Dave Parker, a.k.a “the cobra” of Major League Baseball, died at the age of 74 in June 2025. Leaving a legacy of behind him in the baseball world, Dave played for multiple teams throughout his career, but he’s best remembered for his time playing with the Pittsburgh Pirates. For the last decade of his life, Dave was living with Parkinson’s Disease, which he revealed in 2013. But the late power hitter didn’t let the progressive illness stop him from maintaining his presence in the sport. In fact, his death came less than a month before his Baseball Hall of Fame induction.
Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a public statement that the team was “heartbroken” about Dave’s death, calling him a “beloved member of the Pirates family” and “one of the most dominating and intimidating players to ever wear a Pirates uniform.”
“All of us who grew up in the ‘70s remember how special Dave was,” Bob added. “He was an All-Star, a Gold Glover, a batting champion, a National League MVP and a critical part of the 1979 Pirates World Series Championship team. It was our honor to welcome Dave and his family back to Pittsburgh to celebrate his career as part of the inaugural class of the Pirates Hall of Fame. He had a big personality and his passing has left an even bigger void with all who knew him. Our hearts go out to his wife, Kellye, and his family.”
We are deeply saddened by the passing of 2025 Hall of Fame electee Dave Parker.
“The Cobra” was one of the fiercest hitters of his generation. The two-time batting champion and 1978 NL MVP won two World Series rings, one with the Pirates in 1979 and one with the A’s in 1989.
— MLB (@MLB) June 28, 2025
Below, learn about Dave’s final years and health.
Dave was living with Parkinson’s Disease throughout the remainder of his life.
Dave was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in February 2012, he told The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in an August 2013 interview. Parkinson’s is a neurological illness that progresses over time. The disorder usually starts with small tremors in the hands before a person starts to feel stiffness, loss of balance and the struggle to speak.
