At 39, Dave Parker Still Swinging With Power

At one time he was considered the most complete player in baseball.

His offensive skills featured blacksmith power and wide receiver speed in a tight end body. Defensively, sure hands and a rocket arm earned him three Gold Gloves.

He grew up in the shadow of Willie Stargell, the “We Are Family” leader of the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the late 1970s and early 1980s, and Dave Parker ushered in the era of seven-figure contracts.

Now it is the turn of another decade, the past is clouded by an ugly drug trial and a lawsuit brought against him by the Pittsburgh club. Parker is three teams removed from the Pirates, still an imposing physical specimen, but not the dominating performer he was in his prime.

His career probably extended by the designated hitter rule, Parker is in his third year in the American League. After two seasons in Oakland, during which the A’s started what many consider a dynasty with two pennants and a world championship, he has taken his elder statesman role to Milwaukee.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound left-handed hitter ended up with the Brewers as a free agent because the A’s felt they had enough hitters to pick up his at-bats, even though Parker led them in RBIs last year. It was a decision that didn’t surprise Parker, but is not one with which he necessarily agreed.

“I had some indication it would be a problem to sign there again,” said Parker. “With the kind of talent the A’s have, they probably felt they didn’t have to gamble on 38-year-old Dave Parker.

“As it looks now, it hasn’t hurt them yet,” he said. “But I think there are some teams over there (the Western Division) who could come at them, and if it tightens up, they might find I could’ve been used.”

The words roll easily, without noticeable resentment, but it’s obvious Parker felt his presence in Oakland went beyond his 97 RBI last year. “I think I played a role for them,” he said. “I think I helped show them what it took to win. I represented a lot to them in Oakland.”

In Milwaukee, Parker joined a pair of home-grown leaders in Robin Yount and Paul Molitor. His major contribution has been to lend some stability as the designated hitter, a role that has been generally unproductive for the Brewers in recent years.

A .322 average and 37 RBI, prior to Thursday night’s game in Baltimore, is an indication that there is still productivity in Parker’s bat. “The first year (in the American League) was an adjustment,” he said. “There’s definitely a difference in the strike zone. That first year I had no clue what was a strike. But then again it was up to me to adjust to them (the American League umpires). The second year you know what to expect, you have an idea about the pitchers and how they’ll throw to you. Last year I was real productive and this year I think will surpass last year.”

Parker isn’t the all-around threat he once was, because time rarely allows such a luxury, and he has no trouble admitting as much. “You start with the physical side of it,” he said, applying pre-game balm to knees that have paid a toll to AstroTurf fields. “I’ve lost foot speed -- my position by now would probably be first base. That’s where I expected to be playing at this stage of my career.

“But nothing has been lost from my bat speed,” said Parker, who hit his fifth home run and drove in three runs against the Orioles Wednesday night. “And mentally, I’m more mature, smarter. My approach to the game is a help to other people.”

Parker’s self-analysis of his career makes it obvious that he also finds satisfaction with his approach. “I’m totally content with myself,” he said.

“After going through all the trouble in Pittsburgh, the drug trial, the lawsuit, to be on top of my game and now to get some added praise makes me very content.”

Inevitably there is the question as to whether Parker perceives himself now as he did Stargell during his early years with the Pirates. “All of that (leadership) is gained by what you’ve achieved in baseball,” Parker said of the Hall of Famer.

“I think Willie and I came in by different directions. I’m a verbalizer, a little more of a free spirit than some others, so I think the younger guys feel they can identify with me. They know I’ve been through some adversities, so maybe I can understand them better.”

If Parker’s game plan holds up, he’ll put up a few more numbers for the younger players to digest. “I’d like to play 20 years,” said Parker, who is in his 18th season in the big leagues. “I should be around 2,600 hits by the end of the year and if it looks like 3,000 hits is in the cards after the next two years, then hopefully I’ll be able to stay around.”