RIP Orlando Cepeda

Rough couple of weeks along the shores of McCovey Cove.

 

Juan Marichal might wanna be on high alert

 

I'll have to chat with my father-in-law about this. He grew up in West Lafayette, Ind., and recalls seeing Cepeda play as he began his career in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League in the mid-1950s.

I guess at the time there still weren't too many Black players at the lower minor league level, and being a Spanish speaker from Puerto Rico, I'm sure it was tough for Cepeda.

RIP.

 

The earliest Cy Young winners still alive:
Vern Law (1960)
Koufax (1963, 65, 66)
Jim Lonborg (1967)

The earliest MVP winners still alive:
Bobby Shantz (1952)
Yaz (1967)
Denny McLain (1968)

Bench is the earliest in the NL (1970)

 

It may have been worse in San Francisco, playing under Alvin Dark, who didn't (among other things) want his Latin players like Cepeda and the Alous speaking Spanish in the clubhouse.

 

I have kept this magazine bc my 3 favorite sluggers were on the cover. Cepeda always looked so menacing at the plate. Great colourful player.

 

Read an obit today that mentioned the A’s traded Denny McLain to the Braves for Cepeda. I don’t remember either of those guys in those teams.

 

The 1972 A's were looking for a DH, he only got three at-bats in July before getting hurt. Bounced back to have a good 1974 with the Red Sox.

Guys bounce around at the end of their careers, trying to hold on as long as possible. Steve Carlton pitched for the Giants, White Sox, Twins and Indians after leaving the Phillies.