The son of a Puerto Rican baseball legend, Orlando Cepeda blazed his personal path via the main leagues for 17 seasons – one which ultimately ended with a plaque in Cooperstown.
Cepeda handed away Friday, June 28 on the age of 86. Elected to the Corridor of Fame in 1999, he was one of many sport’s most feared batters within the Sixties and early ’70s.
“Orlando Cepeda’s unabashed love for the sport of baseball sparkled throughout his extraordinary enjoying profession, and later as one of many sport’s enduring ambassadors,” mentioned Jane Forbes Clark, Chairman of the Board of the Nationwide Baseball Corridor of Fame and Museum. “We are going to miss his great smile at Corridor of Fame Weekend in Cooperstown, the place his spirit will shine eternally, and we prolong our deepest sympathies to the Cepeda household.”
Born Sept. 17, 1937 in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Cepeda grew up studying the sport from his father, Pedro “Perucho” Cepeda, who starred in Latin America for 3 many years. A progress spurt in his mid-teens left the “Child Bull” with a muscled 6-foot-2 body, and he shortly attracted the eye of massive league scouts.
By 1955, the 17-year-old Cepeda had signed with the New York Giants, and after three seasons within the minors he debuted with the Giants in 1958 – the 12 months they moved to San Francisco. As a rookie, Cepeda hit .312 with 25 residence runs and 96 RBI, profitable the Nationwide League Rookie of the 12 months Award in a unanimous vote.
Cepeda continued his assault on NL pitchers all through the subsequent six seasons, peaking in 1961 with a league-best 46 residence runs and 142 RBI. He helped the Giants win the Nationwide League pennant in 1962, and over his first seven years within the huge leagues he was chosen to 10 All-Star Video games whereas averaging 181 hits, 32 homers and 107 RBI a season.
“He’s constructed like an oak tree,” mentioned former teammate Harvey Kuenn. “Whenever you see him grip the bat, you have got the sensation he’s going to squeeze sawdust out of the deal with.”
Knee issues that plagued him since childhood – exacerbated by spending time in left area as a result of presence of Willie McCovey at first base – resulted in Cepeda lacking nearly the whole 1965 season, and his tenure with the Giants ended early in 1966 when he was traded to the Cardinals. Now again at first base, Cepeda got here of age in St. Louis.
He led the NL with 111 RBI en path to a unanimous choice as NL Most Worthwhile Participant, main the Cardinals to the World Sequence title.
“He was the hardest hitter I ever confronted,” mentioned All-Star pitcher Lew Burdette.
After main the Cardinals in residence runs in 1968 once they repeated as NL champions, Cepeda was traded within the spring of 1969 to the Atlanta Braves for an additional future Corridor of Famer: Joe Torre. Two extra productive seasons adopted – with Atlanta profitable the 1969 NL West title – earlier than knee accidents once more caught up with Cepeda.
He bounced again to hit 20 residence runs and drive in 86 runs as a full-time designated hitter with the Purple Sox in 1973, then ended his profession in 1974 with the Royals. His remaining totals included a .297 batting common, 379 residence runs and 11 All-Star Recreation picks.
Cepeda grew to become the second native Puerto Rican to be inducted into the Baseball Corridor of Fame following Roberto Clemente in 1973.
Craig Muder is the director of communications for the Nationwide Baseball Corridor of Fame and Museum