HALL OF FAME: Orlando Cepeda, 1999

ORLANDO CEPEDA  “The Baby Bull”

Born: September 17, 1937 in Ponce, Puerto Rico

Died: June 28, 2024, Concord, California

Position: First base, outfield

Bats: Right / Throws: Right

Hall of Fame Induction: 1999

Teams: San Francisco Giants (1958–1966), St. Louis Cardinals (1966–1968), Atlanta Braves (1969–1972), Oakland Athletics (1972), Boston Red Sox (1973), Kansas City Royals (1974)

MLB debut: April 15, 1958, San Francisco Giants

Last MLB appearance: August 10, 1974, Kansas City Royals

Hall of Fame plaque: A powerful first baseman and consistent run producer for 17 Major League seasons, not withstanding chronic knee problems. his ability to drive the ball with authority was respected and feared by the opposition. Unanimous selection for both the 1958 N.L. rookie of the year award and 1967 MVP honors. The 11-time All-Star led the N.L. in home runs (46) and RBI (142) in 1961. Batted .300 nine times and slugged 379 home runs. His stalwart leadership propelled his clubs to three World Series.

Career:

Batting average: .297

Home runs: 379

RBI: 1,365

Hits: 2,351

Highlights:

World Series champion: 1967

NL MVP: 1967

NL Rookie of the Year: 1958

All-Star (7): 1959–1964, 1967

San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame

St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame inductee