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.
1978 National League Championship Series The 1978 National League Championship Series was a best-of-five matchup for the second straight year between the West Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodgers beat the Phillies three games to one once again and lost the World Series to the New York Yankees, as they had the year before.