Parker named top DH as he moved to Milwaukee
Dave Parker proved he was the American League’s best designated hitter in 1989 when he took home what is now called the Edgar Martinez Award on Dec. 3, 1989.
The Milwaukee Brewers didn’t need any extra convincing, as they signed Parker to a free agent contract on the very same day.
The 38-year-old Parker had helped lead Oakland to the World Series title in 1989, batting .264 with 27 doubles, 22 home runs and 97 RBI. When he became a free agent following the season, the Brewers – who were committed to increasing payroll to convince free agent Robin Yount to return to Milwaukee – made Parker a priority.
“He’ll be a positive force,” Brewers general manager Harry Dalton told the Oakland Tribune. “There’s no agenda. We just told him to be Dave Parker.”
In 1989, Parker was a force for the Athletics en route to winning what was then the Designated Hitter of the Year Award. On the field and in the clubhouse, Parker – who was in his 17th year in the big leagues – provided a steady hand for the A’s while finishing 11th in the American League Most Valuable Player voting. He homered twice in Oakland’s ALCS win over the Blue Jays and added another home run in the Athletics’ sweep of the Giants in the World Series.
But when his contract expired at the end of the season, Parker wanted the security that came with his veteran status.
“We had some discussions,” Parker told the Oakland Tribune about negotiations with the Athletics. “They were talking one year and I wasn’t biting. I didn’t think the negotiations got to the point where they were serious.
“If they’d have been willing to go the extra year, I think we would have had problems with salary. I was the best designated hitter in baseball and I wanted to be paid like the best designated hitter.”
Parker got his wish when the Brewers offered him a two-year deal worth $3.025 million that also included $250,000 in incentives.
“I’m looking for Dave Parker to be Dave Parker, on and off the field,” Brewers manager Tom Trebelhorn told the Associated Press. “He can bring us several qualities we can use.”
Parker gave the Brewers all they asked for in 1990, batting .289 with 21 home runs, 92 RBI, 30 doubles and 176 hits in 157 games while earning his seventh All-Star Game selection, his third Silver Slugger Award and another Designated Hitter of the Year Award.
The Brewers traded Parker to the Angels for prospect Dante Bichette on March 14, 1991, and Parker played most of the season for California before being released on Sept. 7 and then signing a week later with the Blue Jays. He finished what would be his final big league season with a .239 batting average, 11 homers and 59 RBI in 132 games.
Parker was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2025.
Craig Muder is the director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
