Dave Parker
American baseball player (born 1951) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Dave Parker?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
David Gene Parker (born June 9, 1951), nicknamed "the Cobra",[1] is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right fielder from 1973 to 1991. A seven-time All-Star, Parker won two National League batting titles and was the 1978 National League Most Valuable Player. He was a member of two World Series championship teams, winning with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979 and the Oakland Athletics in 1989.
| Dave Parker | |
|---|---|
 Parker during his time with the Oakland Athletics | |
| Right fielder / Designated hitter | |
| Born: (1951-06-09) June 9, 1951 (age 72) Grenada, Mississippi, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 12, 1973, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 2, 1991, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .290 |
| Hits | 2,712 |
| Home runs | 339 |
| Runs batted in | 1,493 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Parker was the second professional athlete to earn an average of $1 million per year, having signed a five-year, $5 million contract in January 1979. Parker's career achievements include 2,712 hits, 339 home runs, 1,493 runs batted in and a lifetime batting average of .290. Parker was also known as a solid defensive outfielder during the first half of his career with a powerful arm, winning three straight Gold Gloves during his prime. From 1975 to 1979, he threw out 72 runners, including 26 in 1977.