Joe Pepitone Cause of Death: How Did Legendary Yankees Star Die? Explained

Joe Pepitone, who played in two World Series with the Yankees, earned three Gold Gloves at first base, and may be best known for his hair and hijinks, passed away at his home in Kansas City, Missouri.

How Did Joe Pepitone Die?

Joe Pepitone, a first baseman for the 1960s New York Yankees who won a Gold Glove and was an All-Star, passed away on March 13, 2023. He was known for his flamboyant attitude, elaborate hairstyles, and love of nightlife.

Bill, his son, confirmed his death. He claimed that on Monday morning, his father’s sister, Cara Pepitone, found him dead. His passing was also reported by the Yankees in a statement.

The team said in a statement,

“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.”

Statement from The New York Yankees on the passing of Joe Pepitone: pic.twitter.com/XckqVACsfa

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 13, 2023

Italian American Baseball Foundation wrote a tribute,

“IABF is saddened by the loss of Italian American great Joe Pepitone, who played with the Yankees, Astros, Cubs and Braves from 1962-1973. Pepitone was a three-time all-star and three-time Gold Glove Award winner. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fans.”

Joe Pepitone Cause of Death

We’re sorry to have to inform you that Joe Pepitone has passed away. Joe Pepitone was regarded as having a friendly personality. Many people must be curious to know the Joe Pepitone cause of death in light of the recent news. Although the exact cause of death was not immediately known, his son BJ Pepitone said it was likely a heart attack. Joe Pepitone Cause of death has left the community inconsolable.

Who was Joe Pepitone?

American first baseman and outfielder Joe Pepitone played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1962 to 1973 for the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, and Atlanta Braves. In 1973, he also played for the Yakult Atoms of Nippon Professional Baseball.

New York Yankees

Pepitone joined the New York Yankees in August 1958 as an amateur free agent. After signing, he participated in 16 games for the Class D Auburn Yankees of the New York-Pennsylvania League. He spent four seasons in the minor levels before making his major league debut in 1962 with the Yankees, batting second to Moose Skowron at first base. In 63 games, he hit.239 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 batted.271 with 89 runs batted in (RBIs), 27 home runs, and 89 RBIs. He made a costly mistake in the 1963 World Series. When he mishandled a routine Clete Boyer throw in the white shirtsleeves of the Los Angeles crowd during the seventh inning of Game Four with the score tied 1-1, the hitter, Jim Gilliam, advanced all the way to third base and scored the Series-winning run on a sacrifice fly by Willie Davis. Pepitone had a.251 batting average, 28 home runs, and 100 RBIs in 1964. He hit a 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.

Throughout the 1960s, the consistently popular Pepitone remained a mainstay, even taking over centrer field when Mickey Mantle’s mobility was hindered by bad knees. But, towards the decade’s conclusion, as the Yankees battled to get back to a.500 winning percentage, fans frequently booed Pepitone and expressed displeasure with his careless play and inability to advance, particularly as a left-handed power hitter in the old Yankee Stadium.

Despite winning his third Gold Glove Award following the 1969 campaign, the Yankees traded Pepitone to the Houston Astros for Curt Blefary. In July 1970, he vowed to resign because of how the Astros were treating him. A week later, the Astros sold Pepitone to the Chicago Cubs via waivers. At a first base in Chicago, Pepitone took Ernie Banks’ place. Peptitone left the Cubs for a short while before rejoining the team in May 1972. On May 19, 1973, the Cubs dealt Pepitone to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Andre Thornton and cash. He only participated in three games in Atlanta before declaring his retirement. Pepitone then said that he will pursue a career in Japan. Pepitone agreed to sign a contract with the Yakult Atoms of the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball in June 1973 for $70,000 ($427,000 in today’s dollars). He came back to the country in July. He appeared in 14 games while in Japan, hitting.163 with one home run and two RBIs. Pepitone spent his days in Japan skipping games due to alleged injuries to go out at night to discos; as a result, the Japanese coined the term “goof off” to describe him.

MLB Coaching

Pepitone joined the Yankees in October 1980 as a minor league hitting instructor, and in June 1982, he was promoted to the major league team. In August of that summer, Lou Pinella took his place. Following his release from prison in 1988, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner once more recruited Pepitone to assist with the development of minor league players. Pepitone was given a World Series ring in 1999 in appreciation of his work with the Yankees. He auctioned off that ring.