Former Chicago Cubs legend Joe Pepitone passes away

Former MLB All-Star and Chicago Cub Joe Pepitone passed away Monday at the age of 82. Pepitone played 12 years in the Majors and played on the North Side from 1970-1973. He was teammates with Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, and Ernie Banks.

Jenkins took to Twitter on Monday afternoon to post a tribute to his former teammate. He said Pepitone was, "Truly was a great friend and teammate." He was remembered well by many fans who saw him play, despite not playing with the Cubs for very long.

While Pepitone spent most of his career with the New York Yankees, making three All-Star teams and winning three Gold Gloves, he had a nice run with the Cubs later in his career. On July 29, 1970, he was purchased by the Cubs from the Houston Astros. As a Cub, he played in 268 games and slashed .284/.328/.454 with 39 home runs, 144 RBI, and .782 OPS. He played at first base and all around the outfield. It is worth noting that when Pepitone joined the Cubs, Banks was playing in his final MLB games before switching to full-time coaching.

His most notable year as a Cub was in 1971 when he hit .307/.347/.482 with a .830 OPS and 122 OPS+ in 115 games. All of those numbers were career-best (slugging was tied for career-high). While he did not see postseason action in Chicago, the Cubs were decently competitive while he was around under Leo Durocher. Pepitone was eventually traded to the Atlanta Braves in May 1973 for Andre Thornton.

Pepitone might not have a plaque on the Cubs Hall of Fame, but he definitely is worth acknowledging for his contributions to the team and baseball. Rest in Peace, Mr. Pepitone.