Phil Pepe, a popular New York sportswriter who covered the Yankees for city newspapers, delivered radio commentary and wrote dozens of books with, and about, major league stars, died on Sunday at his home in Englewood, N.J. He was 80.
The cause appeared to be a heart attack, his son David said.
In a career that lasted more than half a century, Mr. Pepe (pronounced “peppy”) was a versatile reporter who covered basketball, football and boxing. But his familiar New York byline, first at The New York World-Telegram & Sun and later for two decades at The Daily News, was most associated with baseball, which he fully acknowledged to be his passion.