Joe Tepsic
Encyclopedia
Joseph John Tepsic was a Major League Baseball
outfielder
. He played only one season for the Brooklyn Dodgers
in . He was 5'9", 170 pounds, and he threw and batted right-handed.
During World War II
, Tepsic served in the United States Marines Corps and was wounded on Guadalcanal
. He eventually recovered and went on to attend Penn State University, where he was an outstanding athlete in both football and baseball. After receiving a contract offer from the Brooklyn Dodgers, he left Penn State.
On July 12, 1946, at the age of 22 and wearing the number 32, Tepsic made his major league debut. He played in 15 games that year, collecting zero hits
in five at-bats. Tepsic was used primarily as a pinch runner
, appearing in only one game on the field. His performance on the field was overshadowed by disagreements with his teammates, who wanted him to go down to the minor leagues so the team could call up a veteran to pinch hit. However, Tepsic refused, citing a clause in his contract. The Dodgers finished in second place, two games behind the St. Louis Cardinals
. Tepsic played his final major league game on October 1, 1946.
In , Tepsic was sent down to the minor leagues. Furious over the assignment and thinking he warranted a chance to prove himself at a major league level, Tepsic quit the Dodgers on April 3. He spent another five seasons in the minors before retiring from professional baseball.
Later in life, Tepsic worked in the logging industry and also as a state highway inspector.
Tepsic died on February 23, 2009, at the age of 85.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
. He played only one season for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in . He was 5'9", 170 pounds, and he threw and batted right-handed.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Tepsic served in the United States Marines Corps and was wounded on Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
. He eventually recovered and went on to attend Penn State University, where he was an outstanding athlete in both football and baseball. After receiving a contract offer from the Brooklyn Dodgers, he left Penn State.
On July 12, 1946, at the age of 22 and wearing the number 32, Tepsic made his major league debut. He played in 15 games that year, collecting zero hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in five at-bats. Tepsic was used primarily as a pinch runner
Pinch runner
A pinch runner is a baseball player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing a player on base. In the typical case, the pinch runner is faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been substituted...
, appearing in only one game on the field. His performance on the field was overshadowed by disagreements with his teammates, who wanted him to go down to the minor leagues so the team could call up a veteran to pinch hit. However, Tepsic refused, citing a clause in his contract. The Dodgers finished in second place, two games behind the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. Tepsic played his final major league game on October 1, 1946.
In , Tepsic was sent down to the minor leagues. Furious over the assignment and thinking he warranted a chance to prove himself at a major league level, Tepsic quit the Dodgers on April 3. He spent another five seasons in the minors before retiring from professional baseball.
Later in life, Tepsic worked in the logging industry and also as a state highway inspector.
Tepsic died on February 23, 2009, at the age of 85.