Puerto Rican Hall of Fame first baseman Orlando “Peruchín” Cepeda passed away this Friday at the age of 86. The announcement was made by the Giants.
Traded to St. Louis during the 1966 campaign, also known as “Baby Bull” won the NL Most Valuable Player Award the following year and was instrumental in the Cardinals’ consecutive pennant wins in 1967 and 1968.
The Ponce native immediately stood out in the majors. He won the NL Rookie of the Year award after the Giants’ inaugural season in California, when he hit .312 with 25 homers, 96 RBIs and a league-leading 38 doubles.
Cepeda remained one of baseball’s most ferocious hitters. He totaled at least 24 home runs in each of his first seven seasons (1958-64) with the Giants. His 222 homers during this period ranked 10th in the majors. Among the few who surpassed Cepeda’s total were seven hitters who eventually surpassed the 500-homer threshold: Willie Mays, Harmon Killebrew, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Ernie Banks, Frank Robinson and Eddie Mathews.
Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes was born on September 17, 1937 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. His father, Pedro, nicknamed Perucho, made his name as a professional player in the Puerto Rican league. Naturally drawn to baseball, young Cepeda joined the Giants organization as one of many Latin American players discovered by famed scout Alex Pompez.
Las Greater
2024-06-29 04:05:05
#Peruchín #Orlando #Cepeda #Sports #leader #passed
