DALLAS (AP) — Having waited for the decision from Cooperstown for practically three many years, Dave Parker burst into tears Sunday when he was elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame together with the late Dick Allen.
“Yeah, I cried,” Parker mentioned after receiving the information from Hall chair Jane Forbes Clark. “It solely took a couple of minutes, as a result of I don’t cry.”
Parker acquired 14 of 16 votes from the traditional period committee on the winter conferences, and Allen acquired 13. A vote of 75% or extra was wanted for election.
They will likely be inducted into the Hall in Cooperstown, New York, on July 27 together with gamers voted in by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, whose balloting will likely be introduced on Jan. 21.
Tommy John was third with seven votes on a committee that thought of candidates whose major affect was earlier than 1980. Ken Boyer, Steve Garvey and Luis Tiant every acquired lower than 5 votes, as did Negro Leaguers John Donaldson and Vic Harris.
Parker, who turned 73 in June, by no means acquired extra 24.5% throughout 15 appearances on the BBWAA poll from 1997-2011. Allen, who died in 2020 at age 78, acquired a excessive of 18.9% on the BBWAA poll from 1983-97. Both additionally had fallen quick in a sequence of prior committee votes.
His physique shaking throughout a Zoom information convention from Parkinson’s illness that was recognized in 2012, Parker flashed the fast wit he grew to become identified for throughout a 19-year profession that led to 1991 and included a pair of World Series titles. Asked whether or not he had considered himself as a Hall of Famer, Parker responded with certainly one of his often-said remarks.
“Without a doubt. When the leaves turned brown, I’d be sporting the batting crown,” he mentioned. “That was certainly one of my sayings, so I at all times thought that I used to be going to be a serious leaguer. I informed my mom at 8 years outdated that I’d be a baseball star and at some point purchase her a home. Well, I did that in ’78. I acquired that achieved.”
Nicknamed The Cobra, Parker hit .290 with 339 homers and 1,493 RBIs for Pittsburgh (1973-83), Cincinnati (1984-87), Oakland (1988-89), Milwaukee (1990), California (1991) and Toronto (1991).
Since 2002, the Hall has made the choice on what crew emblem is used on a participant’s cap.
“I might need to separate it up 3 ways,” Parker mentioned.
He received World Series titles in 1979 and ’89. He was the 1978 NL MVP, received the 1977 and ’78 NL batting titles, and was a seven-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove proper fielder.
“I used to be a five-tool participant. I might do all of them,” he mentioned. “I by no means trotted to first base. I don’t know if individuals observed that, however I ran arduous on each play.”
He had the Pirates put on T-shirts that learn: “If you hear any noise, it’s simply me and the boys boppin,” an concept sparked when Pittsburgh misplaced three of 4 after a 5-0 begin in 1976.
“Don’t exit and attempt to copyright it as a result of it’s mine,” he recalled telling his teammates.
Parker homered for the A’s within the 1989 World Series opener and took credit score for serving to the Bash Brothers of Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire take the title.
“I taught them learn how to win,” Parker mentioned. “They didn’t know learn how to win. They had all that thunder and didn’t know learn how to win.”
Parker led main league outfielders with 26 assists in 1977 and completed with 143.
“I loved throwing out gamers,” he mentioned. “And in the event that they saved operating, I’d hit them behind the pinnacle with the ball.”
Allen, who died in 2020 at age 78, was born in Wampum, Pennsylvania, and he was nicknamed The Wampum Whammer together with Crash — shortened from Crash Helmet, which began when wore his helmet within the area to guard himself from demanding Philadelphia Phillies followers.
He hit .292 with 351 homers and 1,119 RBIs from 1963-77 for Philadelphia (1963-69, 1975-76), St. Louis (1970), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1971), Chicago White Sox (1972-74) and Oakland (1977).
Known as Richie Allen with the Phillies earlier than asking to be known as Dick for the remainder of his profession, Allen was seven-time All-Star who was voted the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year and the 1972 AL MVP.
Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Félix Hernández are among the many 14 gamers eligible for the BBWAA poll for the primary time within the upcoming vote. Holdovers embody Billy Wagner, who was 5 votes shy final January.
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