Rest in peace to a legend.
The baseball world, and the San Francsico Giants community in particular, lost another legend on Friday night. During the team’s dramatic 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants briefly stopped the game for a moment of silence, announcing the death of Orlando Cepeda at the age of 86.
Oracle Park observes a moment of silence to honor Orlando Cepeda pic.twitter.com/spwKc0QqNj
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 29, 2024
Shortly after, the team released a statement on the passing of Cepeda, a Hall of Famer.
Statement from the #SFGiants on the passing of Orlando Cepeda: pic.twitter.com/cjB7BK27PY
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 29, 2024
Cepeda has always had a special link to the city and the franchise, as he made his professional debut as a 20-year old in 1958 … the very first year that the Giants were in San Francisco. He won the Rookie of the Year award that season, and finished ninth in MVP voting.
The first baseman and occasional outfielder would play parts of nine seasons with the Giants, making the All-Star Game in six seasons (including four times being named a dual All-Star, back when that was a thing), and finishing as the MVP runner-up in 1961.
After leaving the Giants, Cepeda would play through the 1974 season, spending time with five other franchises … and winning the MVP award in 1967 while with the St. Louis Cardinals. Like so many beloved Giants players, Cepeda returned to the Giants after his playing career, even though he’d played for so many other teams. He was hired by the Giants many decades ago as a scout in Latin American countries, and eventually given a role as a community ambassador, where he became a familiar face around Giants events. His impact and love of jazz music live on in center field with one of the most famous foods at the Giants’ waterfront park: the Cha Cha Bowl at his aptly-named Orlando’s Caribbean BBQ joint.
Rest in peace, Orlando. Forever Giant.