Dave Parker - RIP

[qtlaw]

And then there was this game against the Dodgers in, I think, 1977, when catcher Steve Yeager took a throw from the outfield and Parker went full-force into him trying to score. I swear Yeager went heels-over-head and back on his rear end and somehow held on to the ball. Both he and Parker were shaken up actually, but I was surprised Yeager even survived.
RIP, and I hope the boys are boppin' up there.

Yeah I'm a SF fan but Yeager was probably the toughest dude I ever saw, behind the dish or wherever, nobody got by him, nobody. I saw many a Giant die 2 feet from home.

 

[Batman]

Growing up in SoCal at the time, the Pirates were probably the coolest team in the league, back then with the mix-and-match uniforms, the stovepipe hats, and Sister Sledge blaring during their games, but Parker was a big part of it. He was definitely and "eye-test" guy and consider among the very best players at the time. A couple things I still remember: When he got hit in the face by a pitch, he came back wearing that modified helmet with the half-football facemask for a while. And then there was this game against the Dodgers in, I think, 1977, when catcher Steve Yeager took a throw from the outfield and Parker went full-force into him trying to score. I swear Yeager went heels-over-head and back on his rear end and somehow held on to the ball. Both he and Parker were shaken up actually, but I was surprised Yeager even survived.
RIP, and I hope the boys are boppin' up there.

Reading a story about him that said the mask came after a home plate collision with John Stearns. He wore a Jason Voorhees-style hockey mask for a while, then switched to the football helmet hybrid.

 

[dixiehack]

Having only heard about the Pittsburgh drug trials in passing, the Wikipedia article was quite a jolt.

Even the Pirate Parrot, Kevin Koch, was implicated for buying cocaine and introducing a few of the ballplayers to a local drug dealer.

 

[Corky Ramirez up on 94th St.]

Game 7 of the 1979 World Series, with the Orioles in orange jerseys and the Pirates in gold tops and black pants, is an all-time uniform porn match-up

If I remember correctly, the Pirates only wore the pinstripe whites once, in Game 4, when they had a 6-3 lead turn into a 9-6 loss. And the Orioles wore the orange shirts for Game 1, which they won, and again for Game 7, which they did not. I always wondered if there was some superstition behind the combinations.

 

[DanOregon]

Parker was a different dude. First MLBer to sign a contract that averaged a million a year. Nolan Ryan was the first to actually get a million a year. Warming up with a sledgehammer in the on-deck circle, ripping heaters in the dugout. The earring. In a lot of ways, he was the first "modern athlete" in baseball. We'd seen Namath and other NFL types living their lives, NBA players like Clyde Frazier, Wilt Chamberlain. The closest comp I could see for Parker is Reggie Jackson, but even Jackson seemed more embraced by the media.

 

[Retired_Scribe]

The Cardinals' Mike Shannon in 1979-ish once remarked on radio air of Parker's right earring and that he was a dandy "right out of San Francisco." I remember hearing it.

Parker was a HOFer with just the eyeball test.

Marble mouth Mike Shannon had probably downed a 12-pack of Budweisers before making that comment.

 

[Retired_Scribe]

View attachment 19954

 

[Retired_Scribe]

View attachment 19954

This is a Hall of Fame photo.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

If I remember correctly, the Pirates only wore the pinstripe whites once, in Game 4, when they had a 6-3 lead turn into a 9-6 loss. And the Orioles wore the orange shirts for Game 1, which they won, and again for Game 7, which they did not. I always wondered if there was some superstition behind the combinations.

I may be misremembering this but I feel like I heard or read somewhere that they liked the pinstripe jersey the least because they itched.

 

[swingline]

Marble mouth Mike Shannon had probably downed a 12-pack of Budweisers before making that comment.

That’s an ice-cold, frosty Budweiser to you, pal.

 

[Corky Ramirez up on 94th St.]

If anyone is interested, click this link and you will find the original broadcasts of this seven-game series. It's from KGO in San Francisco. These all have pregame and postgame, original commercials, and sometimes a little more after the game. Since it was also discussed, I included the original broadcast of the '79 All-Star Game as well.

These files can be downloaded. I'll leave them active for a week. Enjoy!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZFYcBVzKDvGuSu_2-210wkyzOlIMvaiP?usp=sharing