Joe Pepitone, a former three-time all star and three-time gold glove winner with the Yankees, has died at the age of 82, the team announced on Monday.
“The Yankees are deeply saddened by the passing of former Yankee Joe Pepitone, whose playful and charismatic personality and on-field contributions made him a favorite of Yankees fans even beyond this years with the team in the 1960s,” the team wrote in a statement.
Pepitone had a 12-year MLB career, primarily in New York but also spending time with the Cubs, Braves and Astros. He was a fan favorite in New York, playing over 1,000 games for the team at both first base and outfield and making three straight All-Star games from 1963 to ’65. He was part of the Yankees’ 1962 World Series winning team in his rookie season, the only time he won it all in his career.
When he retired, Pepitone finished his career with 219 home runs and a .258 average and was known most for personality. He also spent a year playing baseball in Japan after he retired and was a frequent member of the Yankees’ Old Timers’ Day.
“You always knew when Joe walked into a room – his immense pride in being a Yankee was always on display,” the team said.
Off the field, Pepitone was convicted of two misdemeanor drug charges in 1988 and spent four months in prison. He also wrote memoir entitled Joe, You Coulda Made Us Proud, in which Pepitone detailed his difficult upbringing and how that impacted who he became as a person. He’s also a frequent character in Jim Bouton’s book Ball Four.
