Joe Pepitone, who went to two World Series with the Yankees, won three Gold Gloves at first base, and was probably best known for his hair and spree, died at his home in Kansas City, Missouri up.
Joe Pepitone, 1960s New York Yankees first baseman, Gold Glove winner and All-Star, died March 13, 2023. He is known for his flamboyant attitude, sophisticated hairdos and love of nightlife.
His son Bill confirmed his death. He claims he was found dead by his father’s sister, Carape Piton, on Monday morning. The Yankees also reported his death in a statement.
In a statement, the team said,
“The Yankees are deeply saddened by the passing of former Yankee player Joe Pepitone, whose playful yet charismatic personality and on-field contributions made him a favorite of generations of Yankee fans, even more than The years he played for the team in the 1960s.”
Statement from the New York Yankees on the passing of Joe Pepitone: pic.twitter.com/XckqVACsfa
– New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 13, 2023
The Italian Baseball USA Foundation wrote a eulogy,
“IABF is saddened by the loss of Italian-American great Joe Pepitone, who played for the Yankees, Astros, Cubs and Braves from 1962-1973. Pepitone is a three-time All-Star and Three-time Golden Glove winner. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fans.”
We regret to inform you that Joe Pepitone has passed away. Joe Pepitone is known for having a friendly personality. Seeing the recent news, many people must be curious about the cause of Joe Pepiton’s death. While the exact cause of death is unclear, his son BJ Pepitone said it was likely a heart attack. The community is devastated by the death of Joe Pepitone.
Who is Joe Pepiton?
American first baseman and outfielder Joe Pepitone played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1962 to 1973 with the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves Team. In 1973, he also played for the Japanese professional baseball Yakult Atoms.
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Pepitone joined the New York Yankees in August 1958 as an amateur free agent. After signing, he played in 16 games for the Auburn Yankees, the Class D of the New York-Penn League. He spent four seasons in the minor leagues before making his major league debut with the Yankees in 1962, second to Moose Skowron in singles. In 63 games, he played 239 games in 1962. It’s a good idea to have a backup plan in case something goes wrong, but it’s not always possible. In 1963, Pepitone hit 271 runs, 89 RBIs, 27 homers, 89 RBIs. He made a costly mistake in the 1963 World Series. When he tied the score at 1-1 in the seventh inning of Game 4, Clete Boyer mishandled a pitch on the white shirt sleeve of the Los Angeles crowd, hitter Jim • Jim Gilliam made it all the way to third base and scored the series — won by Willie Davis on a sacrifice fly. In 1964, Pepitone hit .251 with 28 home runs and 100 RBIs. He hit the grand slam in Game 6 of the 1964 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees, but the Yankees lost the series.
The ever-popular Pepitone remained a mainstay throughout the 1960s, even taking over at center when Mickey Mantle was crippled by a knee injury. But towards the end of the decade, as the Yankees struggled to return to a .500 winning percentage, fans regularly booed Pepitone and expressed displeasure at his sloppy game and inability to move forward, especially as the old Yankee Stadium lefty Power hitter.
Despite winning his third Gold Glove after the 1969 campaign, the Yankees traded Pepitone to the Houston Astros for Curt Blefary. In July 1970, he vowed to resign because of the way the Astros had treated him. A week later, the Astros sold Pepitone to the Chicago Cubs via waiver. At first base in Chicago, Pepitone replaced Ernie Banks. Peptitone left the Cubs for a while before rejoining the team in May 1972. On May 19, 1973, the Cubs traded Pepitone to the Atlanta Braves for Andre Thornton and cash. He played in just three games in Atlanta before announcing his retirement. Pepitone later said he would pursue a career in Japan. In June 1973, Pepitone agreed to a contract with the Yakult Atoms of the Central League of Japanese Professional Baseball for $70,000 ($427,000 in today’s dollars). He returned to the country in July. He appeared in 14 games in Japan, scoring 163 points with 1 home run and 2 RBIs. Pepitone spent his days in Japan going to discos at night because of his alleged injury; thus, the Japanese coined the term “goof off” to describe him.
Major League Baseball Coach
Pepitone joined the Yankees as minor league hitting coach in October 1980 and was promoted to the major leagues in June 1982. In August of that summer, Lou Pinera took his place. After his release from prison in 1988, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner recruited Pepitone again to assist in minor league player development. In 1999, Pepitone received a World Series ring in recognition of his work with the Yankees. He auctioned off the ring.
