Obituary for my friend Orlando Cepeda

SOUTH BRONX, NY — I first met Orlando back in 1998 through a friend of his who had been working diligently to try to get Orlando inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in the final year of the veterans committee eligibility.

After retiring from a long and prosperous baseball career, Orlando had been blacklisted from entering the baseball HOF for a criminal charge that he served years in prison for smuggling several pounds of marijuana into Puerto Rico. Orlando was a prolific player who immediately broke into the baseball scene in his 1958 rookie season in the new Giants home in San Francisco. He won the National League rookie of the Year and continued a 17-year career with a .297 BA, 379 HR’s, 1365 RBI’s

When we were introduced, I was honored to meet him as he was one of my father’s favorite players and one of the reasons why my father was a NY Giants fans and later a SF Giants fan even though we lived walking distance from Yankee stadium.

I never had the privilege of seeing Orlando play, but I knew that he was loved by many in our community. I agreed to help promote him and help in any way I could to get him into the baseball HOF. As a baseball fan I believed that his career stats proved that he should be in the baseball HOF and that his personal life issues outside of baseball should not be a deterrent from him being enshrined into the temple of baseball immortality, the baseball HOF.

I told him that we needed to improve his image and show him as a former player doing a lot more with the youth. He agreed and Latino Sports took on this project of helping Orlando improve his image and help get him into the Baseball Hall of Fame. We took him to several little leagues, parks and community events where he would make a presentation to children and youth. He spoke about good values, told them about his mistake and encouraged them to stay away from drugs and staying in school. We took pictures and wrote articles about his work helping children.

At the same time, the San Francisco Giants were also working from the West Coast using their resources in promoting the values of getting Orland into the Hall of Fame. Apparently, all efforts worked because Orlando was voted into the HOF in 1999 by the veterans committee.

For his induction, Latino Sports organized our first bus trip to Cooperstown, NY providing an opportunity for many South Bronx Puerto Ricans who wanted to attend and witness the second Puerto Rican into the baseball HOF, the first being the great Roberto Clemente.

Orlando and I develop a close relationship. He was with us and together we cut the ribbon to inaugurate the opening of our Latino Sports Clubhouse & Internet Hub store in the South Bronx. Orlando also participated as a guest in several Latino Sports events.

I last spoke to Orlando via zoom two months ago. He called me from his hospital bed to tell me about an upcoming fundraising event for his foundation. He asked me to help him by advising his son, Malcom in promoting the event. That was the last time I spoke and saw my friend Orlando Cepeda.

Though, I am sad to hear about his passing, I know that Orlando lived a great life and brought a lot of joy to a lot of people as a proud Ponceño. He made a lot of Puerto Ricans and fans proud. I believe that Orlando’s passing just ten days after his friend, colleague and fellow baseball great Willy Mays is a sign that the baseball Gods needed the Baby Bull in heaven for some very important games.