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.
Verlon Walker Verlon Lee Walker (March 7, 1929 – March 24, 1971) was an American catcher in minor league baseball and a coach for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball from 1961 through 1970. He was also known as Rube Walker, nicknamed after his more famous older brother Albert, who preceded him as a catcher in the Chicago farm system, played all or parts of 11 seasons in the Major Leagues, and was an MLB pitching coach for three clubs, most notably the New York Mets.