Remembering a Dude

Dave Parker was one of my favorite players as a kid. He was part of a rollicking band of dudes, as cool as the other side of the pillow. Check out Exhibit A:

He had one of the greatest nicknames of his era or any other. The Cobra, coiled and deadly. Hit more than 20 homers in 1975 and 1990. Won an MVP in 1978, a pair of Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers, and played in seven All-Star Games. Including 1977, when he did this, which is one of my core baseball memories:

I'm not sure his lifetime .821 OPS and 339 homers are entirely hall-worthy, but I'm not mad at the Veterans' Committee for voting Parker into the Baseball Hall of Fame yesterday. It'll improve the vibes.