SAN DIEGO -- Dave Parker came the closest he ever has to the Hall of Fame Sunday, but the former Pirates slugger will have to wait at least four more years to get his Cooperstown nod.
The baseball Winter Meetings got underway Sunday, starting with the Modern Era Committee's Hall of Fame vote. While the committee voted to enshrine catcher Ted Simmons and union executive Marvin Miller, Parker fell five votes short.
To be elected to the Hall of Fame through the Modern Era vote, an individual must receive at least 12 votes from the 16 person committee (75%, the same as the BBWAA vote). Parker received seven, the fourth most out of the 10 person ballot. That 43.8% vote total is the highest he has ever received in a Hall of Fame vote.
Ahead of Parker were Simmons (13), Miller (12) and Dwight Evans (8).
Steve Garvey and Lou Whitaker each received six votes. Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Thurman Munson and Dale Murphy each received three votes or fewer.
Parker previously appeared on the Modern Era committee's inaugural ballot in 2017. They did not give an exact vote total for him that year, rather opting to say he and five others finished with fewer than seven votes.
He will remain a potential candidate for the next Modern Era ballot, which will be in 2023.
Parker was the 1978 National League MVP, a seven time All-Star and won two World Series, including the 1979 championship with the Pirates. He won two batting titles, three Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers.
Parker's baseball career and battle with Parkinson's Disease are the subjects for an "MLB Network Presents" documentary, titled "The Cobra at Twilight." There was a sneak preview of the special at PNC Park on Dec. 4, and it will debut nationally on Dec. 12.
