Spending the first 11 seasons of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1973-83) and the following four with the Cincinnati Reds (1984-87), Parker's size could deceive, as he was an excellent contact hitter who caused trouble on the basepaths, seldom struck out and could also drop the hammer from the left side of the plate. After totaling an NL-best 215 hits, winning the NL batting title and finishing as a runner-up for the NL MVP Award in 1977, Parker claimed the 1978 edition of the prestigious award in a season in which he posted a .334/.394/.585 slash line and an NL-high with both a 7.0 WAR and a 166 OPS+. Parker, who was superb at the corner outfield position, was part of two championship teams, winning the 1979 World Series with the Pirates — in a postseason when he hit .341 — and the 1989 World Series with the Athletics.
Published at: 2025-07-26 20:43:16
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