Orlando Cepeda
⭐ Hall of Fame 1999
Born: 9/17/1937 in Ponce, P.R.
Died: 6/28/2024 in Concord, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1958-04-15 | Final Game: 1974-09-19
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 210 lbs
Full name: Orlando Manuel Cepeda
Biography
Orlando Cepeda, born in 1937, was a distinguished Major League Baseball player whose career spanned from 1958 to 1974. Known for his powerful hitting and consistent offensive production, Cepeda played in 2,124 games and amassed 2,351 hits, complemented by 379 home runs and 1,365 RBIs, all while maintaining a commendable batting average of .297. A dynamic presence on the field, he also showcased speed with 142 stolen bases, making him a multifaceted threat as a position player.
Cepeda's impact on the game was profound, as he earned recognition with 11 All-Star selections and was honored as Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News. His contributions to the sport were further recognized when he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. Playing during a transformative era in baseball, Cepeda was part of the National League's resurgence in offensive talent, helping to set the stage for future generations of players. His legacy as a formidable slugger and a key figure in the game remains celebrated among baseball historians and fans alike.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2124 | 7927 | 1131 | 2351 | 417 | 27 | 379 | 1365 | 142 | 588 | 1169 | 0.297 | 0.350 | 0.499 | 0.849 | 32767.8 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | SFG | NL | 148 | 603 | 88 | 188 | 38 | 4 | 25 | 96 | 15 | 29 | 84 | 0.312 | 1996.6 |
| 1959 | SFG | NL | 151 | 605 | 92 | 192 | 35 | 4 | 27 | 105 | 23 | 33 | 100 | 0.317 | 2576.6 |
| 1960 | SFG | NL | 151 | 569 | 81 | 169 | 36 | 3 | 24 | 96 | 15 | 34 | 91 | 0.297 | 1914.3 |
| 1961 | SFG | NL | 152 | 585 | 105 | 182 | 28 | 4 | 46 | 142 | 12 | 39 | 91 | 0.311 | 3765.2 |
| 1962 | SFG | NL | 162 | 625 | 105 | 191 | 26 | 1 | 35 | 114 | 10 | 37 | 97 | 0.306 | 2396.3 |
| 1963 | SFG | NL | 156 | 579 | 100 | 183 | 33 | 4 | 34 | 97 | 8 | 37 | 70 | 0.316 | 3923.3 |
| 1964 | SFG | NL | 142 | 529 | 75 | 161 | 27 | 2 | 31 | 97 | 9 | 43 | 83 | 0.304 | 2990.6 |
| 1965 | SFG | NL | 33 | 34 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0.176 | 0.0 |
| 1966 | SFG | NL | 19 | 49 | 5 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 0.286 | 199.7 |
| 1966 | STL | NL | 123 | 452 | 65 | 137 | 24 | 0 | 17 | 58 | 9 | 34 | 68 | 0.303 | 199.7 |
| 1967 | STL | NL | 151 | 563 | 91 | 183 | 37 | 0 | 25 | 111 | 11 | 62 | 75 | 0.325 | 4292.5 |
| 1968 | STL | NL | 157 | 600 | 71 | 149 | 26 | 2 | 16 | 73 | 8 | 43 | 96 | 0.248 | 745.3 |
| 1969 | ATL | NL | 154 | 573 | 74 | 147 | 28 | 2 | 22 | 88 | 12 | 55 | 76 | 0.257 | 963.4 |
| 1970 | ATL | NL | 148 | 567 | 87 | 173 | 33 | 0 | 34 | 111 | 6 | 47 | 75 | 0.305 | 3031.1 |
| 1971 | ATL | NL | 71 | 250 | 31 | 69 | 10 | 1 | 14 | 44 | 3 | 22 | 29 | 0.276 | 783.2 |
| 1972 | ATL | NL | 28 | 84 | 6 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 17 | 0.298 | 312.9 |
| 1972 | OAK | AL | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 312.9 |
| 1973 | BOS | AL | 142 | 550 | 51 | 159 | 25 | 0 | 20 | 86 | 0 | 50 | 81 | 0.289 | 1368.7 |
| 1974 | KCR | AL | 33 | 107 | 3 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 0.215 | -299.3 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 87 | 6 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 13 | 0.207 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | NLCS | ATL | 3 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0.455 |
| 1968 | WS | SLN | 7 | 28 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0.250 |
| 1967 | WS | SLN | 7 | 29 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0.103 |
| 1962 | WS | SFN | 5 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0.158 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1683 | 1640 | 14459 | 1012 | 162 | 1192 |
| 3B | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| OF | 231 | 217 | 368 | 15 | 12 | 3 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | SFN | 1B | 147 | 147 | 1322 | 97 | 16 | 131 |
| 1959 | SFN | 1B | 122 | 102 | 929 | 70 | 16 | 74 |
| 1959 | SFN | 3B | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 1959 | SFN | OF | 44 | 43 | 64 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1960 | SFN | 1B | 63 | 61 | 518 | 27 | 10 | 37 |
| 1960 | SFN | OF | 91 | 86 | 163 | 10 | 3 | 3 |
| 1961 | SFN | 1B | 81 | 75 | 644 | 47 | 2 | 50 |
| 1961 | SFN | OF | 80 | 76 | 130 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 1962 | SFN | 1B | 160 | 154 | 1353 | 88 | 13 | 125 |
| 1962 | SFN | OF | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1963 | SFN | 1B | 150 | 147 | 1262 | 83 | 21 | 91 |
| 1963 | SFN | OF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964 | SFN | 1B | 139 | 139 | 1211 | 80 | 18 | 89 |
| 1964 | SFN | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | SFN | 1B | 4 | 3 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1965 | SFN | OF | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966 | SFN | 1B | 6 | 5 | 55 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 1966 | SFN | OF | 8 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1966 | SLN | 1B | 120 | 120 | 1109 | 62 | 13 | 111 |
| 1967 | SLN | 1B | 151 | 150 | 1304 | 90 | 10 | 103 |
| 1968 | SLN | 1B | 154 | 154 | 1362 | 90 | 17 | 109 |
| 1969 | ATL | 1B | 153 | 152 | 1318 | 101 | 9 | 91 |
| 1970 | ATL | 1B | 148 | 147 | 1288 | 112 | 12 | 100 |
| 1971 | ATL | 1B | 63 | 63 | 586 | 49 | 5 | 60 |
| 1972 | ATL | 1B | 22 | 21 | 171 | 13 | 0 | 15 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 1683 |
| Third Base | 4 |
| Left Field | 213 |
| Right Field | 19 |
| Designated Hitter | 168 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Outstanding DH Award | |
| 1967 | Most Valuable Player | |
| 1967 | TSN All-Star | 1B |
| 1967 | TSN Player of the Year | |
| 1962 | TSN All-Star | 1B |
| 1961 | TSN All-Star | 1B |
| 1959 | TSN All-Star | 1B |
| 1958 | Rookie of the Year | |
| 1958 | TSN Rookie of the Year | non-Pitcher |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 15th | 21.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1969 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 36th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1967 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 1st | 280.0 | 280 | 20 |
| 1966 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 13th | 22.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1962 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 15th | 9.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1961 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 2nd | 117.0 | 224 | 0 |
| 1959 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 19th | 3.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1958 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 9th | 57.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1958 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 1st | 21.0 | 24 | 21 |