Don Pepper

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1943)}}

{{distinguish|text = advertising executive and author Don Peppers}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Don Pepper

|position=Pinch hitter/First baseman

|image=

|bats=Left

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1943|10|8}}

|birth_place=Saratoga Springs, New York

|death_date=

|death_place=

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=September 10

|debutyear=1966

|debutteam=Detroit Tigers

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=October 2

|finalyear=1966

|finalteam=Detroit Tigers

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Games played

|stat1value=4

|stat2label=At bats

|stat2value=3

|stat3label=Hits

|stat3value=0

|teams=

• Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|1966}})

}}

Donald Hoyte Pepper (born October 8, 1943) is an American former professional baseball player. He was a first baseman whose seven-year (1962–1968) professional career included a four-game trial in the majors with the Detroit Tigers in 1966. Pepper batted left handed and threw right-handed, at {{height|ft=6|in=4}} and {{convert|215|lb}}.

Pepper graduated from Saratoga Springs High School in 1961 and signed with the Tigers for $15,000 ({{Inflation|US|15000|1961|r=-2|fmt=eq}}).{{cite news |last1=Post |first1=Paul |title=Saratoga Springs graduate, former pro baseball player Pepper remembers Marvin Miller era |url=https://www.saratogian.com/2012/11/28/saratoga-springs-graduate-former-pro-baseball-player-pepper-remembers-marvin-miller-era/ |access-date=3 December 2022 |work=Saratogian |date=28 November 2012}}

Pepper's career was spent with the Detroit organization. In his best season, 1966 with the Double-A Montgomery Rebels, he batted .302 and reached career highs in home runs (19) and runs batted in (87). Called up to the Tigers after the post-September 1 roster expansion, Pepper was a pinch hitter in three contests (he grounded out, struck out, and flied out in his three at bats). In his fourth game, he was a defensive replacement for veteran Tiger first baseman Norm Cash, but did not bat.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/P/Ppeppd101.htm Retrosheet]

At age 24, Pepper made the cover of Sports Illustrated in March {{mlby|1968}}, along with Johnny Bench, Cisco Carlos, Alan Foster, and Mike Torrez, as "The Best Rookies of 1968."{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1968/03/11/549327/some-hot-rookies-for-a-new-season |title=Some hot rookies for a new season|magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Leggett |first=William |date=March 11, 1968 |page=28}}

In 1969, Pepper refused a minor league assignment and retired, moving home to Wilton, New York to work on his family's turkey farm.

He is the father of Dottie Pepper,{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/2002/06/17/325323/don-pepper-and-cisco-carlos-hot-prospects-march-11-1968|title=Don Pepper And Cisco Carlos Hot Prospects |magazine=Sports Illustrated |first=Andrea |last=Woo |date=June 17, 2002 |page=10}} a professional golfer and golf commentator.