AT&T Sports Net (formerly Root) has a relatively new one-hour special ("Cobra") on former Pirates outfielder Dave Parker.
Parker is 66 now, and his life has taken a sad turn. He has Parkinson's Disease, and the program shows what a fight it is. The player who was once the most intimidating force in baseball speaks in a soft voice that is slightly slurred, and he sometimes struggles to manage simple tasks.
Unfortunately, the program doesn't provide the most accurate portrayal of Parker's controversial career with the Pirates. It becomes apparent early that facts don't always matter when the narration claims that Parker was called up in 1974 to take Roberto Clemente's place in right field.
Parker actually came to the major leagues in 1973, and played only 18 games in right field.
He was with the team throughout 1974, although he missed most of June and July with injuries. In '74, he started only 47 games, and just 25 of those were in right field. Richie Zisk was the Pirates' regular right fielder, starting 131 games.
Parker took over in right field in 1975, the third season after Clemente's death. So he replaced Zisk, not Clemente.
Later, the show mentions that Parker was "involved" in the notorious 1985 drug trials. In fact, he was a major player. According to testimony, Parker partially funded a west coast trip for Shelby Greer, who supplied him with cocaine. Parker was also one of the players who brought admitted drug dealers into the Pirates' clubhouse.
Parker was the best player in baseball in the late 1970s. As his free agency approached, the perception was that the Pirates would never be able to sign him.
Instead, the Pirates broke new ground with a five-year, $7.5 million contract that shocked baseball.
Parker suddenly acquired an entourage of four or five yes men. He hired a public relations firm to increase his profile. It landed him an interview with a second-tier men's magazine called Oui that was embarrassingly crude. He sunk money into a concert promotion company that never got off the ground.
Things were fine at the start, but Parker's weight increased and his production had a corresponding drop. Over the last three years of the contract, he averaged 11 home runs per season with 56 runs batted in and an OPS of .755. On average, he missed one-third of the games over those three years.
The man who had been the best player in the game now couldn't match the production of teammates Mike Easler, Lee Lacy and Jason Thompson.
The show notes that Parker played hurt. He was hurt often, with injuries to his Achilles tendon, knees and hamstrings. Most of those could be traced to his increased weight, which was estimated to have topped 300 pounds.
Hitting the free agent market after the 1983 season was the slap in the face that motivated Parker to get back in shape. The hometown Cincinnati Reds were one of the few teams to pursue him. Parker returned to an All-Star level of production with Cincinnati.
The program glosses over the landmark breach of contract lawsuit the Pirates filed against Parker in 1986. The Pirates alleged that Parker's admitted drug use defrauded the team. The Pirates called a press conference to make the announcement, and distributed copies of Parker's contract.
An out-of-court settlement brought financial relief from some of the deferred payments that were owed to Parker through 2007.
Those details are missing from the show.
Finally, Parker claims that 'without a doubt," the only thing keeping him out of the Hall of Fame is his drug use. Tim Raines, who was inducted last month, admitted in court he started sliding head-first because he didn't want to risk damaging the vial of cocaine he kept in his back pocket. Orlando Cepeda, who spent time in prison on drug possession charges, was voted to the Hall in 1999. Ferguson Jenkins, who was found to be possessing cocaine, hashish and marijuana in a Customs search, made the Hall in 1991.
Parker's numbers -- impressive but not elite -- have kept him out. He had 2,712 hits. That's fewer than Vada Pinson, Al Oliver, Rusty Staub and Bill Buckner, none of whom are in the Hall of Fame. He had 288 fewer hits than Clemente, even though Clemente had only 27 more plate appearances.
Willie Stargell hit 136 more home runs than Parker, even though Stargell made 1,157 fewer plate appearances.
The drug use is keeping Parker out of the Hall in this sense: His decision to use drugs led to three below-average years from ages 29-31 that affected his career totals.
Dave Parker's story is fascinating. Too bad the AT&T show missed so much of it.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
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