We Are Family: Honoring Dave Parker’s Legacy On and Off the Field

By Robert Cochrane, PhD

When I was a little kid, I didn’t care much about baseball. But I cared about Dave Parker.

He was the towering, charismatic force behind the “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates of the late ’70s—a leader with swagger, power, and presence. Bigger than life. Bold. Brash. An absolute legend. You didn’t need to understand the game to understand greatness. Dave Parker was greatness.

So imagine how thrilled I was when he came to my team—the Oakland A’s—in the late ’80s. He brought his veteran leadership to a young, talented squad and helped guide them to a World Series win in 1989, his second. Watching him wear the green and gold, still delivering clutch hits and leading by example, was awesome.

But what makes Dave Parker a legend isn’t just what he did on the field—it was what he did after.

In 2012, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. By 2013, he let the world know. And then, as he’d always done, he stepped up to the plate—founding the Dave Parker39 Foundation to support others living with PD and raise awareness about the disease.

In 2018, my dad and I had the chance to meet Dave outside Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. My dad had a catch with him. Yes, a catch with Dave Parker. Later, Dave watched Boys of Summer: Second Base with us—and loved it. Getting to interview him on my webcast, Faces of Parkinson’s, was a career highlight. He threw my dad one of the best compliments he’s ever received, after stretching to catch an errant first pitch:

“You cut off two runners who were trying for home plate.”(Watch the moment in the video clip from Boys of Summer: Short Stop below.)

Dave understood the importance of presence. Of showing up. Of making people feel seen.

"I'm just a guy that grew up in a total fun-loving environment," he said. "I try to create that everywhere I go."

Parkinson’s disease is now the fastest growing neurological disease in the world. If you don’t know someone with it now, odds are you will in the next decade—unless we do something about it.

That’s why I hope you’ll support The Legendary Parkinson’s Pickle, a unique community Cinema Therapy class built around The Sandlot (yes—for-ev-er). This experience helps people living with Parkinson’s (including care partners and family members) explore their personal stories, build resilience, and share their journeys with pride and purpose. It's storytelling that heals.

We’re running a fundraising auction right now at this link, with 100% of proceeds going to cover tuition for students to take this class in a joint effort through the Dave Parker39 Foundation and Yes, And...eXercise!

We are family. That’s not just a song lyric—it’s a commitment. A legacy.

Thank you, Dave, for your courage, your voice, your swing, and your heart.

You’ll always be our MVP.