Outfielder Dave Parker and man of multiple positions Dick Allen have been elected to the Hall of Fame by the Classic Baseball Era Committee, it was announced today.
Parker was a lefthanded hitting rightfielder who spent 19 seasons in the major leagues. His best years were with the Pittsburgh Pirates, for whom from 1975-79 he was one of the best players in baseball. He won the MVP in 1978, finished third in 1975 and 1977, and finished 10th in 1979, when the “We Are Family” Pirates won the World Series.
Parker’s performance declined beginning in 1980 due to injuries and drug use, and he was one of the major figures implicated in the Pittsburgh Drug Trials in 1985, which saw over a dozen MLB players subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury.