I just heard that Dave Parker died today at the age of 74, a month short of his Cooperstown induction. His death came a bit over 13 years after being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.
Parker was a giant to me. He was at the top of his game at the time I was closely following the baseball season as a teenager. He was MVP in the magical (to me) 1978 season that saw an early glimpse of the "We are Family" Pirates. In 1978, the Pirates didn't hit my radar. I was engrossed in the AL East, that saw transcendent seasons from Boston's Jim Rice and my Yankees Ron Guidry. A race that culminated on the first Monday in October as Bucky "Fucking" Dent and my Yankees dispatched the Bosox in a one game playoff. The Pirates didn't really occupy any space in my brain until the following year, with the Pirates seven game World Series victory over the Orioles.
This passing has given me a pause since my father had Parkinson's Disease. It is a cruel disease, slowly robbing the person of their coordination and, in the later stages, of their memories. My family has never been particularly warm and close. And living half a continent away, I didn't get to experience my father's slow decline. Since I didn't get back to visit but a couple times a year, the progression of the disease was more jarring to me. And, in the end, robbed us of a proper goodbye as he knew he had a son that lived in Oklahoma but he didn't recognize me for being that son.
I don't offer this looking for sympathy. What is done is done and I have made my peace. I offer it only to say I am pleased that Parker was lucid enough to see his election into Cooperstown, even if he didn't make it to the induction ceremony. Certainly, not being able to attend the ceremony is a loss for him and the world. But, when I think of deserving inductees (specifically but not exclusively Ron Santo) that never even got to experience the joy of knowing they were elected, I take solace in knowing Parker was able to hear and understand the honor bestowed to him.
What I am listening to: Temporary Nature (of any Precious Thing) by Lucinda Williams
