What was the nickname of the 1978 National League MVP and a two-time batting champion, who started off in a minor league baseball team, based in Monroe, North Carolina?
Dave Parker David Gene Parker (born June 9, 1951), nicknamed "The Cobra", is an American former player in Major League Baseball. He was the 1978 National League MVP and a two-time batting champion. Parker was the first professional athlete to earn an average of one million dollars per year, having signed a five-year, $5 million contract in January 1979. Parker's career achievements include 2712 hits, 339 home runs, 1493 runs batted in and a lifetime batting average of .290. Parker was also known as a solid defensive outfielder during the first half of his career, with a powerful arm, winning three consecutive Gold Gloves during his prime. From 1975 to 1979, he threw out 72 runners, including 26 in 1977.
Buzz Boyle Ralph Francis Boyle (February 9, 1908 – November 12, 1978), was an outfielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1929 through 1935 for the Boston Braves (1929–30) and Brooklyn Dodgers (1933–35). In 1934, his most productive year in the majors, Boyle hit .305 for the Dodgers, led the major leagues with 20 outfield assists, and received National League MVP votes. Listed at 5 ft , 170 lb., Boyle batted and threw left-handed. Born in Cincinnati, he attended Xavier University.