5 finishes. All of the players with 6 such rankings are in the Hall (4) or obviously qualified barring PED-externalities (Frank Thomas, Albert Pujols, A-Rod). Of those with exactly 5 Top 5 MVP years, only Pete Rose and Dave Parker aren't in the Hall or active.

Sorry for taking so much time to answer this one, but I think Rice looks better through contemporary views than through a modern analytical lens, and I don't think it's silly to consider that perspective. (Keith Woolner)
2008-05-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)Jay, I was recently talking to a friend about the most "feared" hitters who are not in the Hall of Fame. I know that term was really beaten into the ground this past winter when discussing Jim Rice but still, there are some hitters that strike fear into you--either as a fan or an opposing pitcher. Who was the best and/or "most feared" hitters, in your subjective opinoin (in order): Dave Parker, Dick Allen, Darryl Strawberry, Jim Rice, Gary Sheffield, Edgar Martinez or Albert Belle?
(AlexBelth from Bronx, NY)		Yo, Alex! All of the hitters you mention certainly had the fear factor going for them in their prime, but as you say, that's a subjective thing, and subjectivity isn't really the way to go when it comes to sorting them out.

Neither Rice nor Parker had the plate discipline to keep them on the level with the rest of this group, so I'd put the two of them towards the back. Martinez is probably the toughest out, but lacking a bit of raw power relative to the rest of them. I'd put him and Strawberry in the middle. That leaves Allen, Shef, and Belle. Having never seen the former, I'm not sure I can fully grasp the visceral experience of watching him hit, I can only go by the numbers, and his numbers, compiled in an era of lower offense, suggest he was the best. But I'd quake in my boots at facing any of those three. (Jay Jaffe)
2008-03-03 13:00:00 (link to chat)Think Jayson Heyward could be at the top of the 2009 top prospect lists? He reminds me of Dave Parker with a better eye but not his arm. Is that a good comparison?
(Mike from Utica,NY)		He's not Cobra huge, but he's a better athlete. I don't hate the comp, but I don't love it either. And yes, he'd definitely a good candidate for moving up. (Kevin Goldstein)
2008-01-08 14:00:00 (link to chat)my prediction: Goose in. Rice misses by an extremely small margin. Much, much bleating commences over the voters who submitted blanks to protest roids users, thus depriving the "deserving" pre-roids slugger.
(TomH from Lexington Park MD)		The Goose is Loose! He gets 85.8 percent, and he's the only one who gets in on this ballot.

Rice falls just shy at 72.2 percent, setting him up for a 15th-year push.

Raines 24.3 percent. Oh is that ugly.

Player Total Votes Percentage Rich Gossage 466 85.8% Jim Rice 392 72.2% Andre Dawson 358 65.9% Bert Blyleven 336 61.9% Lee Smith 235 43.3% Jack Morris 233 42.9% Tommy John 158 29.1% Tim Raines 132 24.3% Mark McGwire 128 23.6% Alan Trammell 99 18.2% Dave Concepcion 88 16.2% Don Mattingly 86 15.8% Dave Parker 82 15.1% Dale Murphy 75 13.8% Harold Baines 28 5.2% Rod Beck 2 0.4% Travis Fryman 2 0.4% Robb Nen 2 0.4% Shawon Dunston 1 0.2% Chuck Finley 1 0.2% David Justice 1 0.2% Chuck Knoblauch 1 0.2% Todd Stottlemyre 1 0.2%
Jose Rijo 0 0% Brady Anderson 0 0% (Jay Jaffe)


BP Roundtables

DateRoundtable NameComment
2009-10-28 17:00:002009 WS Game OneDave Parker was the second millionaire; he owns a bunch of Popeye's Chicken franchises in Cincy, I think. (Christina Kahrl)
2009-10-16 13:00:00NLCS Game Two/ALCS Game OneAnd back to the well for another one which Steve already touched upon...

Toni (Oakland, CA): (not about this game) Jay I've been thinking a lot about the 1989 A's (20 year anniversary of Loma Prieta) and do you see any of the players from that team making the HoF outside of Rickey? Dave Parker maybe? And do you think Mark McGwire ever get in?

Well, Dennis Eckersley is already in. Parker - I don't see it. His candidacy is like the canned goods at the Kwik-E-Mart: maybe the official expiration date hasn't been reached yet, but everyone's made up their minds pretty firmly on the subject.

McGwire, I think, will eventually be there. It may take 30 years of genetic mutant 80 homer a year guys, and a 20-part Barbara Walters interview, but i think eventually the voters will have enough perspective to tackle the steroids issue with a bit more rationality than they can muster these days.
(Jay Jaffe)
2009-10-16 13:00:00NLCS Game Two/ALCS Game OneI don't want to steal a question addressed to Jay, but Dave Parker making the Hall of Fame over about 100 other guys would be a gross miscarriage of justice and good taste. (Steven Goldman)