Hint: #1 He holds the record for most home runs in a season by a catcher.

Hint: #2 He led the majors that year too, but was forty points away from a triple crown.

In Memoriam question answered:

Q. Which slugger earned the nickname “Cobra”?

Hint: #1 Who won an MVP award despite playing with a broken jaw.

Hint: #2 He was in the top five of MVP voting five different times.

Hint: #3 In one of those votes he was first, the first time in twelve years a player from his team had won the award.

Hint: #4 He won the first modern major league All-Star Home Run Derby.

Hint: #5 He had two consecutive-game hitting streaks of at least twenty games twice in one season.

Hint: #6 He was a three-time Silver Slugger and three-time Gold Glove winner, achieving the envied combination of MVP and Gold Glove in the same season.

Hint: #7 He won a World Series championship with a franchise in each league.

Hint: #8 He passed away today.

A. DAVE PARKER  [SABR Bio]

– Ans. His hits were so powerful that they reminded teammates, fans & the media of a vicious snake strike as though from a Cobra, sometimes written as “The Cobra”.

– #1 In 1978, Parker collided with Mets catcher John Stearns on 30-Jun & was left with the a broken jaw & cheekbone. He wasn’t replaced during the play because his out ended the game.  While healing, he returned to action wearing some famously unconventional protective headgear.

– #2 Parker finished 3^rd, 3^rd, 1^st, 2^nd & 5^th in 1975, 1977, 1978, 1985 & 1986 respectively.

– #3 Parker had all the first-place votes except 3 going to dark horse candidate, PHI’s SS Larry Bowa. The 1966 NL MVP was Roberto Clemente.

– #4  The Home Run Derby, as we know it today, in association with the All-Star game, for the first time in 1985. Parker took first place.

– #5 In 1977, Parker had hitting streaks of 20+ games 2 X in 1977.

– #6 Parker’s Silver Slugger seasons were 1985, 1986 & 1990. He was a Gold Glove winner 1977, 1978 & 1979.

– #7 He was w/PIT in 1979, leading the team with a 6.7 WAR. He was w/OAK in 1989 when they swept SFG in the “Earthquake Series”.

– #8 Parker died today at age 73 after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease.

FCR – Waker Arnold, Jay, Vermont