Player: Dave Parker
Set: 1974 Topps
Card Number: 282
Why is This Card a Must Have?: His nickname is Cobra, need I say more. Really though, he is much closer to the Hall of Fame than one would think. Did you know he had 2712 hits and 378 homers in 19 seasons? How about his career 0.290 batting average? He has one MVP and 5 top 5 finishes. He was definitely one of the most feared hitters of his time. So if I were a voter, one thing I would ask myself, is would I walk this player in his prime if the game was on the line. Some Hall of Famers, I would definitely pitch to, Dave Parker I would not. Not only could he hit a homer at a drop of a hat, but what’s forgotten is that he stole 154 bases in his career. Including one 20/20 season. He has two world series rings, one in 1979 and one in 1989. To be honest I think he’s on the fringe. If he ever gets in, it’s going to be by the Veterans Committee. In his corner you have Tony Perez and Billy Williams who are in, and are 2 and 3 in his top 10 list. So I guess we’ll see. This would be a prime year for him since only Rickey Henderson should get in from first year eligible guys.
On a Scale of 1 to 10, How Must Have Is This Card?: A solid 4, If he gets into the Hall it becomes a 6 or 7, but of all the cards in the 1974 set only Winfield is a more must have card. You can pick pick this one up for about a dollar on eBay.
