Corridor of Famer Orlando Cepeda dies at 86

San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals nice Orlando Cepeda has died, the Giants introduced Friday. He was once 86.

Cepeda, elected into the Nationwide Baseball Corridor of Reputation by the use of the Veterans Committee in 1999, was once probably the most fearsome energy bats of his era and probably the most first nice Puerto Rican baseball avid gamers. His passing got here best 10 days after the demise of Willie Mays, with whom he starred for 9 seasons at the Giants.

The Giants introduced his demise with a second of silence ahead of the 6th inning all over a recreation towards the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cepeda retired in 1974 with many accomplishments. He was once an 11-time All-Famous person, NL MVP, Global Collection champion, Rookie of the 12 months, and probably the most Giants’ largest avid gamers. Alternatively, his post-retirement lifestyles took a flip for the more serious when he was once arrested for transporting 170 kilos of marijuana from Colombia to Puerto Rico.

Confronted with a loss of felony problems, Cepeda spent 10 months in prison. He spent the following a number of years bettering his symbol, as he returned to baseball as a scout, embraced Buddhism, and labored as a neighborhood ambassador for the Giants.

After lacking out on induction into the Corridor of Reputation by way of 9 votes in 1994, his ultimate 12 months of BBWAA eligibility, 5 years later the Veterans Committee made him the second one Puerto Rican to be inducted, becoming a member of Roberto Clemente.

Orlando Cepeda was once a celeb with the Giants and a champion with the Cardinals

Cepeda got here to baseball from a humble background; he grew up in poverty in Puerto Rico; his father was once a excellent baseball participant, however was once not able to pursue a profession within the MLB on account of the colour line.

In 1955 he went to america to play for the Giants, who have been then enjoying in New York. He did so smartly that he joined the crew’s Magnificence D squad, however the get started of his skilled profession was once interrupted by way of the demise of his father because of malaria.

Cepeda spent his signing bonus at the funeral.

After 3 years within the minors, Cepeda made his MLB debut in 1958, the Giants’ first season in San Francisco. He briefly won prominence because the league’s best hitter and turned into a part of the Giants’ lineup, regularly batting 5th in the back of Mays and Willie McCovey.

That Giants profession ended rapidly in 1966 when San Francisco offered him to the St. Louis Cardinals all over a chain towards the Cardinals. That deal very much benefited St. Louis, which received 101 video games and the 1967 Global Collection. Even with Stan Musial and Bob Gibson, it was once Cepeda who received the unanimous MVP by way of slashing .325/.399/.524 with 25 homers and a league-best 25 RBI.

Cepeda took a large step again the next season, however the Cardinals nonetheless returned to the Global Collection within the “12 months of the Pitcher”, shedding to the Detroit Tigers in seven video games. The next season he was once rapidly traded once more to the Atlanta Braves, the place he performed 4 seasons ahead of completing his profession with one-year stints with the Oakland Athletics, Boston Crimson Sox and Kansas Town Royals.