According to legend, on one occasion the San Luis Cardinals bus was ready to leave the park du jour one afternoon without its first baseman Orlando “Peruchín” Cepeda. Right-handed Hall of Famer Bob Gibson would not allow it. “The bus won’t go,” Gibson said, “unless Cepeda is riding.” That reflects Gibson’s appreciation for the Puerto Rican. In fact, Cepeda left that effect in his 17-year career. Here, we recall the 10 most important moments in Cepeda’s career.
1) Instant Favorite
April 15, 1958
Cepeda and the Giants made their debut in San Francisco on the same day, in the inaugural season of in the Bay. The 20-year-old Puerto Rican first baseman quickly won over the fans by hitting a home run in the fifth inning off Dob Bessent. The Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-0.
2) Elite in the National League
1958
Another anecdote tells that Giants coach Whitey Lockman started a conversation in Spring Training with manager Bill Rigney saying the following: “Too bad that the boy is a year away,” to which Rigney responded: a year of what? ”, already knowing that Cepeda would play as a regular. “From the Hall of Fame,” Lockman said. Cepeda started his way to Cooperstown hitting .312 with 25 homers and 96 RBIs, leading the team with 38 doubles and winning the NL Rookie of the Year award.
3) difficult road to glory
1980-99
Several campaigns were launched on behalf of Cepeda to strengthen his candidacy for the Hall of Fame. But in 1994, his final year of eligibility on the North American Baseball Writers Association ballot, he came within seven votes. Cepeda’s supporters were left with hope, and in 1999 the Veterans Committee voted for him to join Cooperstown. At the time, Roberto Clemente was the only Puerto Rican who had been exalted.
4) Giant threat
1958-64
Cepeda was among the most formidable hitters until a knee injury limited him to just 33 games in 1965. Between 1958 and 1964, he averaged 32 home runs and 107 RBIs per season, with a batting average of .309. His best year in that span was 1961, when he spliced 46 homers and drove in 142 stripes. He finished second in the MVP voting, behind Cincinnati’s Frank Robinson.
5) Star of the series
October 15, 1962
Cepeda’s best performance in 22 postseason games came in Game 6 of the World Series, when he went 4-for-3 with one run scored and two RBIs in the Giants’ 5-2 win over the Yankees. It served to even the series to three victories per side, leaving the table set for a seventh and decisive commitment, which ended up winning the Yankees 1-0. Cepeda was in the holding circle when Willie McCovey lined out to second base with runners on second and third to end the series.
6) New start
May 8, 1966
Despite the success and popularity of the Ponce native, the Giants traded him to San Luis for left-hander Ray Sadecki. McCovey’s influence on the team increased, and the fact that the Giants couldn’t have both gunners in the same lineup led to the trade. Cepeda hit .303 in 123 games with St. Louis for the remainder of the season.
7) Happy and in health
1967
Being able to control his knee problems, Cepeda did it all with the Cardinals, hitting .325 with 25 homers and led the NL with 111 RBIs. He won the MVP award unanimously, becoming the second player in the league to do so (Carl Hubbell of New York did so in 1936). Cepeda helped the Cardinals reach the World Series, in which they beat Boston in seven games.
8) Role change
1973
After an internship in Atlanta (1969-1972) and a brief stint in Oakland, Cepeda signed with Boston and managed to win the Designated Hitter of the Year award, with a .289 average, 20 home runs and 86 RBIs. The list of pitchers killed by the Puerto Rican home runs included Nolan Ryan (twice), his former Giants teammate Gaylord Perry, 283-game winner Kim Kaat and Yankees reliever Sparky Lyle.
9) Lucky Quartet
1958-64, 1967, 1969, 1973
With his last home run in 1973, one of three runs off Cleveland’s Tom Timmermann on September 25, Cepeda became the first player to hit at least 20 home runs wearing the uniform of four different teams. In Cooperstown, he has the San Francisco Giants cap.
10) Immortalized in bronze
September 6, 2008
On this date, the Giants unveiled a statue of Cepeda near the entrance to Oracle Park. The bronze monument was made by the sculptor William Behrends, who also made that of the other immortals of San Francisco; McCovey, Gaylord Perry, Willie Mays and Juan Marichal from the Dominican Republic. (GG)