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A moment of silence is held for Dave Parker, who passed away today prior to Saturday’s game at PNC Park. 

Pirates legend and Hall of Famer Dave Parker passed today before the Pirates' matchup against the Mets at PNC Park.

Mr. Parker, 74, played for the Pirates for 11 years, won two batting titles, an MVP award and a World Series title in 1979. He was part of the Pirates' inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2022 and will be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame next month. 

“We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Dave Parker. A beloved member of the Pirates family. ‘The Cobra’ was one of the most dominating and intimidating players to ever wear a Pirates uniform,” said Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting. “All of us who grew up in the ‘70s remember how special Dave was. He was an All-Star, a Gold Glover, a batting champion, a National League MVP and a critical part of the 1979 Pirates World Series Championship team. It was our honor to welcome Dave and his family back to Pittsburgh to celebrate his career as part of the inaugural class of the Pirates Hall of Fame. He had a big personality and his passing has left an even bigger void with all who knew him. Our hearts go out to his wife, Kellye, and his family.”

"We join the baseball family in remembering Dave Parker," said Jane Forbes Clark, Chairman of the Baseball Hall of Fame. "His legacy will be one of courage and leadership, matched only by his outstanding accomplishments on the field. 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." 

Mr. Parker was inducted as part of the Classic Baseball Era ballot, earning the necessary votes on 75 percent of the ballots. He will be the 45th former player, manager or executive in the Hall who spent some or all of their careers with the Pirates. He will be the 14th person to enter the Hall who spent the majority of his career with the Pirates, joining Jake Beckley, Max Carey, Fred Clarke, Roberto Clemente, Ralph Kiner, Bill Mazeroski, Willie Stargell, Pie Traynor, Arky Vaughan, Honus Wagner, Lloyd and Paul Waner, and owner Barney Dreyfuss.

"He was a gamer," said former Pirates teammate Mike Easler. "He came to play and played hard every single day. Dave was a warrior."

Mr. Parker hit .290 with 339 home runs and 1,493 RBIs in his career. Over a five-year span from 1975 to 1979, his 345 extra-base hits trailed only Jim Rice and Mike Schmidt. His 942 hits in that span ranked sixth behind Pete Rose, Steve Garvey, Rice, Rod Carew and George Brett, while his .321 batting average ranked second to Carew. In addition, he led Major League Baseball with 72 outfield assists during that five-year period.

“As a player, I want to be remembered as a guy that threw it all on the field," Mr. Parker said in December. "Because I never trotted to first base, I don’t know if people noticed that. But, I ran hard on every play. So, I enjoyed playing in front of the New York fanbase, Philadelphia, anywhere. Now, I always got their respect because I played it like it should have been played: Hard.” 

The induction ceremony will take place July 27, 2025, in Cooperstown, N.Y.