Catcher faced Sox in 1959 Series, hit into triple play vs. Cubs in final at-bat
NEW YORK — As a big leaguer, Joe Pignatano had a career that was more noteworthy than notable: He played in the last game at Ebbets Field, he homered off three future Hall of Famers and he hit into a triple play with his final swing in the majors.
It was out in the bullpen at Shea Stadium, where he tended relief pitchers and tomatoes for the 1969 Miracle Mets, where Mr. Pignatano’s legacy really grew.
“He was fairly committed to taking care of his tomatoes,” former Mets pitcher Jim McAndrew told The Associated Press.
“It was Joe’s thing,” he said. “A lot of love and effort and TLC.”
Mr. Pignatano, who reached the majors as a catcher with his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers and became a longtime coach, died Monday at 92.
The New York Mets said Mr. Pignatano died in Naples, Florida, at a nursing home. He had been suffering from dementia.
Mr. Pignatano had been the last living coach from the 1969 Mets, who made a remarkable run under manager Gil Hodges to reach the World Series and then stunned Baltimore and the baseball world for their first championship.
He remained as their bullpen coach through 1981.
“To me, he was Uncle Joe. He loved the city and loved talking about his days with the Dodgers and with Gil. He was a baseball lifer,” former Mets star Lee Mazzilli said.
Mr. Pignatano made his major league debut with Brooklyn in 1957. On Sept. 24, he took over for future Hall of Famer Roy Campanella and caught the final five innings in a 2-0 win over Pittsburgh. It was the Dodgers’ last home game before bolting Brooklyn for the West Coast.
In 1959, Mr. Pignatano got his biggest hit. In the second game in a best-of-three playoff against Milwaukee for the NL pennant, his two-out single in the bottom of the 12th at the Coliseum set up the winning run scored by Hodges as Los Angeles earned a World Series spot.
The Dodgers went on to win the championship, and Mr. Pignatano had a brief appearance behind the plate in the six-game win over the Chicago White Sox.
After stints with the Kansas City Athletics and San Francisco Giants, he joined the notoriously bad 1962 expansion Mets in midseason. In their final game of the season, at Wrigley Field against the Cubs, they trailed 5-1 in the eighth inning with runners on first and second.
Mr. Pignatano was up next and sent a liner toward right field. Cubs second baseman Ken Hubbs went back and caught the ball and threw to first baseman Ernie Banks, who relayed to shortstop Andre Rodgers for a triple play.
It was Mr. Pignatano’s last at-bat in the majors.
During the 1969 season, Mr. Pignatano discovered a stray tomato plant growing in the right field bullpen at Shea and kept it healthy. As the Mets continued to win, the plant became something of a good-luck charm.