#245 Joe Pepitone - New York Yankees

Joseph Anthony Pepitone
New York Yankees
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  185
Born:  October 9, 1940, Brooklyn, NY
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1958 season
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1962-1969; Houston Astros 1970; Chicago Cubs 1970-1973; Atlanta Braves 1973

Joe Pepitone was a three-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove winner and the regular first baseman for the Yankees as their long-time dynasty came to an end in the mid-1960s.  A utility player for the Yankees in his rookie season of 1962, Pepitone ultimately earned the every day first baseman job, taking over from Bill Skowron (#70).  He won a World Series ring in 1962, although he didn't appear in that World Series, and helped the Yankees to two more pennants in 1963 and 1964.  Pepitone drove in at least 70 runs in four different seasons for the Yankees, driving in a career high 100 in 1964.  He crossed the 25-home run mark in five different seasons, with his career best 31 home runs coming in 1966.  Pepitone would later play in parts of four seasons with the Cubs, replacing Ernie Banks (#510) as the club's regular first baseman.  Released by the Braves in June 1973, Pepitone attempted a few comebacks, first in Japan in 1973 and then in the Padres' system in 1976.  He ultimately retired with a career batting average of .258 with 1,315 hits, 219 home runs and 721 RBIs.  Pepitone's career fielding percentage of .993 at first base is currently 88th on the all-time list.

August 31, 2021 - View from the hospital lobby

He briefly returned to baseball in the 1980s as a minor league coach with the Yankees and then as a major league coach for the second half of the 1982 season.  Pepitone has had frequent problems with the law, has been arrested a few times and spent four months at Rikers Island jail in 1988 for two misdemeanor drug convictions.  But he always maintained his relationship with the Yankees, and the club gave him World Series rings in 1998 and 1999 for his continued work with the team.

Building the Set
September 8, 2021 from Los Angeles, CA - Card #352
On August 31st, my Mom had back surgery in an effort to alleviate chronic back pain she had been suffering for years.  The surgery was a success and as I compose this post a month afterwards, she's recovering nicely.  I spent quite a lot of time on the day of my Mom's surgery staring at my phone, waiting for updates from my sister and browsing through eBay.  With Covid protocols in place, my Mom was only allowed one visitor at a time and I spent a solid few hours sitting in the hospital's lobby and randomly bidding on a bunch of cards needed for our 1965 Topps set.  I won two of the auctions a few days later, and they'll serve as a nice reminder of how grateful I continue to be for my Mom and her health.

This Pepitone card arrived first from Greg Morris Cards in Los Angeles, and I probably paid too much for the card at $17.25.  The Denny McLain card (#236) was the second card I won and that arrived a day later.

The Card / Yankees Team Set
I feel as if this is a fairly iconic baseball card, as I know I've been aware of it for years.  Pepitone was one of those players I had always known about, and while I figured out he had been a fairly successful baseball player, I didn't know any specifics about his career.  The back of the card notes he finished second on the Yankees in 1964 in home runs (28) and RBIs (100).  Mickey Mantle (#350) bested him in both categories with 35 home runs and 111 RBIs.  Pepitone's World Series grand slam came in Game 6, as the Yankees defeated Curt Simmons (#373) and the Cardinals by a score of 8-3 to force a Game 7.  Pepitone hit his grand slam in the eighth inning off Cardinals' reliever Gordie Richardson.

1965 Season
The opening day first baseman for the Yankees, Pepitone made 113 starts at first, 24 starts in right field and one start in left field.  In 143 games, he batted just .247 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs as the Yankees slumped and fell to sixth place in the American League.  Pepitone often ran afoul of new manager Johnny Keane's (#131) rules during the season, and he was often fined or benched for being late to batting practice.

1962 Topps #596

1964 Topps #360

1967 Topps #340

1971 Topps #90

1973 Topps #580

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1962 Topps #596
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1962-1973
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2019 Topps Archives Fan Favorites Autographs #FFA-JP

281 - Pepitone non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/1/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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