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The Hall of Fame case for Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds legend Dave Parker

By Noah Yingling

PITTSBURGH - 1982: Dave Parker of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on from the field before a Major League Baseball game at Three Rivers Stadium circa 1982 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH - 1982: Dave Parker of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on from the field before a Major League Baseball game at Three Rivers Stadium circa 1982 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /
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Dave Parker, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Baseball Hall of Fame
SAN DIEGO, CA – CIRCA 1985: Dave Parker of the Cincinnati Reds draws a walk against the San Diego Padres at Jack Murphy Stadium circa 1985 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Owen C. Shaw/Getty Images) /

Comparative analysis doesn’t help Dave Parker’s Hall of Fame case

Dave Parker’s career OPS+ is 122. That would be one of the lowest among right fielders. In fact, the only modern “primary right fielder” (aka played since World War II) who is in the Hall of Fame for their playing career is Harold Baines, whose OPS+ was 121.

Baines’ induction by the Modern Baseball Era Committee was widely panned, especially because at least one-third of the voters who voted for him have close personal connections with him (his former manager Tony La Russa, his former teammate Roberto Alomar, his former GM Pat Gillick, and former owner Jerry Reinsdorf who retired his uniform number with the White Sox a staggering 12 seasons before he even retired from playing). Baines got exactly 75 percent of the vote (or the minimum) needed for induction.

Parker’s rWAR is 40.1. That is 51st all-time among primary right fielders. For comparison, the two players ahead of Parker are Tim Salmon (who was never even an All-Star, inexplicably so) and David Justice and the two behind him are Bryce Harper (who is actually tied with Parker but he is still playing and has done that in nine fewer seasons than Parker) and Reggie Sanders.

Harper could be a Hall of Famer eventually but not as of now and the other three are not close. If Parker was inducted, the only HOF right fielder to play after WWII with a lower WAR is Baines (38.7).

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