Orlando Cepeda, Hall of Famer and NL MVP of 1967, dies at age 86

SAN FRANCISCO — Orlando Cepeda, the lanky first baseman nicknamed “Baby Bull” who became a Hall of Famer among the early Puerto Ricans who shone in the major leagues, has died. He was 86.

The San Francisco Giants and his family announced the death Friday night, and a moment of silence was noted on the scoreboard at Oracle Park midway through a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Our beloved Orlando passed away peacefully at home tonight, listening to his favorite music and surrounded by his loved ones,” his wife, Nydia, said in a statement released through the team. “We take comfort in knowing he is at peace.”

Cepeda was a regular at Giants home games during the 2017 season until he began dealing with health issues. He was hospitalized in the Bay Area in February 2018 after a cardiac event.

He was one of the first Puerto Rican stars in the majors, but was limited by knee problems. He became Boston’s first designated hitter and credits his time as a DH with his induction into the Hall of Fame in 1999, selected by the Veterans Committee.

When the Red Sox called Cepeda in December 1972 to inquire about becoming their first designated hitter, the unemployed player accepted on the spot.

Cepeda was an 11-time All-Star and played 17 seasons for six MLB teams. He won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1958 with the Giants, for whom he played his first nine seasons, and the NL MVP with the Cardinals in 1967, when he hit a career-high .325 with 25 home runs and 111 RBIs.

He had a batting average of .297 with 379 home runs and 1,365 RBIs.

Cepeda is one of two players in NL history to unanimously win both the Rookie of the Year award and the MVP award, along with Albert Pujols, who won the Rookie of the Year award in 2001 and the 2009 MVP Award.

Cepeda was a surefire Hall of Famer until his arrest in 1975 – a year after his retirement after a 17-season career – on charges of marijuana possession, for which he served nine months in prison.

His Hall of Fame induction in 1999 came twenty years after he was first eligible.

“I can’t complain,” Cepeda told the Los Angeles Times in 1985. “I’ve been through the good times. I’ve been through the bad times. Not many people get to experience that.”

This report uses information from The Associated Press and ESPN Stats & Information.