I think it was the earring.
To a 13-year-old girl in suburban New Jersey in 1979, a guy wearing an earring, as Dave Parker did (and does), was at once mildly scandalizing and deeply cool. It made sense that a guy who played for the Pirates would look like a pirate. It also helped that he was incredibly fun to watch. Baseball fans know when we’re watching someone special, and Dave was beyond special in his prime. When the same uncle who had brought me my Bucs pillbox cap asked me if I wanted a jersey, I immediately requested Dave’s.