Who was finest? Dave Parker was, a convincing Jim Rice says about SI’s memorable cowl photograph

BOSTON — Jim Rice was by no means teammates with Dave Parker. They usually not often even competed in opposition to one another, what with Rice taking part in his whole profession with the Boston Purple Sox and Parker taking part in most of his profession with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds — all this occurring when “inter-league play” was little greater than a whimsical concept being tossed round by advertising folks.

And but Rice and Parker had a connection that continues to at the present time, because of a photograph shoot they did for “Sports activities Illustrated” through the run-up to spring coaching in 1979. The consequence was a memorable cowl photograph by Walter Iooss Jr., for the journal’s annual baseball difficulty, exhibiting Rice and Parker, in full uniform, standing back-to-back. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Parker is flashing that well-known smile of his and has his arms semi-folded as he confidently extends his index finger in that No. 1 sort of manner. Rice, 6-2 and 200 kilos, appears like an American Legion second baseman subsequent to Parker, and he has a kind of bemused look on his face.

The headline: “Who’s finest?”

There’s probability you’ve seen the duvet someday over the previous couple of days. With Parker dying final Saturday at age 74 following an extended battle with Parkinson’s illness, that photograph from the April 9, 1979, version of Sports activities Illustrated has been hurtling across the globe on social media.

Jim Rice is an enormous man. Dave Parker made him seem like Dustin Pedroia. pic.twitter.com/jl49HunX9t

— Tony Massarotti (@TonyMassarotti) June 30, 2025

And but after I sat down with Rice on Monday, the concept being that he’d possibly inform a humorous anecdote or two about stuff that occurred on the photograph shoot, he was way more taken with answering the query that was on the duvet.

“I assume the concept was, like, who’s finest?” Rice stated. “Nicely, let me let you know, Dave Parker was higher. He simply was. He was higher.”

The simple takeaway right here is likely to be that Rice, by no means a braggart, was submitting a testimonial for a fallen comrade. And but he spoke matter-of-factly, as if the journal had posed a query, and now, practically a half century later, he was answering it.

“Dave Parker had extra instruments so far as working and his hitting, and he was stronger,” Rice stated. “He was greater, he was taller, he was higher.”

Rice paused after which stated, “We had that previous slogan, stroll slowly and carry an enormous stick. And that’s what Dave Parker was all about. What was he, 6-5, 6-6? You didn’t give him any crap. You stood again and admired the man. I do know I did. They didn’t name him The Cobra for nothing. He may swing the bat.”

In his 16 seasons with the Purple Sox, Rice hit 382 homers and had a profession slash line of .298/.352/.502. His profession WAR was 47.7. He by no means performed on a World Sequence winner. He was elected to the Corridor of Fame in 2009 on his fifteenth time on the BBWAA poll.

Parker performed 19 seasons within the large leagues, together with 11 with the Pirates and 4 with the Reds. He hit 339 residence runs and had a profession slash line of .290/.339/.471. He stole 154 bases and gained three Gold Gloves. He performed on World Sequence winners with the Pirates in 1979 and the Oakland A’s in 1989. After failing to get elected in his 15 appearances on the BBWAA poll and three appearances on varied veterans committee ballots, he was elected to the Corridor of Fame in January by the Traditional Baseball Period Committee. He will likely be posthumously inducted subsequent month.

We’re heartbroken to be taught of the passing of Corridor of Famer Dave Parker.

A legendary Pirate, Parker spent 11 years in a Pirates uniform, profitable 2 batting titles, an MVP award and a World Sequence Championship in 1979.

The Cobra was a part of the inaugural Pirates Corridor of Fame… pic.twitter.com/UuikGxw6dI

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) June 28, 2025

The inspiration for Rice and Parker showing on the duvet of SI’s 1979 baseball version was as a consequence of each gamers coming off MVP seasons. For the ’78 Purple Sox, Rice hit .315 with 46 residence runs and 139 RBIs. He amassed a whopping 406 whole bases. For the ’78 Pirates, Parker gained his second straight batting title with a .334 common to go together with 30 residence runs and 117 RBIs. He additionally gained his second Gold Glove.

“They did a photograph shoot in New York and introduced us in,” Rice stated. “That they had uniforms for us to put on.” (Rice wore the house whites. Parker was decked out in one of many Pirates’ snazzy all-gold uniforms with the black pillbox cap with gold stripes.)

“We have been simply there for the shoot,” Rice stated. “There was no time to hang around or something like that.”

Rice and Parker didn’t see one another once more till the Purple Sox performed the Pirates throughout spring coaching.

“It was in Bradenton,”  Rice stated. “I feel we noticed the photograph earlier than the journal got here out. However we talked about it later and we each favored it.”

Pittsburgh #Pirates outfielder Dave Parker loses sight of the ball within the Kingdome roof – however recovers simply in time to throw out Boston #RedSox star Jim Rice at third through the 1979 All-Star Recreation in Seattle! – RIP Dave Parker. #MLB #Legend #RIPCobra pic.twitter.com/M4wL7Z3GSd

— Baseball by BSmile (@BSmile) June 28, 2025

Such was Rice’s respect for Parker that he as soon as requested him for a bat.

“It was an enormous bat, 37-37, a P72,” Rice stated. “I requested for one in spring coaching. And I feel he had one in every of mine, as a result of usually while you ask somebody for a bat, you give one again in return. And I wished one in every of Dave Parker’s bats to recollect him.”

Rice and Parker later obtained higher acquainted on the golf course, taking part in in varied tournaments.

“Later, we knew he was in fairly dangerous form with the Parkinson’s,” Rice stated. “Once you consider an athlete like he was attending to the purpose the place he can’t assist himself, that’s unhappy. And after I take into consideration Dave dying, I take into consideration Muhammad Ali dying the identical manner. Dave was a a lot greater man, however while you’re an athlete like he was, like Muhammad Ali was, it’s unhappy to see them get that manner, serious about the strain it should placed on their households.”

Rice doesn’t have the SI cowl photograph framed and hanging in his home. However that, he stated, is as a result of he retains subsequent to no baseball memorabilia on show. “Only a photograph of Hank Aaron and me,” Rice stated. “It’s from Opening Day in 1975, when he got here to Fenway with the Milwaukee Brewers.”

However, sure, completely, Rice has loved seeing the SI cowl make the rounds over the previous a number of days.

“Have a look at my face within the photograph,” Rice stated. “I’m saying, ‘That’s an enormous man.’ That’s an enormous man who may run, an enormous man who may throw, an enormous man who may hit. And I see an enormous man you’d need in your facet. That’s what I see after I see that photograph.”

(Picture: Deal with Sport / Getty Pictures)