Orlando Cepeda, the great pitcher for the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals, announced Friday that he will turn 86.
Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 through the veterans committee, Cepeda was among the most feared power hitters of his generation and one of the first great Puerto Rican baseball players. His loss comes just 10 days after the death of Willie Mays, with whom he starred on the Giants for nine seasons.
The Giants announced his death during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with a moment of silence before the sixth inning.
Cepeda retired in 1974 with no shortage of accomplishments. He was an 11-time All-Star, National League Most Valuable Player, World Series champion, Rookie of the Year and one of the Giants’ great players. However, his post-retirement life was marred when he was arrested on charges of transporting 170 pounds of marijuana from Columbia to Puerto Rico.
Cepeda, who faced numerous legal problems, spent ten months in prison. He spent the next few years rehabilitating his image while returning to baseball as a scout, converting to Buddhism and working for the Giants as a community ambassador.
After missing Hall of Fame induction by nine votes in his final year of BBWAA eligibility in 1994, the veterans committee stepped up five years later to make him the second Puerto Rican to be inducted, joining Roberto Gracious.
