Joe Pignatano

From The Met Wiki

Joe Pignatano was a player and coach for the Mets. He played in 27 games for the original 1962 team and was a member of the coaching staff from 1968 to 1981. Pignatano had 13 hits and two runs batted in as a Mets player before his 14-year term as bullpen coach.

After five and one-half seasons with the Dodgers, Athletics and Giants, Pignatano joined the Mets in July of '62. In the second game of a doubleheader on July 15, he got a run-scoring double in the Mets' 9-8 loss to the Giants at the Polo Grounds. He singled to drive in a run in an 8-6 Mets defeat to the Pirates in a doubleheader opener at home on August 21. Joe hit into a triple play in the eighth inning of the Mets' 5-1 loss at Chicago on September 30. This was the last at-bat of his major league career.

After three seasons as a coach for the Washington Senators, Pignatano joined the Mets' staff in '68. The following year, the team won a World Championship to begin a period of seven winning records over eight seasons. During this time, the Mets won another National League pennant in 1973. Joe coached under four managers (plus interim Roy McMillan in '75) with the Mets. His time on the team's staff began with the hiring of Gil Hodges and ended with Joe Torre's departure.

Pignatano also served as a coach under Torre with the Atlanta Braves from 1982 to 1984.