Celebrated Yankees Great Dies at 82: Known for His Playful and Magnetic Presence

On Monday, the Yankees announced the death of former first baseman Joe Pepitone, renowned for his exceptional defensive skills and introduced the first hair dryer to a major league clubhouse.

Primarily associated with the Yankees, Pepitone also spent time with the Chicago Cubs and had brief tenures with the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves. His tenure with the Yankees included three All-Star appearances and three Gold Glove awards.

The Yankees expressed their sorrow, noting Pepitone’s charismatic personality and serious contributions on the field made him a beloved figure among fans, even beyond his 1960s era with the team.

As a native New Yorker, Pepitone fully embraced his role as a Yankee, both during his playing days, which featured three Gold Gloves and All-Star selections, and in the years that followed. Pepitone hit 166 of his 219 career home runs while with the Yankees.

Pepitone signed with the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1958. After four seasons in the minors, he debuted with the Yankees in 1962, initially backing up Moose Skowron at first base. A well-known story suggests that Pepitone spent his $25,000 signing bonus ($234,804 today) en route to spring training. He earned a World Series ring in his rookie season.

Believing Pepitone was ready for the starting role, the Yankees traded Skowron before the 1963 season. Pepitone responded with a solid performance, hitting .271 with 27 home runs and 89 RBIs, and eventually won three Gold Gloves.

However, he made a noticeable error in the 1963 World Series, which led to a critical run for the Dodgers. Pepitone partially redeemed himself with a grand slam in the 1964 Series against the Cardinals.

Throughout the 1960s, Pepitone remained a prominent figure, even filling in at center field for the injured Mickey Mantle. Yet, by the decade’s end, his inconsistent play led to fan dissatisfaction.

In 2021, Pepitone sued the Baseball Hall of Fame over a bat he claimed to have loaned to the Hall, seeking $1 million. The Hall asserted that it had owned the bat, used by Mantle for his 500th career home run, for over 50 years.