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Orlando Manuel Cepeda
San Francisco Giants
First Base
Born: September 17, 1937, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Signed: Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before 1955 season
Major League Teams: San Francisco Giants 1958-1966; St. Louis Cardinals 1966-1968; Atlanta Braves 1969-1972; Oakland Athletics 1972; Boston Red Sox 1973; Kansas City Royals 1974
Hall of Fame Induction: 1999
Nicknamed "Cha Cha" and "the Baby Bull," Orlando Cepeda was one of the most feared sluggers of his era, earning a spot on 11 All-Star teams and winning MVP honors in 1967. At just 20 years old, Cepeda was the opening day first baseman in the Giants' first game in San Francisco in 1958, and his stellar season would lead to unanimous Rookie of the Year honors. He batted .312 while leading the league with 38 doubles, finishing second on his team behind Willie Mays (#250) with 25 home runs and tying Mays for the team lead with 96 RBIs. Cepeda would have one of his best seasons in 1961, batting .311 while leading the league with 46 home runs and 142 RBIs - both career bests. Traded to the Cardinals in May 1966 for pitcher Ray Sadecki (#230), Cepeda proved to a catalyst for St. Louis, leading them to a World Championship in 1967. He was the unanimous choice for the league's MVP.
Dealt again, this time to Braves before the start of the 1969 season, Cepeda helped lead Atlanta to the first N.L. West division title. He moved to the American League for the 1973 season, winning the first Outstanding Designated Hitter Award with the Red Sox. He retired with 2,351 hits, a lifetime .297 batting average, 379 home runs and 1,365 RBIs. Personal problems kept him away from the game for a bit, but he'd come back to the Giants as a scout and team ambassador in 1987. Cepeda was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999 by the Veterans Committee, with the Giants retiring his #30 that same year.
Building the Set
December 3, 2022 from The Philly Show (Oldfootball.com - Mercersburg, PA) - Card #595
This was the first of four final cards acquired for our set at The Philly Show, the Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show, held within the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania. We arrived at the show in a steady rain right after doors opened at 9am, secured our autograph tickets and started walking the floor prior to the arrival of most of the crowd. My goal for the show was simple: Find the last four cards needed to complete our 1965 Topps set. I wrote a full summary of the show in this post over at The Phillies Room.
1965 Season
Chronic knee problems plagued Cepeda throughout his career, and in 1965 he was limited to just 33 games throughout the season. He appeared in seven games through early May, mainly as a pinch-hitter, before landing on the disabled list. Returning in mid-August, Cepeda was again used almost exclusively as a pinch-hitter, making five starts all season. He batted .176 with a home run and five RBIs in the worst season of his big league career. Cepeda had offseason knee surgery, making a successful comeback in 1966.
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1958 Topps #343
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (18): 1958-1975
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2022 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-OC
1,075 - Cepeda non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/3/22.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database
December 3, 2022 from The Philly Show (Oldfootball.com - Mercersburg, PA) - Card #595
This was the first of four final cards acquired for our set at The Philly Show, the Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show, held within the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania. We arrived at the show in a steady rain right after doors opened at 9am, secured our autograph tickets and started walking the floor prior to the arrival of most of the crowd. My goal for the show was simple: Find the last four cards needed to complete our 1965 Topps set. I wrote a full summary of the show in this post over at The Phillies Room.
The first two cards needed to complete our set took a while to find, but I eventually added this Cepeda card and the Gordy Coleman (#289) card within the first hour of walking around. Cepeda was found in box of commons and semi-stars at the table hosted by A.J. Firestone of oldfootball.com, from Mercersburg. I didn't balk at the $12 price tag, gladly paying the price and getting the Cepeda back from the dealer in a sandwich bag. One down, three to go.
The Card / Giants Team Set
Cepeda first appeared in the set on the Home Run Leaders card (#4) with teammates Mays and Jim Ray Hart (#395). The back of the card highlights his Rookie of the Year win in 1958, even though the cartoon shows him receiving an MVP award. His average of .304 was indeed tops on the Giants in 1964, with Mays behind him at .296. Mays was second in doubles as well with 21 to Cepeda's 27. The card is reprinted, albeit in a stylized painted format, in the 2001 Topps Gallery Heritage insert set.
The Card / Giants Team Set
Cepeda first appeared in the set on the Home Run Leaders card (#4) with teammates Mays and Jim Ray Hart (#395). The back of the card highlights his Rookie of the Year win in 1958, even though the cartoon shows him receiving an MVP award. His average of .304 was indeed tops on the Giants in 1964, with Mays behind him at .296. Mays was second in doubles as well with 21 to Cepeda's 27. The card is reprinted, albeit in a stylized painted format, in the 2001 Topps Gallery Heritage insert set.
1965 Season
Chronic knee problems plagued Cepeda throughout his career, and in 1965 he was limited to just 33 games throughout the season. He appeared in seven games through early May, mainly as a pinch-hitter, before landing on the disabled list. Returning in mid-August, Cepeda was again used almost exclusively as a pinch-hitter, making five starts all season. He batted .176 with a home run and five RBIs in the worst season of his big league career. Cepeda had offseason knee surgery, making a successful comeback in 1966.
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First Mainstream Card: 1958 Topps #343
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (18): 1958-1975
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2022 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-OC
1,075 - Cepeda non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/3/22.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia
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