Dave Parker died on June 28, 2025, at age 75, a month before his scheduled induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. “The Cobra,” as he was fondly called, had an exceptional career as a right fielder in Major League Baseball. In a career that spanned two decades, he was a seven-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, and three-time Gold Glove Award winner, among other prestigious accomplishments.
Upon his retirement in the early 90s, Parker took up coaching jobs with MLB teams, including the Los Angeles Angels, formerly known as the Anaheim Angels, and the St. Louis Cardinals. He served as a first-base coach and a batting coach for the teams, respectively. He also managed the Popeyes Chicken franchises he owned until the early 2010s, when a medical condition forced him into retirement for good. What’s the cause of his death?
Dave Parker Lost His Life to Complications of Parkinson’s Disease
The Cobra had been battling the movement disorder for over a decade. He was diagnosed with the condition in February 2012. Having managed the progressive neurodegenerative disease for many years, the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer succumbed to complications of the condition on Saturday, September 28, 2025. Confirming his death, the Pirates issued a statement, describing him as “a beloved member of the Pirates family.”
The MLB star is survived by his wife, Kellye Crockett Parker, and six children. He had three with Kellye, and the rest from his past relationship with Stella Miller Parker, his common-law wife. Dave and Kellye started the Dave Parker 39 Foundation to financially support researchers about Parkinson’s disease after his diagnosis. “I didn’t know anything about the disease until I got it,” the right fielder told The Kansas City Star in a 2019 interview. “I went home and read about it, and decided to get involved.”
Will He Still Be Inducted Into The Baseball Hall of Fame?
Yes. Dave Parker will still be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. His death doesn’t take away the prestigious acknowledgment of his contributions and accomplishments in the sport. At least 119 individuals have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously. As long as an individual up for the lifetime honor isn’t on MLB’s ineligibility list, they’ll still be inducted even if they pass on before their scheduled induction.
So, Dave Parker will be inducted as scheduled. He will be inducted posthumously alongside Dick Allen, who passed in December 2020.
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