Orlando Cepeda, member of the baseball Hall of Fame, died Friday night at the age of 86, as confirmed by the athlete’s family.
The San Francisco Giants and his family announced the death Friday night, and a moment of silence was held as his photo appeared on the scoreboard at Oracle Park midway through a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Our beloved Orlando passed away peacefully at home tonight, listening to his favorite music and surrounded by his loved ones,” his wife, Nydia, said in a statement released through the team. “We take comfort in knowing he is at peace.”
It has been a heartbreaking month for the Giants, as Cepeda’s death followed that of Hall of Famer Willie Mays, who died 10 days earlier on June 18.
Born in Puerto Rico and known as “Baby Bull,” Cepeda arrived in the Major Leagues in 1958 and quickly established himself as one of its main figures.
Cepeda was a regular at Giants home games during the 2017 season until he dealt with some health issues.
He was hospitalized in the Bay Area in February 2018 after a cardiac event.
One of the first Puerto Rican stars in the majors, but limited by knee problems, he became Boston’s first designated hitter and credits his time as a DH for being enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1999 as a selection by the Committee. of Veterans.
“Orlando Cepeda’s unconditional love for baseball shined throughout his extraordinary career as a player, and later as one of the sport’s most enduring ambassadors,” said Hall of Fame President Jane Forbes Clark.
MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred Jr. issued a statement saying, “This beloved Puerto Rican figure was one of many players of his era who helped turn baseball into a multicultural game.”
Commissioner Manfred issued the following statement today regarding the passing of Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda: pic.twitter.com/OLyykqYJRx
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) June 29, 2024
“We will miss his wonderful smile at the Hall of Fame weekend in Cooperstown, where his spirit will forever shine, and we extend our deepest condolences to the Cepeda family.”
When the Red Sox called Cepeda in December 1972 to ask if he would like to be their first designated hitter, the unemployed player accepted on the spot.
He had 10 knee surgeries in total, sidelining him for four different years.
At first, a manager told Cepeda to go home to Puerto Rico and learn English before resuming his career in the United States.
“Coming here my first year, everything was new to me, a surprise,” Cepeda recalled in a 2014 interview with the AP. “When I got to Virginia, I was there for a month and my father died. My dad said, ‘I want to see my son play professional ball,’ and he died the day before I played my first game in Virginia.”
“From there I went to Puerto Rico and when I came back here, I had to go back because we didn’t have any money and my mother told me: ‘You have to come back and send me money, we don’t have money to eat,'” she said.
Cepeda had continued to be encouraged by seeing so many young players from Latin America arriving in the United States with improved English skills, thanks in large part to the 30 Major League Baseball organizations placing greater emphasis on such training through academies in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
English classes are also offered to young players during spring training and extended spring training, as well as through the various levels of the minor leagues.
He was voted National League Rookie of the Year during his first season with the Giants.
He was also named “Most Valuable Player” with the Cardinals in 1967 and played in the All-Star Game 11 times.
Cepeda, who also played with the Braves, Athletics, Royals and Red Sox, hit 379 home runs in his 17-year career.
It wasn’t until after that 1973 season as a DH that Cepeda could look back and appreciate all he had accomplished that year – along with the huge part he played in making history and changing the sport.
“I just did it,” he said of learning to play DH. “Every day, I tell myself how lucky I am to have been born with the skills to play ball.”
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