Longtime Former Baseball Writer, WCBS-F/New York Sportscaster Phil Pepe Dies At 80

Photo: CUNY-TV

PHIL PEPE, the longtime NEW YORK YANKEES beat writer and columnist for the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS and WCBS-F/NEW YORK sports anchor, died SUNDAY (12/13) at his home in ENGLEWOOD, NJ at 80, the paper is reporting.

PEPE began covering baseball for the old NEW YORK WORLD TELEGRAM AND SUN in 1957 and became YANKEES beat writer in 1961; after the paper merged into the HERALD-TRIBUNE and JOURNAL-AMERICAN and then folded in 1966, PEPE briefly wrote for HOWARD COSELL's ABC RADIO "SPEAKING OF SPORTS" feature before joining the NEWS in 1968, covering baseball through 1981 and serving as lead columnist in 1982 through 1986, when he left for WCBS-F.  At the radio station, he handled morning sports reports for over 15 years.  After leaving WCBS-F, PEPE called NEW JERSEY CARDINALS minor league baseball in 1994-2005.

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