David Gene Parker (born June 9, 1951 in Calhoun, Missouri) is an American former player in Major League Baseball.
He began his career on July 12, 1973 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, for whom he played from 1973 to 1983. In 1978 he was named the National League's MVP. The following year, he was instrumental on the Pirates' World Series championship team. In the early 1980s, his hitting suffered due to his increasing cocaine use, and he became one of the central figures in a drug scandal that spread through the major leagues.
Later in his career he played for the Cincinnati Reds (1984-87), where he enjoyed a career resurgence, and also for the Oakland Athletics (1988-89), Milwaukee Brewers (1990), California Angels (1991), and Toronto Blue Jays (1991). His career statistics are comparable with those of many Baseball Hall of Fame members, though he has not yet been elected. Some career achievements include 2712 hits, 339 home runs, 1493 runs batted in and a lifetime batting average of .290.
He was a baseball All-Star in 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, and 1990.
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