Hall of Fame first baseman Orlando Cepeda, best known for his presence in the fearsome San Francisco Giants lineups of the early 1960s, has died. He was 86 years old. He is the second Giants legend to pass away in recent weeks, following the passing of Willie Mays on June 18.
MLB mourns the passing of Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda at the age of 86.
Known as “Cha-Cha” and “The Baby Bull,” Cepeda slugged 379 home runs, batted .297, and made 11 All-Star teams over 17 seasons.
He was unanimously selected as the NL Rookie of the Year in 1958 with the… pic.twitter.com/9ne5NDkHfP
— MLB (@MLB) June 29, 2024
Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda Dies at 86
A Giant Slugger
Cepeda was born in 1937 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. His father was a successful Caribbean baseball player nicknamed “The Bull,” so Cepeda’s eventual success earned him the moniker “The Baby Bull.” Cepeda’s major league debut coincided with the Giants’ debut in San Francisco in 1958. He sizzled in his rookie season, hitting .312 with 25 home runs, 96 RBI, an .854 OPS, and a National League-leading 38 doubles. This performance garnered him NL Rookie of the Year honors.
Cepeda quickly became a household name in a lineup full of them. Along with Mays and Willie McCovey (who won Rookie of the Year the following season), the Giants had an offense feared throughout baseball. Despite having plenty of Hall of Fame talent on the roster, however, these Giants never broke through for a title. The closest they came was in 1962, losing to the New York Yankees in seven games. In the deciding game, Cepeda waited on deck as McCovey hit a line drive to Bobby Richardson with the tying run on second to end the series.
On to St. Louis
Overall, Cepeda spent parts of nine seasons in San Francisco. His shot at championship glory came with another NL powerhouse, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Giants traded Cepeda to St. Louis in 1966 for pitcher Ray Sadecki. The following season, Cepeda enjoyed a banner year in more ways than one. He won NL MVP honors with a .325 average, 25 home runs, and 111 RBI (tops in the NL). While not quite a career year (he had better numbers in 1961, when he finished as runner-up for MVP), it was the only time Cepeda took home the hardware. Not only did he win that trophy, he also helped the Cardinals take down the Boston Red Sox in seven games in that year’s World Series.
Later Career and Cepeda’s Legacy
After two seasons in St. Louis, Cepeda played three with the Atlanta Braves and one each with the Oakland Athletics, the Red Sox, and the Kansas City Royals. He retired after the 1974 season. While he had to wait a long time for enshrinement in Cooperstown, Cepeda was finally inducted in 1999 via the Veterans Committee. Interestingly, his brief stint in Kansas City makes him one of only four Hall of Famers to play for the Royals (George Brett, Harmon Killebrew, and Gaylord Perry are the others). For his career, the 11-time All-Star hit .297 with 379 homers, 1,365 RBI, 2,351 hits, and 417 doubles across 17 seasons.
In his later years, Cepeda returned to the Bay Area. He was a frequent presence at Oracle Park during the Giants’ title runs in the early 2010s. His number 30 is retired, never to be worn again by another San Francisco Giant.
Photo Credit: © Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
