MLB Great Passes Away at the age of 86

Photo by Major League Baseball

SAN FRANCISCO, CA: The San Francisco Giants announced late last night that MLB Hall of Famer and Giant great, Orlando Cepeda, passed away at the age of 86.

As a member of the Cardinals, Cepeda earned the 1967 National League MVP award and spent nine of his seventeen Major League Baseball seasons in San Francisco.

The Giants signed the Ponce, Puerto Rico native Cepeda to a minor league contract in 1955. In his first minor league season, at the age of 17, he hit 22 home runs, giving a glimpse of the power he would ultimately display in the major leagues.

Cepeda made swift progress up the ladder, making it to the majors in mid-April of 1958. The franchise relocated to San Francisco at the same time he arrived.

The first baseman did not take long to establish himself as a prominent member of the team. At the age of 20, he hit .312/.342/.512 with 25 home runs and a National League-high 38 doubles.

Cepeda was tenth in the MVP voting and was unanimously selected as the Senior Circuit's Rookie of the Year. Despite not being selected as an All-Star in his debut season, Cepeda was selected to the Midsummer Classic in six consecutive seasons.

Nicknamed "Cha-Cha" and "The Baby Bull," Cepeda spent 17 seasons on 11 All-Star teams, hit .297, and slugged 379 home runs. Cepeda will forever be remembered as one of the game’s greats and will forever be missed in the game’s community.