Fond Farewell to Don Leppert, Blue Jays’ First Bullpen Coach was die in the year 1975…..
Don Leppert, the inaugural bullpen and catching coach for the Toronto Blue Jays, passed away on April 13, 2023, at his home in Delaware, Ohio, at the age of 91 . A towering figure—both literally and figuratively—Leppert loomed large in baseball history, leaving a lasting legacy across the majors, in Canada, and even in Cooperstown.
Born on October 19, 1931, in Indianapolis, Indiana, Leppert’s athleticism was evident early on. He earned a football scholarship to Wabash College and later served as a Military Policeman in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, playing for service baseball teams. Scouted in Japan, he signed with the Milwaukee Braves in 1955 , beginning a 12-year playing career.
Leppert debuted in MLB at the age of nearly 30 with the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 18, 1961. He homered in his first at-bat and went on to become a reliable backup catcher for two seasons . He was traded to the Washington Senators in December 1962. The highlight of his playing career came on April 11, 1963, when, in just his third game with Washington, he belted three home runs en route to an airy 8–0 victory over Boston. His strong spring earned him a place on the American League All-Star roster that year .
Leppert concluded his playing days after the 1966 minor-league season and transitioned to coaching. He began managing a Class-A team in the Pirates’ system in 1967 before moving up to the major-league coaching staff with Pittsburgh from 1968 to 1976 .
Arrival in Toronto
On October 15, 1976, Leppert was announced as the first bullpen coach and catching instructor under Roy Hartsfield, who managed the expansion Blue Jays . In the fledgling franchise’s earliest seasons (1977–1979), despite finishing last in the American League East, Toronto developed depth in its catching ranks—a credit to Leppert’s tutelage. His protégés included Alan Ashby, Rick Cerone, and Ernie Whitt .
Known for his hard-nosed approach, cigar stub in cheek, and colorful language, Leppert was as vivid a personality as any in the early clubhouse. After a wild 10-inning 13–12 win over Seattle in July 1978, he famously exclaimed:
> “I’ve been to three county fairs, four goat ropings and sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, and I ain’t seen nothing like that before.”
His influence went beyond mechanical instruction—it was his mentorship, fire, and personality that helped shape the team’s early character.
A Legacy Beyond Toronto
After his Toronto tenure, he became the first-base coach for the Houston Astros (1980–1985), managing in the minors for the Twins in the late 1980s . His impact extended from the 1971 World Series–winning Pirates team to the growth of Canadian baseball.
For Cooperstowners (members of Cooperstown-focused baseball history groups), Leppert is a notable figure due to his all-star career, his role as a rare two-time MLB-level umpire during a 1978 strike, and his long coaching resume . Though not in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, he stands among those whose careers bridge the fields of playing, coaching, mentorship, and baseball lore.
A Life Well-Lived
A devoted family man, Don was married to his wife, Daphine, and leaves behind five children, nine grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren . After living in Florida, he moved back to Ohio to be with family in his final years .
He was the last surviving coach of Toronto’s founding staff—Hartsfield passed in 2011, other coaches Bob Miller, Bobby Doerr, and Harry Warner also predeceased him .
Toronto and Cooperstown Remember
In Canada, particularly among Cooperstowners and baseball historians, Don Leppert’s passing rekindled fond recollections. Many mourned the last of Toronto’s original staff, remembering him not just for the role he played, but for the character he brought. His death marks the end of an era—the era of early Blue Jays baseball, shaped in part by a hard-nosed catcher turned coach who bridged American baseball’s golden moments with Canada’s beloved franchise.
In Memoriam: Don Leppert—an Air Force enlistee, all-star catcher, colorful coach, and mentor—leaves behind a rich baseball legacy spanning eras, borders, and generations. His role in shaping early Blue Jays, and his connections to Cooperstown lore, ensure he will be remembered as a distinctive character in the annals of baseball history.
Let me know if you’d like quotes from interviews, photos, or deeper insights into his coaching philosophy