Don Leppert, 1B coach for World Series Pirates, dies at 91

Donald George Leppert spent four decades in baseball, and some of his most memorable moments in a lifetime filled with them came while playing for and coaching with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Leppert hit a home run on the first pitch of his first major-league at-bat, later served as the first base coach for the Pirates’ 1971 World Series champions — one of his three World Series rings — and once kept the ball for Roberto Clemente’s final hit in his back pocket.

Leppert died Thursday in Delaware, Ohio, at age 91.

“We are deeply saddened to hear the news on the passing of Don Leppert,” Pirates president Travis Williams said in a statement. “He touched many lives during his more than 40 years in baseball and was a valuable part of the Pirates coaching staff during the 1971 World Series winning season. Our hearts go out to his wife, Daphine, and the entire Leppert family.”

Born in Indianapolis, Leppert was an avid outdoorsman who earned Eagle Scout honors, the highest individual rank awarded by the Boy Scouts of America. He attended Wabash on a football scholarship before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force as Military Police during the Korean War.

Not to be confused with former Baltimore second baseman Donald George Leppert, he was drafted from his Air Force base’s baseball team to the minor leagues and played in the Texas League. The Pirates acquired the 6-foot-2, 220-pound catcher from Dallas of the American Association in a trade for Tom Burgess in December 1960.

Leppert made his major-league debut June 18, 1961, and hit the first pitch thrown by Curt Simmons for a game-tying solo home run in a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Forbes Field.

Leppert batted .266/.313/.417 with eight doubles, two triples, six homers and 23 RBIs in 67 games for the Pirates over two seasons. He was traded to the Washington Senators for Ronald Honeycutt and cash in December 1962, and the deal paid immediate dividends for the Senators.

Leppert hit three home runs in one game, going 3 for 4 with five RBIs while catching Tom Cheney’s one-hit shutout in an 8-0 win over the Boston Red Sox on April 11, 1963.

Leppert batted .262 with seven doubles, five homers and 19 RBIs in 44 games in the first half and was selected as a reserve for the American League team to the All-Star Game.

After 190 games in the majors over four seasons, Leppert finished his playing career in the minors and transitioned into coaching. He managed the Pirates’ Class A team in 1967, then moved to their major-league staff from 1968-76.

When Clemente doubled for his 3,000th hit Sept. 30, 1972, the ball was thrown back to the infield and umpire Doug Harvey retrieved it from New York Mets shortstop Jim Fregosi, handed it to Clemente and shook his hand. Clemente then handed the ball to Leppert, and the first base coach put the ball in his back pocket for safekeeping.

It would be Clemente’s final hit before his death in a plane crash while delivering humanitarian aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua on New Year’s Eve 1972.

Leppert also coached for the Toronto Blue Jays (1977–79) and Houston Astros (1980–85) and served as a minor-league field coordinator and manager for the Minnesota Twins.

Leppert is survived by wife of 65 years, Daphine, children Steve, Kim, Mike, Joe and Tim, nine grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.