Joe Pittman

Joseph Wayne Pittman (January 1, 1953 – June 13, 2014) was a backup infielder/outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants in part of three seasons spanning 1981–1984. Listed at 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m), 180 pounds (82 kg), Pittman batted and threw right handed. He was dubbed 'Shoes'.[1]

For the politician from Pennsylvania, see Joe Pittman (politician). For the American weightlifter, see Joe Pitman.
Joe Pittman
Pittmann with the Nashville Sounds in 1985
Infielder
Born: (1953-01-01)January 1, 1953
Houston, Texas
Died: June 13, 2014(2014-06-13) (aged 61)
Lake Jackson, Texas
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 25, 1981, for the Houston Astros
Last MLB appearance
May 30, 1984, for the San Francisco Giants
MLB statistics
Batting average.263
On-base percentage.309
Slugging average.302
Games played139
Teams

Born in Houston, Texas, Pittman was selected by the Astros in the 5th round of the 1975 MLB Draft[1] out of Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He debuted professionally for their Double-A Columbus Astros club late in the year.

In between, he played winter baseball with the Cardenales de Lara and Navegantes de Magallanes clubs of the Venezuelan League.[2] He then won the Senior Professional Baseball Association championship with the St. Petersburg Pelicans in its 1989 inaugural season.[3]

Following his playing retirement, Pittman coached in the minors[4] and also served as an scout for the Astros organization.[1]

In June 2014, Pittman was working a construction job in Freeport, Texas, when he suddenly collapsed. Immediate attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.[4] He died in Lake Jackson, Texas, at the age of 61.[5]

References
  1. "Astros statement on the passing of Joe Pittman". houston.astros.mlb.com. Houston Astros. June 14, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  2. Pura Pelota – Venezuelan League statistics
  3. The Trading Card Database
  4. "Joseph Wayne Pittman: Obituary". legacy.com. Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. June 19, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  5. Joe Pittman statistics and history. Baseball Reference website.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.