Confident Pirates legend Dave Parker to soon find out if Baseball Hall calls

Dave Parker will find out Sunday if his latest bid to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame is successful.

If it were up to Parker, he already would have a spot in Cooperstown, N.Y. Somehow, that is not a surprising thought coming from one of the most talented — and confident — players in Pittsburgh Pirates’ history.

Parker talked about his Hall chances Wednesday at PNC Park following the screening of a documentary titled “The Cobra at Twilight” that will air Dec. 12 on MLB Network.

“I did everything I could do to make it to the Hall of Fame,” Parker said. “The numbers are there. I think it’s reflected that I was one of the No. 1 players of my era. You can’t do any more than I’ve done.

“I think it’s all political. I was the best damn player of my era. I’ve got people on the news stations telling me how great I am. So, you know what? I did all I can do. I guess we’ll see what happens.

Parker didn’t elaborate on why he thinks it is political. However, he admittedly was a brash African-American player during his 19-year career from 1973-91, a time when black athletes were becoming more comfortable expressing themselves.

One thing for certain, however, is Parker had a decorated career.

The right fielder was the National League Most Valuable Player in 1978, won World Series championships with the Pirates in 1979 and Oakland Athletics in 1989 and was the NL batting champion in 1977 and 1978. Parker also won three Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers and was selected to seven All-Star Games.

Parker had a .290 career batting average with 339 home runs, 1,493 RBIs and 154 stolen bases in 2,466 games.

Parker’s fate will be determined by the Hall of Fame’s 16-man Modern Era Committee, which will meet Sunday in San Diego in advance of Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings, which begin the next day.

Five Hall of Famers are on the committee — George Brett, Rod Carew, Dennis Eckersley, Eddie Murray and Ozzie Smith — along with former Kansas City Royals owner David Glass, former general managers Sandy Alderson, Dave Dombrowski, Walt Jocketty, Doug Melvin and Terry Ryan, former Elias Sports Bureau executive Steve Hirdt and media members Bill Center, Jack O’Connell and Tracy Ringolsby.

Parker is one of nine former players on the ballot. The others are Dwight Evans, Steve Garvey, Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Thurman Munson, Dale Murphy, Ted Simmons and Lou Whitaker. Simmons was the Pirates’ GM in 1992 and 1993.

Marvin Miller, organizer of the Major League Baseball Players Association, also is up for consideration.

The Modern Era Committee considers candidates from 1970-87. A candidate needs at least 75 percent of the vote to be elected. Anyone picked will be inducted to the Hall on July 26 along with candidates elected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in a vote that will be announced Jan. 21.

Parker was on the BBWAA ballot for 15 years from 1997-2011 but never came close to getting the necessary 75% of the vote. He topped out at 24.5% in 1998.

“We’ve got guys out there putting out (lesser) numbers and getting the benefit of the doubt (in the voting),” Parker said. “It’s been 20-some-odd years now. We’ll wait and see what happens.”

Parker spent the first 11 years of his career with the Pirates and also played for the Cincinnati Reds, Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels and Toronto Blue Jays. He said he would prefer his Hall plaque to depict him in a Pirates’ cap if elected.

“I had my most productive years here,” he said.

Parker’s tenure with the Pirates was rocky at times, which the documentary tackles.

The film goes in depth about how Pittsburgh fans resented Parker after signing a five-year, $5-million contract prior to the 1980 season, then the largest deal in baseball history.

It also touches on Parker testifying in federal court in Pittsburgh during the 1985 baseball drug trials when he testified he gained clubhouse access for Curtis Strong, a caterer and small-scale drug dealer.

While all of Parker’s career highlights also are covered, the most poignant part of the documentary is how the 68-year-old deals with the effects of Parkinson’s Disease. His speech and mobility have been affected, but his confidence hasn’t waned, especially when it comes to the Hall.

“I should be in,” he said. “It would be a relief if it finally happened.”