Orlando Cepeda, MLB Hall of Famer and Giants Legend, Dies at Age 86
June 29, 2024
Baseball Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda has died at the age of 86.
The San Francisco Giants, who Cepeda played for from 1958 to '66, announced the news on Friday night.
SFGiants @SFGiantsThe <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SFGiants?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SFGiants</a> are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Hall-of-Famer and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForeverGiant?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForeverGiant</a>, Orlando Cepeda <a href="https://t.co/KVB9AwjAPB">pic.twitter.com/KVB9AwjAPB</a>
Cepeda joined the Giants organization in 1955 when the franchise was still based in New York. He was called up to the big leagues as a 20-year-old in 1958 and won NL Rookie of the Year after hitting .312/.342/.512 with 25 homers in 148 games.
Nicknamed Baby Bull, Cepeda was an 11-time All-Star selection in 17 seasons. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Giants before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in May 1966. He was named NL MVP and led the Cardinals to the World Series title in 1967.
After three seasons with the Cardinals, Cepeda was traded by the Atlanta Braves prior to the start of the 1969 campaign. He spent three years in Atlanta before injuries started to diminish his ability.
Cepeda had stints with the Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals before retiring after the 1974 season. He finished his career with a .297/.350/.499 slash line, 379 homers and 1,365 RBI in 2,124 games.
In addition to his stellar playing career, Cepeda was renowned for his humanitarian work off the field. The Orlando Cepeda Foundation promotes and rewards academic, athletic and leadership excellence in young people.
Cepeda was a member of the Giants Community Fund Advisory Board and worked as a community representative for the organization. His No. 30 was retired by the Giants in 1999, the same year he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
