Perrotto: Dave Parker Has Complicated Hall of Fame Candidacy

Dave Parker being in the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame makes all the sense in the world.

Parker spent his first 11 major-league seasons with the Pirates from 1974-84. During that time, he was the National League MVP once and finished in the top three of the voting three times. Parker also helped lead the Pirates to the World Series title in 1979, winning three Gold Gloves and two batting titles and making four All-Star Game appearances.

The big right fielder is one of the best players in Pirates’ history.

However, can the Cobra be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown?

Parker last played in 1991. Since then, he was bypassed by the Baseball Writers Association of America for 15 straight years before dropping off their Hall of Fame ballot. Parker failed to be elected three times by various Hall of Fame oversight committees.

Parker is again up for election on Sunday when the 16-member Golden Era Committee will meet as the Winter Meetings begin in Dallas. Each member can vote for up to three of the eight players on the ballot and candidates need to get at least 12 votes to be elected.

Also on the ballot are Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, Steve Garvey, Tommy John and Luis Tiant. They are joined by Negro Leaguers John Donaldson and Vic Harris.

Will this be the year that Parker finally gets in? If it comes down to sentimental reasons, he has a good chance.

The 73-year-old Parker is afflicted by Parkinson’s Disease. Parker’s mind is still sharp and his quick wit intact, but he is a shell of the 6-foot-5, 230-pound force who was once the most feared player in the game.

To someone who grew up in Western Pennsylvania in the 1970s, Parker was larger than life. It’s sobering to see him in his current condition and, honestly, I have a difficult time mustering the courage to interview him. Perhaps I want to think of him as 1979 Dave Parker instead of 2024 Dave Parker.

However, for purely baseball reasons, Parker’s Hall candidacy is complicated. He batted .290/.339/.471 with 2,712 hits, 339 home runs and 154 stolen bases in his 19-year career. Those are impressive statistics but not necessarily worthy of Cooperstown.

Parker was the best player in the major leagues from 1977-79. He had a .327/.390/.546 slash line during that span with 76 homers, 299 RBIs, 57 stolen bases and 21.1 bWAR.

However, Parker began to slip in 1980 and produced just 2.4 bWAR during his last four seasons with the Pirates from 1980-83 before becoming a free agent. I don’t believe WAR is always the greatest measure, but it does show how far Parker fell while becoming a regular user of illicit drugs and gaining substantial weight.

Parker went on to play eight more seasons and was an All-Star in 1984 and 1985 with the Cincinnati Reds. However, the drop off can’t be ignored and much of it could have been prevented by Parker.

So, when people ask if I think Parker should be a Hall of Famer, I always hesitate, because those last four years with the Pirates can’t be ignored.

My heart says yes. My mind says no.

It’s complicated and I’ll leave it to the 16 people in Dallas to decide on Sunday.