International Courant
SAN FRANCISCO– Orlando Cepeda, the lanky first baseman nicknamed “Child Bull” who turned a Corridor of Famer among the many early Puerto Ricans who starred within the main leagues, has died. He was 86.
The San Francisco Giants and his household introduced the participant’s passing on Friday night time. A second of silence was held as his picture appeared on the scoreboard at Oracle Park halfway by way of a recreation in opposition to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Our beloved Orlando handed away peacefully at dwelling tonight, listening to his favourite music and surrounded by his family members,” his spouse, Nydia, mentioned in a press release launched by way of the group. “We take consolation in figuring out he’s at peace.”
Cepeda was a daily at Giants dwelling video games all through the 2017 season till he confronted some well being points. He was hospitalized within the Bay Space in February 2018 after a cardiac occasion.
One of many first Puerto Rican stars within the majors, however restricted by knee issues, he turned Boston’s first designated hitter and credit his time as DH for inducting him into the Corridor of Fame in 1999, as chosen by the Veterans Committee.
“Orlando Cepeda’s unabashed love of baseball shone by way of his extraordinary enjoying profession, and later as one of many recreation’s enduring ambassadors,” mentioned Corridor of Fame Chairman Jane Forbes Clark. “We are going to miss his lovely smile at Corridor of Fame Weekend in Cooperstown, the place his spirit will ceaselessly shine, and we lengthen our deepest condolences to the Cepeda household.”
When the Crimson Sox referred to as Cepeda in December 1972 to inquire about turning into their first designated hitter, the unemployed participant accepted on the spot.
“Boston referred to as and requested if I used to be fascinated by being a DH, and I mentioned sure,” Cepeda recalled in a 2013 interview with The Related Press within the DH’s fortieth yr. “The DH acquired me into the Corridor of Fame. The road acquired me into the Corridor of Fame.”
He did not know what it will imply for his profession, admitting, “I did not know something concerning the DH.” The experiment labored out superbly for Cepeda, who performed in 142 video games that season — the penultimate of a 17-year main league profession. The A’s had launched Cepeda simply months after buying him from Atlanta on June 29, 1972.
Cepeda was feted at Fenway Park on Could 8, 2013, in a ceremony honoring his position as designated hitter. The Crimson Sox had invited him to their first dwelling collection of the season, however his former Giants franchise was honoring the reigning World Sequence champions on the identical time.
“It means lots,” Cepeda mentioned on the time. “Superb. While you suppose the whole lot is finished, it is only the start.”
He mentioned that then-A’s proprietor Charlie Finley despatched him a telegram asking him to name him inside 24 hours or he can be launched. Cepeda missed the deadline and was launched in December 1972. He performed in solely three video games for Oakland after the A’s acquired him for pitcher Denny McLain. Cepeda was positioned on the injured record with a left knee harm. He underwent 10 knee surgical procedures in whole, sidelining him for 4 completely different years.
Cepeda was a primary baseman and outfielder earlier than becoming a member of baseball’s top notch of designated hitters beneath the American League’s new guidelines.
“They had been speaking about doing it for 3 years,” he mentioned. “And folks nonetheless aren’t pleased with the concept of the DH. They mentioned it would not final.”
The addition of the DH opened up new alternatives for gamers like Cepeda and others from his period who may nonetheless carry out later of their careers however now not had the proper protection they’d of their prime.
Cepeda was completely satisfied that he acquired one other probability.
He hit .289 with 20 dwelling runs and 86 RBIs in 1973, and began sturdy with a .333 common and 5 homers in April. He drove in 23 runs in August en path to DH of the 12 months honors. On August 8 in Kansas Metropolis, Cepeda hit 4 doubles.
“That was top-of-the-line years,” Cepeda remembers, “as a result of I performed on one leg and hit .289. And I hit 4 doubles in a single recreation. Each knees harm and I used to be named hitter of the yr.”
Cepeda defeated Baltimore’s Tommy Davis (.306, seven homers, 89 RBIs) and Minnesota’s Tony Oliva (.291, 16 HRs, 92 RBIs) in one of the best DH class.
“It wasn’t straightforward for me to win the award,” Cepeda mentioned. “They’d nice years.”
Cepeda additionally knew little English when he arrived within the minor leagues within the mid-Nineteen Fifties, making him one of many first wave of Spanish-speaking gamers who discovered themselves in a unique tradition to play skilled baseball, construct new lives and ship cash dwelling.
It was an opportunity to achieve the game he liked, so long as the large challenges off the sector could possibly be overcome.
Early on, Cepeda was informed by a supervisor to go dwelling to Puerto Rico and be taught English earlier than returning to his profession within the US.
“After I got here right here my freshman yr, the whole lot was new to me, a shock,” Cepeda mentioned in a 2014 interview with the AP. “After I got here to Virginia, I used to be there a month and my dad handed away. My dad mentioned, ‘I wish to see my son play professional ball,’ and he handed away the day earlier than I performed my first recreation at Virginia.”
“From there I went to Puerto Rico and after I got here again right here I needed to come again as a result of we had no cash and my mom mentioned, ‘It’s important to return and ship me cash, now we have no cash to eat,’” he mentioned.
Cepeda was nonetheless inspired to see so many younger gamers from Latin America arriving in america with improved English expertise, largely as a consequence of the truth that all 30 Main League organizations had been putting higher emphasis on such coaching by way of academies within the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
English courses are additionally provided to younger gamers throughout spring coaching and past, plus by way of the varied ranges of the minor leagues.
He additionally had his issues.
Cepeda was arrested in Could 2007 after officers pulled him over for rushing and located medicine within the automobile.
The California Freeway Patrol trooper arrested Cepeda after discovering a “usable” quantity of a white powdery substance believed to be methamphetamine or cocaine, together with marijuana and a syringe.
After his enjoying profession ended, Cepeda was convicted of marijuana smuggling in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1976 and sentenced to 5 years in jail.
That perception was seemingly one of many causes he was not elected to the Corridor of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Affiliation of America. Cepeda was ultimately elected by the Veterans Committee in 1999.
Cepeda performed first base throughout his 17 seasons within the majors, beginning with the Giants. He additionally frolicked in St. Louis, Atlanta, Oakland, Boston and Kansas Metropolis. Within the spring of 1969, the Cardinals traded Cepeda to the Braves for Joe Torre.
Cepeda was a seven-time All-Star and performed in three World Sequence. He was the 1958 NL Rookie of the 12 months with San Francisco and the 1967 NL MVP with St. Louis, a metropolis that was sorry to see him go within the commerce that introduced Torre to city. In 1961, Cepeda led the NL with 46 homers and 142 RBIs. Cepeda was a .297 profession hitter with 379 dwelling runs.
It wasn’t till after that season as a DH in 1973 that Cepeda was capable of look again and admire what he achieved that yr – together with the massive position he performed within the historical past and alter within the sport.
“I simply did it,” he mentioned of studying the DH. “On daily basis I say to myself: how fortunate I’m to have been born with the abilities to play with the ball.”
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