Posted on 03/13/2023 8:30:09 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Joe Pepitone, the former Yankee known as much for his outlandish personality as his baseball career, died on Monday at 82, the team announced.
“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 generations of Yankees fans even beyond his years with the team in the 1960s,” the team said in a statement.
Pepitone, a Brooklyn native who was shot by a classmate in 1957, signed with the Yankees a year later and made his MLB debut with the organization in 1962.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
When he was 17, a classmate shot him in the stomach, three days before Pepitone's father died. He never pressed charges, and I think he never finished high school. He was ABD, I guess.
I think he was the first ‘Broadway Joe’.
RIP!
I grew up in Fargo, ND. Joe Pepitone played for the Fargo-Moorhead Twins, part of the old Northern League. He was probably about 18 years old or so. Somewhere in the house I have an old Louisville Slugger with his name on it.
Joe was cool.
World Series champion (1962)
3× All-Star (1963–1965)
3× Gold Glove Award (1965, 1966, 1969)
Did you know Roger Maris?
Ping
I did not but he had a part time job with the US Post Office and my father knew him. He went to Shanley High School, about two blocks from my boyhood home.
That’s cool. Kind of an inscrutable character?
I remember Joe and have several memories of him.
The first that comes to mind was that Joe used a hair dryer while styling his hair. No else was doing that at the time and it caused quite a stir.
Second was the infield brawl he caused at Yankee Stadium vs my beloved Red Sox. It started as a fight between Joe and fellow New Yorker, Red Sox shortstop Rico Petrocelli. The fight started at first base and quickly became a bench clearing spectacle. So much so that New York cops entered the field to try and bring order. One of those cops was Petrocelli’s brother. It didn’t take long before both brothers were punching Joe. Those were the days.
Joe Pepitone, Bobby Mercer, Roy Clarke, Thurmon Munson.....I loved the Yankees back in the day...
“Did you know Roger Maris?”
I had an official Roger Maris baseball glove.
Me and my father were driving home from a Yankees game. And who did we run into, but Joe Pepitone in his automobile. He was in an up mood. We exchanged a few pleasantries. Joe was colorful and was a fan favorite.
RIP Joe!
The New York cop was punching a Yankee?
Also a favorite Cub in later years. very nice man. signed my sons glove after a game in Chicago
He was one of my favorite cards in our “Meet the Yankees” dice game.
RIP, Joe. Imus had a regular bit with Rob Bartlett playing Pepitone in some hilarious routines where he would comment on issues of the day. Then one day the real Joe Pepitone came on the show and he was more outrageous than Bartlett’s over the top Pepitone. Told an insane story about driving from NYC to Florida for his first spring training and showing up with a boat and a dog because he stopped somewhere in South Carolina to get something to eat, saw the boat, told the owner he wanted it and the dog came with it or something like that.
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