Current:Home > FinanceBaseball Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda dies at 86 -CoinMarket
Baseball Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda dies at 86
View
Date:2025-04-15 14:20:32
Baseball Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda has died at 86, the San Francisco Giants announced Friday night during their game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Cepeda was just 20 years old when he made his debut with the Giants in 1958, their first year in San Francisco. He was an immediate success, winning the 1958 NL Rookie of the Year award. He followed that up with six consecutive All-Star nods. (In an era of multiple All-Star games, Cepeda ultimately earned 11 All-Star selections.)
Though his most consistent success came in San Francisco — the Giants retired his No. 30 in 1999 — Cepeda reached the pinnacle of his career after a 1966 trade to the St. Louis Cardinals.
In 1967, Cepeda was named the NL MVP after batting .325 and driving in 111 runs for a Cardinals team that won the pennant and the World Series.
He was traded again to the Atlanta Braves in 1969 (for Joe Torre) then from the Braves to the Oakland A's in 1972 (for former Cy Young winner Denny McClain). His career came to a close after the 1974 season following stops in Boston and Kansas City.
Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.
He finished his career with a .297 average, 2,351 hits and 379 home runs.
A 1975 arrest in his native Puerto Rico for marijuana possession resulted in a brief prison sentence — potentially delaying his entry to the Hall of Fame — but eventually Cepeda gained entry to Cooperstown in 1999 via the Veteran's Committee. When he was inducted, Cepeda was just the second Puerto Rican in the Hall of Fame, after Roberto Clemente.
“Orlando overcame challenges throughout his life to build a Hall of Fame career. This beloved figure from Puerto Rico was one of the many players of his era who helped turn baseball into a multicultural game," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to his family, his friends across our game, and his many fans in Puerto Rico, San Francisco, St. Louis, Atlanta and beyond.”
The Giants, who saw franchise icon Willie Mays die not even two weeks ago, held a moment of silence for Cepeda during their game against the Dodgers.
"Our beloved Orlando passed away peacefully at home this evening," his wife Nydia said in a statement released by the Giants. "We take comfort he is at peace."
Said Giants chairman Greg Johnson: "We lost a true gentleman and legend. Orlando was a great ambassador for the game throughout his playing career and beyond."
veryGood! (4241)
Related
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Not Sure How To Clean Your Dishwasher and Washing Machine? These Pods Will Last a Whole Year
- Get a $198 J.Crew Dress for $32 and More Jaw-Dropping Deals Starting at $6
- Tupac Shakur's Unsolved Murder: Police Share New Development 26 Years After Rapper's Death
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Jamie Foxx Shares New Update From Las Vegas 3 Months After Medical Emergency
- Pregnant Alexa Bliss and Husband Ryan Cabrera Reveal Sex of First Baby
- Separate boat crashes in Cape Cod and the Ozarks leave 1 dead, 13 injured: Police
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Madison Beer Claps Back at Body Shamer Saying She's Getting Fatter
Ranking
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Apple Watch Flash Deal: Save $261 on a Bundle With Bands, a Charging Stand, and More Accessories
- Prince George Is All Grown Up and Here to Make You Feel Old in 10th Birthday Portrait
- June Extremes Suggest Parts of the Climate System Are Reaching Tipping Points
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- US surpasses 400 mass shootings so far in 2023: National gun violence website
- Vanderpump Rules' James Kennedy Adorably Reunites With Dog He Shared With Ex Raquel Leviss
- RHONY's Luann de Lesseps Has the Best Reaction to Bethenny Frankel and Jill Zarin's Reunion
Recommendation
Bodycam footage shows high
YouTuber Annabelle Ham’s Cause of Death Revealed
You'll Flip Over How Shawn Johnson's Daughter Drew Reacted to Mom's Pregnancy
MTV's Ryan Sheckler Details Unmanageable Addiction At the Height of His Teen Stardom
IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
Jamie Lynn Spears Details How Public Scrutiny Over Britney Spears Drama Impacted Her Teen Daughter
MTV's Ryan Sheckler Details Unmanageable Addiction At the Height of His Teen Stardom
Oppenheimer Moviegoers Spot Mistake in Cillian Murphy Scene