Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda Passes Away at 86

Orlando Cepeda, a legendary figure in baseball and a Hall of Famer, passed away at the age of 86, as announced by the San Francisco Giants on Friday.

Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 by the veterans committee, Cepeda was a formidable power hitter and one of Puerto Rico’s early baseball stars. His death comes shortly after the passing of his former teammate Willie Mays. The Giants honored Cepeda with a moment of silence during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cepeda, who retired in 1974, had an illustrious career that included 11 All-Star selections, an NL MVP award, a World Series championship, Rookie of the Year honors, and a revered status among Giants players. However, his post-retirement life faced challenges when he was arrested for transporting 170 pounds of marijuana from Colombia to Puerto Rico, resulting in a 10-month prison sentence. He later rehabilitated his image, returning to baseball as a scout, converting to Buddhism, and serving as a community ambassador for the Giants.

Despite narrowly missing out on Hall of Fame induction by nine votes in 1994, the veterans committee inducted him five years later, making him the second Puerto Rican to receive this honor, following Roberto Clemente.

Cepeda’s baseball journey began in Puerto Rico, where he grew up poor. His father was a talented baseball player who never had the chance to pursue an MLB career due to racial barriers. Cepeda moved to the U.S. in 1955 to try out for the Giants, then based in New York, and started his professional career despite the interruption of his father’s death from malaria, which prompted him to use his signing bonus for the funeral.

After three years in the minor leagues, Cepeda debuted in the MLB in 1958, quickly establishing himself as a star in the Giants’ lineup alongside Willie Mays and Willie McCovey. His Giants career ended in 1966 when he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. The trade proved beneficial for the Cardinals, as they won the 1967 World Series, with Cepeda earning unanimous MVP honors for his outstanding performance that season.

Cepeda’s performance declined the following year, but the Cardinals still reached the World Series, losing to the Detroit Tigers. He was then traded to the Atlanta Braves, where he played for four seasons before concluding his career with brief stints on the Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, and Kansas City Royals.