Dave Parker

Dave Parker and Dave Winfield, twin peaks, expect to bat in the middle of the order for the Angels this season. Parker stands 6-feet-5 and packs 245 pounds, Winfield 6-6 and around 220, making both of these Davids borderline Goliaths. Ladies and gentlemen, the Big A just got bigger. Baseball nuts from Orange County to the Grapefruit League are arguing whether the Angels got themselves a Darryl Strawberry or a lemon.

Carlos Perez says "people are going to be scared" when they see him pitch. He's right. As a Dodger fan, nothing could scare me more than to see him headed to the mound. DAVE PARKER Venice

Even on the doorstep of 40, Dave Parker's body is massive and muscled. It is fed, surprisingly, on a delicate diet: Such things as sushi and Thai food, fruit, tofu-pasta and yogurt. Mark McGwire, his former Oakland Athletic teammate, calls Parker a big teddy bear. To the Angels, he is a statesman and a presence, meant to hit 20-some home runs, drive in 90-plus runs and inject the kind of swagger they think can help this team win.

Dinner on a warm spring night in Arizona. There is good food and drink and the baseball stories keep everyone at the table amused. The conversation suddenly turns, taking on a new, competitive tack. Larry Bowa, a shortstop for 16 distinguished seasons in the major leagues, announces to the group: "I had 2,200 hits." Dave Parker, a veteran of 19 seasons in the majors, quickly ups the ante: "I had 2,700, and yours were all singles."

The Milwaukee Brewers joined the free-agent frenzy Sunday, signing Dave Parker as big names again traded places at baseball's winter meetings. Mark Davis, Joe Carter, Danny Tartabull and Jeff Reardon also might be moved this week, even though teams face no deadlines to deal at the annual gathering. The Brewers, looking to help themselves in several areas, dipped into the free-agent pool for the first time since 1980 by signing Parker to a two-year, $3 million contract.

At one time he was considered the most complete player in baseball. His offensive skills featured blacksmith power and wide receiver speed in a tight end body. Defensively, sure hands and a rocket arm earned him three Gold Gloves. He grew up in the shadow of Willie Stargell, the "We Are Family" leader of the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the late 1970s and early 1980s, and Dave Parker ushered in the era of seven-figure contracts.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have alleged in federal court that years of cocaine addiction reduced Dave Parker from a star outfielder to an overweight, injury-prone second-rater who didn't deserve the money he got. In a breach-of-contract suit filed last Friday in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, the team claims that not only should Parker forfeit $5.

Pithy observations that you may not care about, but at least I thought of them all by myself: Item: An 11-year-old girl testifies in Orange County Superior Court that her grandmother sexually abused her, made her eat human flesh, drink blood out of a glass and take part in satanic rituals in a secret cave. Observation: I hope this silences the people who say we never put any good news in the paper.

In an action that could carry implications for major league baseball players who are involved in drug-use cases and who are owed deferred income on long-term contracts, the Pittsburgh Pirates filed a lawsuit against former Pirate Dave Parker Monday. The Pirates, under new ownership and attempting to right themselves in troubled financial waters, filed a suit that they hope will rid themselves of a big expense, the deferred payments on Parker's contract.

One day the colorful, color-coordinated Pirate baseball team rolled into town, wearing those black and yellow uniforms of theirs, which obviously had been purchased from Frederick's of Pittsburgh. It was a hot morning in Chicago and the Pirates were a little hot, too, under their ugly collars. They were playing good baseball, but getting bad vibes. For some reason, the Pirates sensed that they were unloved.

Rod Carew will return as the Angels' batting instructor next season and former all-stars Larry Bowa (third base coach) and Dave Parker (first base coach) have been added to new Manager Terry Collins' staff, the team announced Wednesday. Collins also decided to retain bench coach Joe Maddon, who will begin his fourth season on the major league staff and 16th with the organization, Joe Coleman, who will move from pitching coach to bullpen coach, and Mick Billmeyer, the team's bullpen coordinator.

Devon White and Dave Parker aren't rejoicing that the Angels are last in the AL West, but the two are less charitable toward their former bosses. White, who hit .217 for the Angels last season but is hitting .286 for Toronto, said former Manager Doug Rader had an inaccurate impression of him that Rader never explained.

Devon White said he has too many friends on the Angels to wish the team ill, and Dave Parker displayed his sentiments by wearing an Angel T-shirt Monday when he arrived at Anaheim Stadium. But while the two former Angels had kind words for their peers, they weren't quite as charitable toward their former bosses. White, who is thriving as the Blue Jays' leadoff hitter, said former Angel Manager Doug Rader scorned him late last season without telling him why.

In a move surprising by its timing rather than its execution, the Angels on Saturday released designated hitter Dave Parker, not quite six months after they had acquired him from the Brewers at the behest of former Manager Doug Rader. The decision to waive Parker bears the stamp of the new manager, Buck Rodgers, who plans to give more playing time to youngsters such as Lee Stevens and continue phasing Dave Winfield into Parker's DH spot.

Manager Doug Rader and pitching coach Marcel Lachemann said they are inclined to stick with rookie pitcher Joe Grahe through his next turn, despite his poor outing Friday. "I'd like to think it was just one of those days," Rader said Saturday, the day after Grahe gave up four runs in 2 1/3 innings of a 5-3 loss. "But we certainly can't put up with that (repeatedly)." Grahe, one of four pitchers who have combined to go 1-13 in the fifth- starter's spot, is 0-4 with a 10.47 ERA as a starter.

Gary Gaetti (strained left Achilles' tendon) felt stronger but didn't start Tuesday. Dick Schofield (tight right hamstring) also watched from the bench . . . Dave Parker extended his hitting streak to 10 games and Wally Joyner extended his to nine.

Carlos Perez says "people are going to be scared" when they see him pitch. He's right. As a Dodger fan, nothing could scare me more than to see him headed to the mound. DAVE PARKER Venice

I have been fuming for most of the season waiting for our great Angel designated hitter to come out of his slump. Isn't it wonderful that Dave Parker is such a great clubhouse leader? GEORGE BOAL, Palm Desert

The crisis loomed on Tuesday, and the Angels crumbled. They lost their seventh consecutive game, outplayed, out-thought and outhustled by the Minnesota Twins. Manager Doug Rader saw it. Wally Joyner and Dave Parker saw it. Heck, the family of four in the upper deck saw it. The crisis loomed on Wednesday, bigger than the day before. And the Angels, whimpering through the home stand, finally struck back. Joyner slammed two home runs and had a sacrifice fly, finishing with five runs batted in.