Orlando Cepeda (1937–2024), famed slugger for the Giants
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3 min readOrlando Cepeda was a Hall of Fame baseball player who was an 11-time All-Star, MVP winner, and a longtime teammate of Willie Mays (1931–2024) on the San Francisco Giants.
- Died:f¯June 28, 2024 (Who else died on June 28?)c2
- Details of death:f¯Died in Concord, California at the age of 86.
- We invite you to share condolencesf¯for Orlando Cepeda in ourf¯Guest Book.c2
Orlando Cepeda’s legacy
Orlando Cepeda’s father, Pedro Aníbal Cepeda (1905–1955), was a professional baseball player in Puerto Rico known as c2afc2acc2bcthe Bull,e2809d so when Orlando began his own rise in the sport, the nickname c2afc2acc2bcBaby Bulle2809d was a natural fit e28093 and it stuck, even as he surpassed his dad and became one of the great National League sluggers of the 1960s. (His father was never given the opportunity to fully showcase his own talents. He played most of his career prior to Jackie Robinson (1919–1972) breaking the color line, and hence was not allowed to play in the Major Leagues.)
After being spotted by a scout, Cepeda was signed to the Giants, who had just moved from New York to San Francisco. He made his debut in 1958 and was an instant success, unanimously winning Rookie of the Year based on his .312, 25-home run, 96-RBI season. His performance wasn’t a fluke. Playing alongside stars like Willie McCovey (1938–2018) and Willie Mays, Cepeda was a consistent slugger during his years with the Giants. His best year was 1961, when he smashed 46 home runs and 142 RBI, hitting .311 and finishing second in MVP voting.
Though he did not win in ’61, Cepeda secured an MVP win in 1967 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Traded to the team in ’66, he hit .325 and knocked in 111 runs, winning the MVP. He had another big season in 1970, this time with the Atlanta Braves, hitting 34 home runs, and batting .305 with 111 RBI.
Cepeda finished his career with 379 home runs during an era when pitchers dominated, amassing over 2,300 career hits and batting .297. In 1999, he was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee and is one of just five Puerto Rican players there. Two years later, he was honored with the Ernie Banks Positive Image Lifetime Achievement Award. Cepeda is also in the Laredo Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame, Puerto Rico Sports Hall of Fame, and a dozen others.
Tributes to Orlando Cepeda
Full obituary: The New York Timesc2
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