Orlando Cepeda got interested in baseball thanks to his father who was a professional baseball player in Puerto Rico, and considered one of the best of his generation. An amateur baseball player saw and recruited Cepeda to play with his team, with the help of the young star, the team won the amateur championship and went on to play at an All-Star team from the Dominican Republic. Pedro Zorilla, then owner of the Santurce Crabbers attended the game in search of another player, and he was impressed with Cepeda, bringing him to the US in 1953 to work as a batboy. Zorilla convinced Cepeda to participate in a New York Giants tryout, and he was assigned to Sandersville, a Class D team. Cepeda was playing in the minor league when his father contracted Malaria. After his father’s death, Cepeda was devastated and it gravely affected his performance. But Zorilla convinced him to play further, until he worked his way to the major league in 1958.

The first Orlando Cepeda appearance with the San Francisco Giants earned him a Rookie of the Year award, as well as Most Valuable Giant in a poll conducted by the San Francisco Examiner. In 1966, Cepeda joined the St. Louis Cardinals, and finished his first season as National League Comeback Player of the Year. In 1967, he was named National League MVP with a unanimous vote, making him the only player in baseball history to win Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards unanimously. He was also the first Latin player to win the home run and RBI titles.

During his 16-year career, Cepeda had stints with the Atlant Braves, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, and Kansas City Royals. He was also selected to play in seven All-Star Games, becoming the first Puerto Rican to start one.

In 1999, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. The San Francisco Giants retired Cepeda’s #30.

Orlando Cepeda Speaker

Possible Orland Cepeda speaker topics are his humanitarian efforts as an ambassador for baseball, as honorary spokesman for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, and his receipt of the Ernie Banks Positive Image Lifetime Achievement Award.

Orlando Cepeda Appearance

An Orlando Cepeda appearance as a “goodwill ambassador” for the Giants led to the start baseball player attending many activities in schools, hospitals, and community centers, as well as representing the Giants in programs which cater to Latin American communities.

Orlando Cepeda Endorsement

As a baseball hall-of-famer and one of the best Puerto Ricans to ever play the game, an Orland Cepeda Endorsement delivers a unique combination of success and prominence.