Joe Pepitone

Infobox MLB retired
name=Joe Pepitone


width = 150
position=First Baseman / Outfielder
bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date and age|1940|10|9
Brooklyn, New York
debutdate=April 10
debutyear=by|1962
debutteam=New York Yankees
finaldate=May 25
finalyear=by|1973
finalteam=Atlanta Braves
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.258
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=219
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=721
teams=
* New York Yankees (by|1962-by|1969)
* Houston Astros (by|1970)
* Chicago Cubs (by|1970-by|1973)
* Atlanta Braves (by|1973)
highlights=
* 3x All-Star selection (1963, 1964, 1965)
* 3x Gold Glove Award winner (1965, 1966, 1969)

Joseph (Joe) Anthony Pepitone (born October 9 1940, in Brooklyn, New York) is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder for the New York Yankees (1962-1969), Houston Astros (1970), Chicago Cubs (1970-1973) and Atlanta Braves (1973).

Baseball career

In 1958, Pepitone was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent. After playing four seasons in the minor leagues, he broke in with the Yankees in 1962, playing behind Moose Skowron at first base. A much-discussed legend was that while on his way to 1962 spring training in Florida, Pepitone spent his entire $25,000 signing bonus. He bought a Ford Thunderbird, a boat which he towed with the Thunderbird, and a dog. He arrived at Yankees spring training in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with a new car, a new boat, a new dog, and was wearing a new shark-skin suit.

Pepitone had a powerful swing and an excellent glove, and some of Pepitone's tougher friends thought he should be the regular first baseman ahead of Skowron. They offered to help Joe out by breaking Skowron's legs; Pepitone declined. The Yankee brass believed he could handle the job, and before the 1963 season traded Skowron to the Dodgers. Pepitone responded admirably, hitting .271 with 27 HR and 89 RBI. He went on to win three Gold Gloves, but in the 1963 World Series he made an infamous error. With the score tied 1-1 in the seventh inning of Game Four, he lost a routine Clete Boyer throw in the white shirtsleeves of the Los Angeles crowd, and the batter, Jim Gilliam, went all the way to third base and scored the Series-winning run on a sacrifice fly. He redeemed himself somewhat in the 1964 Series against the Cardinals with a Game 6 grand slam.

The ever-popular Pepitone remained a fixture throughout the decade, even playing center field after bad knees reduced Mickey Mantle's mobility. After the 1969 season he was traded to the Astros for Curt Blefary. Later he played for the Cubs and finished his major-league career with the Braves.

In June of 1973, Pepitone accepted an offer of $70,000 a year to play for the Yakult Atoms, a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League. While in Japan, he hit .163 with one home run and two RBIs in 14 games played. According to an edition of "Total Baseball", Pepitone spent his days in Japan skipping games for claimed injuries only to be at night in discos, behavior which led the Japanese to adopt his name into their vernacular--as a word meaning "goof off". Pepitone was a member of the 1963, 1964 and 1965 American League All Star Team. He won the Gold Glove award for first basemen in 1965, 1966 and 1969.

Jim Bouton talks extensively about Pepitone in his book "Ball Four." Pepitone is described as being extremely vain. Bouton said that Pepitone went nowhere without a bag containing hair products for his rapidly balding head. Pepitone even had two toupees, one for general wear and one for under his baseball cap, which he called his "game piece." Bouton told a humorous story about how the game piece came loose one day when Pepitone took off his cap for the national anthem.

In 1975 he posed nude for Foxy Lady magazine, featuring full frontal nudity. In the late 70's, Pepitone played for the New Jersey Statesmen in the American Professional Slow Pitch League (APSPL), one of three professional softball leagues active during this period. Pepitone would also serve the front office of the North American Softball League (NASL) for their only season in 1980.

In June of 1982, Pepitone was hired as a batting coach with the Yankees, but was replaced by Lou Piniella later in the season.

In the late 1990s, Pepitone was given a job in the Yankees' front office.

Problems after baseball

Pepitone spent four months at Rikers Island jail in 1988 for two misdemeanor drug convictions after he and two other men were arrested on March 18, 1985, in Brooklyn after being stopped by the police for running a red light in a car containing nine ounces of cocaine, 344 quaaludes, a free-basing kit, a pistol and about $6,300 in cash. He was released from jail on a work-release program when Yankee owner George Steinbrenner offered him a job in minor-league player development for the team. In January of 1992, Pepitone was charged with misdemeanor assault in Kiamesha Lake, New York, after a scuffle police said was triggered when Pepitone was called a "has-been." He was arraigned in town court and released after he posted $75 bail.

In October of 1995, the 55-year-old Pepitone was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated after losing control of his car in New York City's Queens-Midtown Tunnel. Police found Pepitone bloodied, disoriented and mumbling as he walked through the tunnel. Authorities charged Pepitone with drunken driving after he refused to take a sobriety test.." [cite news|title=You Can Call Me Joe Pepitone|publisher=Long Beach (CA) Press-Telegram|date=October 26, 1995|accessdate=2006-10-12] Pepitone pled guilty. When asked if he was staying away from alcohol, Pepitone responded: "I don't drink that much." [cite news|title=Joe Pepitone In Auto Plea|Author=Karen Freifeld |publisher=Newsday (Melville, NY)|date=February 23, 1996|accessdate=2006-10-12]

Recently divorced from his third wife, he has recently been seen in the company of a younger woman. Pepitone has managed to stay out of trouble for the past 10 years, and on October 9, 2008, he celebrated his 68th birthday.

Pepitone currently resides in Farmingdale, New York, and spends his time signing autographs and baseball memorabilia at autograph shows.

Television references

Pepitone was mentioned in the 1994 "Seinfeld" episode titled "The Mom and Pop Store". In the episode, George Costanza buys John Voight's car, thinking it belonged to Jon Voight the actor. George tells Mr. Morgan, "Well, I think we need more special days at the stadium, you know? Like, uh...Joe Pepitone Day. Or, uh...Jon Voight Day."

Cosmo Kramer also refers to Joe Pepitone in the 1996 episode titled "The Rye" as the designer of New York City's Central Park, while driving a hansom cab through Central Park.

Pepitone is also mentioned in the sixth season of the HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm" episode titled "The Anonymous Donor", where Larry David's Pepitone jersey gets lost at the dry cleaners. Larry and Leon Black then go out trying to find who is wearing it.

ee also

* Top 500 home run hitters of all time

References

Books

*Bouton, Jim, and Leonard Shecter. "Ball Four; My Life and Hard Times Throwing the Knuckleball in the Big Leagues". New York: World Pub. Co, 1970. 400 pages. (ISBN 0-9709117-0-X)
*Pepitone, Joe, and Berry Stainback. "Joe, You Coulda Made Us Proud". Chicago: Playboy Press, 1975. 246 pages. (ISBN 0-87223-428-2)

Newspapers

* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0F17F6385B127A93C1A9178AD85F468685F9 Yanks Harvest Bumper Farm Crop; Well-Balanced Array of Minor Leaguers Aids Champions All-Star Rookie Cast Includes Sons of Keller, Tresh - Mike Tresh's Son on List - New York Times article, January 3, 1962]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10B13FF3D5E147B93CAA91789D85F468685F9 BROOKLYN TALENT AT YANKEE CAMP; Pepitone Stands Out - New York Times article, February 8, 1962]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0E17FE3F5910728DDDAC0A94DA405B828AF1D3 YANKEE ROOKIES RATED BEST EVER; Houk Praises Tresh, Gibbs, Linz, Pepitone and Keller - New York Times article, February 25, 1962]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70C1FFD395C137A93C3A81788D85F468685F9 Mantle, Boyer Hit Homers As Yanks Top Orioles, 4-1; Yanks Turn Back Orioles, 4 to 1, On Homers by Mantle and Boyer - New York Times article, March 11, 1962]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70B13FD3D5A157B93C3A8178FD85F468685F9 Sports of The Times; Overheard at the Stadium - Time Marches On - Nuisance Hitter - The Hollywood Touch - New York Times article, April 11, 1962]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10A13FC355A107B93C7A91789D95F4D8685F9 Yanks Trade Pepitone to Astros for Blefary;; INTERLEAGUE DEAL INVOLVES NO CASH Houk Plans to Use Blefary in Outfield -- Walker Sees Change Helping Pepitone - New York Times article, December 5, 1969]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0A11F83D5E16738DDDAB0A94DF405B808BF1D3 Astros' Pepitone Threatens to Retire - New York Times article, July 22, 1970]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10A15FE355A157493C2AA178CD85F448785F9 Cubs Acquire Pepitone on Waivers - New York Times article, July 30, 1970]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F5071EFC3F5F117B93C1A9178ED85F468785F9 Pepitone Quits Baseball; 'No Longer Interested' - New York Times article, May 3, 1972]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60B17FF345A137B93C3A9178DD85F468785F9 Pepitone to Return to Cubs 'to Help Win the Pennant' - New York Times article, June 1, 1972]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60F17FE3959137A93C2AB178ED85F478785F9 Pepitone Is Traded By Cubs to the Braves - New York Times article, May 20, 1973]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60C10FC3959137A93C5AB178ED85F478785F9 Pepitone Quits Again - New York Times article, May 27, 1973]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0F14F638551A7493CAAB178ED85F478785F9 Pepitone Hoping to Do His Swinging in Japan - New York Times article, May 28, 1973]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10613FD3959147A93C6AB178DD85F478785F9 Pepitone's a Hero in His Tokyo Debut Before 40,000 - New York Times article, June 24, 1973]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0712FB385C1A7A93CBA9178CD85F478785F9 Pepitone Returns to U.S. - New York Times article, July 9, 1973]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20A17F93E5814728DDDA00994DD405B848BF1D3 The Joe Pepitone Prayer: Don't Let Me Die in Japan; For 12 years--from 1962 -- Joe Pepitone played first and outfield for the New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs - New York Times article, May 19, 1974]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F0071EFC3A5F107A93C4AB178ED85F408785F9 Sports Editor's mailbox: No Tears for Joe Pepitone - New York Times article, May 26, 1974]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70C12F7355C0C758CDDAF0894DA484D81 PEPITONE IS GRATEFUL TO REJOIN YANKEES - New York Times article, June 6, 1982]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50915F83D5C0C738EDDAA0894DD484D81 PEPITONE ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGES - New York Times article, March 20, 1985]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE5DA173BF937A35756C0A963948260 Pepitone Is Indicted - New York Times article, May 4, 1985]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE4DE1E3EF934A1575BC0A960948260 SPORTS PEOPLE; Pepitone Trial Starts - New York Times article, August 27, 1986]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50717FE385D0C7B8DDDA00894DE484D81 PEPITONE IS GUILTY OF LESSER CHARGES - New York Times article, September 18, 1986]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50715FF3D5F0C708EDDA90994DE484D81 PEPITONE SENTENCED TO SIX MONTHS IN JAIL - New York Times article, October 23, 1986]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0717F83D550C748DDDAC0894D0484D81 Pepitone to Begin 6-Month Jail Term - New York Times article, May 17, 1988]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE1D7103EF936A25754C0A96E948260 Pepitone Hired by Yanks - New York Times article, July 15, 1988]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE5DC133AF936A2575AC0A96E948260 Pepitone Is Released - New York Times article, September 15, 1988]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE1DA123AF933A25752C0A964958260 SPORTS PEOPLE: BASEBALL; Pepitone in Scuffle at Hotel Lounge - New York Times article, January 10, 1992]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E6D71639F935A15753C1A963958260 SPORTS PEOPLE: BASEBALL; Pepitone Is Arrested - New York Times article, October 26, 1995]
* [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/search.html Joe Pepitone In Auto Plea - Newsday article, February 23, 1996]

External links

*baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=p/pepitjo01 |fangraphs=1010167 |cube=P/joe-pepitone
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/P/Pepitone_Joe.stm Joe Pepitone's entry in BaseballLibrary.com]