Former Reds Hall of Famer Dave Parker dead at 74

The Cincinnati Reds announced before their game on Saturday that former player Dave Parker has died.He was 74 years old and was reported by family to have died after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.Parker played as an outfielder for the Reds between 1984 and 1987.This comes as Parker was just elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in December, and was set to be formally inducted next month on July 27.Parker had already previously been inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2014.The Cincinnati native grew up in the West End near the Reds’ former home of Crosley Field, where he learned to play baseball in the stadium’s parking lot.He is a graduate of Cincinnati’s Courter Technical High School — which today has been transitioned into Cincinnati State Technical and Community College — where he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1970 shortly after graduating high school.Parker then spent some time in the minor leagues, before making his major-league debut for the Pirates in 1973. He would then go on to spend the next decade with the team until 1983.After leaving the Reds, Parker then bounced around teams for a few years before retiring from baseball altogether in 1991.During his time in the MLB, Parker became the National League’s MVP in 1978, and was a two-time World Series champion — once with the Pirates in 1979, and again with the Oakland Athletics in 1989.He was also named to the All-Star team seven different times throughout his career, including twice while as a Reds player.On Saturday afternoon, the Reds released a statement about Parker’s death. “The Reds are heartbroken by the passing of Dave Parker,” said the statement from the team. “Dave was a towering figure on the field, in the clubhouse, and in the Cincinnati community where his baseball journey began, playing on the fields near his home and going to games at Crosley Field.”The statement continued, “Dave’s impact on the game and on this franchise will never be forgotten. We are extremely proud he wore a Reds uniform as part of his Hall of Fame career. Out thoughts are with his family and all who loved him.”This is a breaking news story and will be updated as WLWT learns more.

The Cincinnati Reds announced before their game on Saturday that former player Dave Parker has died.

He was 74 years old and was reported by family to have died after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Parker played as an outfielder for the Reds between 1984 and 1987.

This comes as Parker was just elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in December, and was set to be formally inducted next month on July 27.

Parker had already previously been inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2014.

The Cincinnati native grew up in the West End near the Reds’ former home of Crosley Field, where he learned to play baseball in the stadium’s parking lot.

He is a graduate of Cincinnati’s Courter Technical High School — which today has been transitioned into Cincinnati State Technical and Community College — where he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1970 shortly after graduating high school.

Parker then spent some time in the minor leagues, before making his major-league debut for the Pirates in 1973. He would then go on to spend the next decade with the team until 1983.

After leaving the Reds, Parker then bounced around teams for a few years before retiring from baseball altogether in 1991.

During his time in the MLB, Parker became the National League’s MVP in 1978, and was a two-time World Series champion — once with the Pirates in 1979, and again with the Oakland Athletics in 1989.

He was also named to the All-Star team seven different times throughout his career, including twice while as a Reds player.

On Saturday afternoon, the Reds released a statement about Parker’s death.

This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

“The Reds are heartbroken by the passing of Dave Parker,” said the statement from the team. “Dave was a towering figure on the field, in the clubhouse, and in the Cincinnati community where his baseball journey began, playing on the fields near his home and going to games at Crosley Field.”

The statement continued, “Dave’s impact on the game and on this franchise will never be forgotten. We are extremely proud he wore a Reds uniform as part of his Hall of Fame career. Out thoughts are with his family and all who loved him.”

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as WLWT learns more.