During the prime years of his career, Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Dave Parker was often in the conversation for the best player in baseball. With the ability to hit for both average and power while also showcasing a cannon throwing arm and speed on the basepaths, Parker was a true five-tool talent. Standing 6’5”, he was not only one of the game’s most dominant players but one of the most physically impressive as well. Add in a charismatic personality and an engaging smile and you had the perfect ingredients for a superstar ballplayer. As the 1978 NL MVP and an integral part of the 1979 World Series champion Pirates, the towering right fielder garnered his fair share of praise and recognition. Parker chronicled his impressive career in his recently published book, Cobra: A Life of Baseball and Brotherhood, which he coauthored with Dave Jordan. This is the second book Jordan has coauthored with a baseball player, having previously worked with pitcher John D’Acquisto on his excellent 2016 release, Fastball John. Parker’s book takes its title from the memorable nickname the slugger was known by during his playing career.
Parker
gives readers a look at his childhood growing up in Cincinnati. He
shares his dreams of playing football and how his career path changed to
baseball. From the outset of the book, Parker’s confidence, swagger,
cockiness, and occasional audaciousness are on full display but his
charismatic and charming personality make it impossible not to be
entertained by and root for the slugger. Cobra takes readers
through the highs and lows of Parker’s life but maintains a positive
tone and never gets bogged down by the negative experiences he endures. Parker doesn’t shy away from admitting to mistakes he made in life and
shares the lessons he learned from his missteps.
Cobra
primarily covers Parker’s 14 years in the Pittsburgh Pirates
organization. The slugger doesn’t just glaze over his time in the minor
leagues, instead he makes you appreciate the level of difficulty it was
to crack Pittsburgh’s deep major league roster. Parker gives readers
insight into the importance of a young player having an advocate in the
front office or on the coaching staff which can mean the difference
between multiple opportunities to succeed at the major league level as
opposed to one brief chance or no shot at all and staying mired in the
minors. Parker brings to life the Pirates locker room he entered as a
22-year-old rookie in 1973 with Willie Stargell growing into the team
leader and elder statesman role, the ultra-focused Al Oliver passing
along his hitting knowledge, and the jovial Manny Sanguillen keeping the
atmosphere light. Teammate Dock Ellis proves to be a much more layered
character than just the zany pitcher who threw a no-hitter in a
chemically altered state. Unlikely as it may seem, Ellis provided the
club with strong leadership, showing younger players the ropes and
helping them stay out of trouble. However, later on we witness Ellis’
own self-destruction that led to his trade from Pittsburgh.
One
of the book’s main highlights is Parker’s detailing of the inner
workings of the Pirates franchise. The slugger illustrates how the
organization valued its homegrown players and what made them different
and more successful than other teams. He gives readers a
behind-the-scenes look at club politics and the role it played in roster
decisions and trades. Parker also gives insights into the different
managing styles of Bill Virdon, Danny Murtaugh, and Chuck Tanner, the
three skippers he played under in Pittsburgh. In addition, Parker also
looks at the contrasting front office regimes of general managers Joe L.
Brown and Harding “Pete” Peterson.
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| Parker played alongside veteran Willie Stargell as part of the 1979 World Series champions |
As the decade progressed, Parker became one of the best players in the game, earning perennial trips to the All-Star Game, multiple Gold Glove Awards, and even the 1978 NL MVP. In 1979, the Pirates defeated Parker’s hometown Cincinnati Reds in the NLCS to advance to the World Series. With Parker and Stargell sparking the offense, Pittsburgh defeated the Baltimore Orioles in a closely-contested seven-game Fall Classic to become world champions. Parker does a great job of bringing the 1979 championship season to life and the Pirates raucous clubhouse which famously used Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” as it’s rallying song. The big right fielder’s love of music is apparent in Cobra. Like John D’Acquisto and Dave Jordan did in Fastball John, Parker and his coauthor cleverly weave snippets of song lyrics into his writing.
To
his credit, Parker does not shy away from tackling the controversial
years of his life. The slugger openly discusses the drug and weight
issues that plagued him in the early 1980s. Parker’s struggles
coincided with the decline of the Pirates franchise. When he became a
free agent following the 1983 season, Pittsburgh made no real effort to
re-sign the 32-year-old. Only two teams showed serious interest in
Parker: the Seattle Mariners and his hometown club, the Cincinnati
Reds.
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| After a difficult last few seasons in Pittsburgh, Parker embraced the elder statesman role with the Cincinnati Reds |
Upon his return to Cincinnati, Parker set about rebuilding his tarnished reputation and re-establishing himself as one of the premiere players in the game. Parker spends a portion of his book writing about his career renaissance in Cincinnati where he embraced the elder statesman role and provided valuable veteran leadership for the club’s young sluggers, Barry Larkin, Eric Davis, and Kal Daniels. Parker also writes about his experiences playing for one of the idols of his youth when Pete Rose returns to the Reds in the dual role of player-manager.
One of the main things that makes Cobra
an excellent book was reading about the relationships Parker formed
throughout his lifetime. Pirates fans will enjoy reading Parker’s
memories of Willie Stargell, Dock Ellis, Bill Madlock, Kent Tekulve, and
other franchise greats. However, Parker doesn’t just focus on the
friendships he developed with Pittsburgh’s star players but also lesser
known teammates such as Larry Demery, Ed Ott, and John Milner as well as
career minor leaguers who never made it to the majors like Bill
Flowers, Charles “Charlie Boo” Howard, and Ron “Satch” Mitchell. Reading Parker’s stories about these players was just as interesting as
reading his memories of Stargell and the other superstars. Parker also
provides first-hand accounts of several memorable moments from his
eventful career including his slide into catcher John Stearns where he
suffered a broken jaw and his highlight reel throw home to gun down
Brian Downing during the 1979 All-Star Game. Some of the most enjoyable
parts of the book are the verbal sparring matches between Parker and
infielder Phil Garner. While they constantly needle and playfully
trash-talk one another, the two men are bound by a deep mutual respect
and a desire to win.
Cobra is a terrific book. I am glad Parker put the memories of his unforgettable career and fascinating life into print. I rank Cobra among my favorite sports books and highly recommend baseball fans give it a read.
----by John Tuberty
Follow me on Twitter @BloggerTubbs
Cards: 1979 Topps Dave Parker and Willie Stargell, 1982 Topps Dave Parker, 1986 Topps Dave Parker
Other articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:
Stat
links to players mentioned: Dave Parker, Willie Stargell, Al Oliver,
Manny Sanguillen, Dock Ellis, Barry Larkin, Eric Davis, Kal Daniels,
Bill Madlock, Kent Tekulve, Pete Rose, John Stearns, Brian Downing, Phil Garner, John D’Acquisto, Bill Virdon, Danny Murtaugh, Chuck Tanner,
Larry Demery, Ed Ott, John Milner, Bill Flowers, Charles Howard, Ron Mitchell
