Elliott: R. I. P. The Baby Bull HOFer Orlando Cepeda
San Francisco Giants’ Hall of Famers Willie Mays, left and Orlando Cepeda
June 29, 2024
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
When we learned of the passing of slugging Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda, memories came flooding back.
_ Seeing him for the first time Aug. 5, 1969. The next day we remember reading the legendary Bob Dunn’s words in the Montreal Star which went something like this ...
The Boston Braves lived with a motto of “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain.”
That’s how dominant Hall of Famer Warren Spahn and four-time 20-game winner Johnny Sain were for the Braves from 1946-50.
When it comes to the current Atlanta Braves, they live by the “Cha-Cha and Upshaw and we guffaw” slogan. Orlando (Cha-Cha) Cepeda hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning off Mike Wegener and Braves closer Cecil Upshaw retired the final four outs for his 21st save in a 4-3 win over the Montreal Expos Tuesday night before 26,543 at Parc Jarry.
Hall of Famer Hank Aaron doubled that night, while future Blue Jay Rico Carty homered off Larry Jaster.
_ We remember him standing proudly on the stage at Cooperstown 20 feet away from me on induction day as the Puerto Rican national anthem was played. He was the second player from his island to be inducted, the first being Roberto Clemente. That was the day 50,000 gathered on the hillside on a perfect day to see umpire Nestor Chylak, Robin Yount, Nolan Ryan and George Brett inducted ... and listen to a writer mumble through five minutes to kick off the ceremonies before George Grande took over.
_ Cepeda was so good he had two nicknames: “Cha-Cha,” and “The Baby Bull” shortened from “The Brahma Bull.”
_ He may have played for other teams besides the Braves -- like the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox and the Oakland A’s -- but he will always be remembered as a San Francisco Giant, who signed him for $500.
The Giants home -- whether it was called Pacific Bell Park, SBC Park or AT&T Park -- now called Oracle, Cepeda was often spotted in the press box, strolling along wearing his Panama hat.
And downstairs in the clubhouse you could find Willie McCovey. We once told McCovey how we saw him hit a ball into the pool behind the right field fence at Jarry. Then, we joked how the lifeguard would announce from his chair each time he came to the plate: “now batting No. 44 Willie McCovey -- everyone out of the pool!”
He smiled softly and said, “Son, you got it wrong ... when I came up in Montreal everyone jumped INTO the pool hoping to get a souvenir.”
Right-hander Juan Marichal was often in the building. Ditto for Gaylord Perry.
And when Barry Bonds was making his home run chase, Willie Mays was around chatting with Bonds, his godson, pre-game. Now, Mays and Cepeda are both gone within 10 days of each other’s passing.
Giants famed broadcaster used to call the HOF crew “our living monuments.”
Outside Oracle are statues of Mays, McCovey, Cepeda, Marichal and Perry. Meanwhile outside Rogers Centre is a statue of cable pioneer Ted Rogers.
The only park close was the Metrodome in Minneapolis where Hall of Famers or Cooperstown bound ex-players abounded the years we visited: Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Kirby Puckett, Dave Winfield, Paul Molitor, Bert Blyleven, Jack Morris, Jim Thome, Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva and Joe Mauer.
_ From 2010-14 the Giants won the three World Series meaning the likes of relievers Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla, Javier Lopez and Sergio Romo each had three World Series rings.
Showing the unfairness of the game -- and how Mike Trout’s talent does not translate into rings -- Mays won one. Hall of Famers Marichal, McCovey, Perry and Cepeda never won in a San Francisco Giants uniform.
All-time home run leader Barry Bonds played in one once.
_ Cepeda had 2,351 hits, 417 doubles and 379 homers, a lifetime average of .297, thanks to nine .300-plus seasons in his 17-year career. He was on the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot for 15 years climbing to 73.5% in 1994 -- seven votes short. Five years later, he was inducted by a veteran’s committee.
His 1975 arrest and conviction in 1975 for smuggling marijuana from Puerto Rico led to 10 months in prison. That and the fact he had a gimpy-knee as the Red Sox DH -- limping in with a double after his third knee operation-- delayed his election.
_ Cepeda won the National League MVP award with St. Louis in 1967 and the NL Rookie of the Year in 1958 with the Giants. He was an 11-time all-star.
_ Some Hall of Famers we have met can sometimes act like UPPER CASE HALL OF FAMERS. After all, they are among the best 1% to have ever played the game. Cepeda was down to earth.
Cha-Cha Cepeda was 86. A moment’s silence was held before the Giants played the Los Angeles Dodgers Friday night at Oracle.