The San Francisco Giants will honor Hall of Fame first baseman Orlando Cepeda with a Celebration of Life on September 15, 2024. Cepeda, a Giants Legend, passed away in late June at 86 years old. The Baby Bull’s passing came ten days after the death of Hall of Fame teammate Willie Mays.
The club will honor Orlando Cepeda with a pregame ceremony at 12:30 PM before their game between the Giants and San Diego Padres at 1:05 PM. It will also be taking place during the team’s annual Fiesta Gigantes — one of his favorite events. Fiesta Gigantes celebrates Hispanic culture with dancing and musical performances and recognition of local community groups serving San Francisco’s Hispanic communities. Fans can also visit the Willie Mays “Say Hey” Experience at Oracle Park to sign a condolence book.
Orlando Cepeda played eight seasons and changed with the Giants before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. An 11-time All-Star, Cepeda would win the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1958. He played in three World Series–once with the Giants and twice with the Cardinals. His only World Series championship came when the Cardinals bested the Boston Red Sox during the 1967 season. The same year, Cepeda took home the NL MVP Award for the only time in his career after leading the league in RBI. Cepeda also made a run at taking home the NL Triple Crown in 1961, leading the league with 46 home runs and 142 RBI. Unfortunately for the Baby Bull, he was short of Roberto Clemente‘s .351 batting average. He finished seventh in batting average with .307 on the season.
The Cardinals traded Orlando Cepeda to the Atlanta Braves just before the start of the 1969 season. It caught him off guard, and there was a moment when he did consider retiring. Ultimately, he would play three seasons and change for the club. The Braves sent him packing to the Oakland Athletics in 1972. His appearance in Oakland did not last long because of another knee surgery. Cepeda was ready to call it a career, but the Designated Hitter was created for the American League. Cepeda would finish his career by playing for the Red Sox and Kansas City Royals.
In his final year of eligibility on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot, Cepeda fell seven votes shy of induction. There had been a campaign to induct him in the early 1990s. The efforts fell short, but the Veterans Committee would ultimately induct him in 1999.
Main Photo Credits: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
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