As typically happens every April, I lag somewhat on my reading when baseball season starts as I watch many of the early games before settling into a routine. So, when I did find time to read, it was only appropriate to make it a baseball book - the new memoir by Dave Parker. Here is my review of "Cobra"
Title/Author:
"Cobra: A Life of Baseball and Brotherhood" by Dave Parker with Dave Jordan
Tags:
Baseball, memoir, professional, Pirates, Reds
Publish date:
April 1, 2021
Length:
480 pages
Rating:
4 of 5 stars (very good)
Review:
Dave Parker was a hitter many pitchers feared in the 1970s when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He and his teammates, most notably Willie Stargell, became known as the "We Are Family" team in 1979 when the Sister Sledge song would be playing while the Pirates were on their way to a World Series title. He has now written a memoir sharing his memories of that team and his baseball career with David Jordan.
Baseball wasn't the only sport Parker excelled in. A Cincinnati native, he had dreams of attending Ohio State University on a football scholarship and he may have done so had he not suffered a knee injury in high school. While that limited his effectiveness on the gridiron, he still excelled on the diamond and as a result, signed with the Pirates as a teenager.
His climb through the minor leagues, his eventual call-up to the Pirates and later his performance with Pittsburgh is filled with entertaining stories. The reader will have a challenge on their hands keeping up with all the nicknames that Parker had for all his teammates – I often had to look back to see who was named what name. The book does touch on racial issues, but not overtly so. The most that he mentions this is when he was receiving death threats before the 1979 All-Star game – the game in which he produced what is most likely the moment every fan who saw it remembers. It did not come at the plate, but in right field when he threw out Brian Downing at home plate, keeping the game tied at that time and giving his National League teammates a chance to win the game, which they did.
There are also sections about his cocaine use – subtle at first during the peak of his playing career. He talks about that, the later trial of a Pittsburgh cocaine dealer that rocked the baseball world and also some of his time with other teams, most notably his hometown Cincinnati Reds, where he was still productive, even leading the league in runs batted in during the 1985 season. However, just sections on his time with the Pirates is what makes the book a very good read and those who are Pirates fans or remember Parker from that era of baseball will want to pick this book up.
I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)
Buying Links:
No comments:
Post a Comment