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Dave began his career on July 12, 1973 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, for whom he played from 1973 to 1983. In 1977, he was National League batting champion, a feat he repeated in 1978 when he was named the National League's MVP. The Pirates rewarded him with baseball's first million-dollar-per-year contract. The following year, he was an instrumental part of the 1979 Pirates' World Series Championship Team.
In 1981, at a point in his career when it looked like he would one day rank among the game's all-time greats, he was named as one of The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time. The authors, noting that Parker had succeeded Roberto Clemente at the position, wrote, "Someone must have a fondness for right field in Pittsburgh." In the early 1980's, Parkers production fell off due to injuries and off-the-field problems. At the end of the 1983 season, Parker became a free agent and signed with the Cincinnati Reds. In Cincinnati, he returned to the form that made him an All-Star in Pittsburgh. In 1985, he enjoyed his best season since he won the 1978 MVP with a .312 batting average, 34 home runs, and 125 RBI. He finished second in the 1985 MVP voting. After the 1987 season, Cincinnati traded Parker to the Oakland Athletics where he was able to extend his career by spending most of his time as a designated hitter. Although injuries and age caught up to him to a degree, his veteran leadership was a significant factor in the A's consecutive World Series appearances in 1988 and 1989. In 1989 he was a member of his second World Championship Team as the A's beat the Giants. Parker signed with Milwaukee for the 1990 season and played with the Angels and Blue Jays in 1991.
Dave Parker's career statistics are comparable with those of many Baseball Hall of Fame members, though he has not yet been elected. Some career achievements include 2712 hits, 339 home runs, 1493 runs batted in and a lifetime batting average of .290. Parker was also known as a solid defensive outfielder with a powerful arm. From 1975 to 1979, he threw out 72 runners, including 26 in 1977. He was named to seven All Star teams during his career.
This is a Dave Parker game-used professional model baseball bat manufactured by Rawlings / Adirondack. Parker's name is stamped on the barrel in block letters. This bat has what is commonly referred to as 1987-89 era labeling, however is specific to 1988, a year that Parker's A's went to the World Series. The Model Number 423X is stamped into the knob of this bat, as are the batch code (017) and the year code (8). The bat has a black finish. It measures 36 inches in length and currently weighs approximately 34.5 ounces. The number 39 is evident on the knob of this bat, written in black marker on a white painted knob. Parker wore uniform number 39 in 1988 and 1989 with the A's. This bat exhibits a moderate number of game use characteristics, including light pine tar remnants, hit marks, and ball marks. There is a crack on the handle to which vintage tape was subsequently applied. The portion of the crack that is not taped is non-displaced and runs approximately 6 inches toward the barrel. It was consigned to the auction by Christopher Cavalier.View Lot Detail page