Joe DePugh of Freehold, who inspired the Springsteen hit “Glory Days” after a chance encounter at the Headliner of Neptune, has passed away. He was 75.

A gifted athlete, he gave a clumsy teenage Bruce Springsteen his first nickname, Saddie. Years later, the Boss returned the favor, memorializing him in a song.

Joe DePugh apparently had quite the arm when he took the mound as a kid. His fastball would blow by hitters and, boy, make them look like fools. At least, that's how he's remembered by one of his friends and former teammates -- music legend Bruce Springsteen,

Joe DePugh, the former Freehold, New Jersey baseball player who led a life that inspired Bruce Springsteen’s hit song Glory Days died at the age of 75.

If Bruce Springsteen’s song stands true, Joe DePugh was quite the baseball player back in his “Glory Days.” DePugh, who inspired Springsteen’s iconic song, has died after a battle with cancer at 75 years old.

Joe DePugh, a former New Jersey high school baseball star known for his association with one of musician Bruce Springsteen's most celebrated songs, has died. He was 75.

Bruce Springsteen has paid tribute to Joe DePugh, the New Jersey pitcher who inspired his hit song “Glory Days,” following news of DePugh’s death this week at the age of 75.

DePugh and Springsteen ran into each other in 1973 outside a bar in Neptune City, N.J. Over a decade later, “Glory Days” hit the airwaves.