Pittsburgh Pirates Add “COBRA” Patch in Memory of Dave Parker to Front of Uniform

The Pittsburgh Pirates will wear a special memorial patch for the rest of the 2025 season in honour of former outfielder Dave Parker, who passed away in June at the age of 74.

The patch will debut Friday as the Pirates open a weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at PNC Park. Parker, a seven-time All-Star and the 1978 National League Most Valuable Player, will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this Sunday in Cooperstown, New York. He was selected by the Classic Baseball Era Committee and will enter the Hall as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The new patch features a circular design in black, gold, and white with a gold silhouette of Parker swinging at a pitch in the centre and the word “Cobra” in white lettering across the front, referencing his nickname. The patch will be worn on the left chest of all Pirates jerseys for the remainder of the 2025 season.

There is only one Cobra.

For the remainder of the season, we will wear a special jersey patch to honor the legacy of Hall of Famer Dave Parker. pic.twitter.com/ieMAxbzPdE
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 24, 2025

Additional tributes to Parker are planned throughout the weekend. A field stencil replicating the patch design will be painted behind home plate to the left of the Pirates’ “P” logo. A fan messaging wall will be installed on the PNC Park Riverwalk, allowing fans to leave messages to Parker and his family.

On Sunday, fans will be able to view a new permanent concrete baseball display honouring Parker, which will be placed along the Riverwalk trail alongside those for 23 other Hall of Famers. The display will be available for one day only inside the ballpark at the Pirates Hall of Fame wall near the Clemente Gate before it is installed outside.

Digital signage will also be featured on the out-of-town scoreboard in right field during the series. Parker played right field for 11 seasons with the Pirates and won three Gold Glove Awards during that time.

The Pirates and Diamondbacks will pause during Sunday’s game for an honorary moment coinciding with Parker’s induction ceremony in Cooperstown. Fans will be asked to turn their attention to the PNC Park scoreboard to view part of the event.

***Dave Parker played for six MLB teams during his 19-season Hall of Fame career, 11 with the Pirates***

Parker played 19 Major League seasons from 1973 to 1991, including 11 with Pittsburgh. He compiled a career .290 batting average with 339 home runs and 1,493 runs batted in. From 1975 to 1979, Parker ranked among the league leaders in extra-base hits, batting average, and outfield assists. He won back-to-back batting titles in 1977 and 1978 and was named MVP of the 1979 All-Star Game. Parker played for the Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels, and Toronto Blue Jays.

LINK: Dave Parker’s career in logos, caps, and uniforms

Parker becomes the 45th player, manager, or executive to have spent time with the Pirates to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and the 14th to spend the majority of his career with the club.