Deepest condolences to baseball star Orlando Cepeda who passed away at the age of 86

Orlando Cepeda, the Hall of Famer who was one of the first Puerto Ricans to pitch in the major leagues, has died at the age of 86.

The San Francisco Giants and his family announced his death Friday evening, and a moment of silence was held at Oracle Stadium during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His wife, Nydia, said in a statement issued through the team: “Our beloved Orlando passed away peacefully at home this evening, listening to his favorite music and surrounded by his loved ones.” “We are relieved that he is at peace.”

Cepeda’s death comes just ten days after fellow Hall of Famer Willie Mays died at the age of 93.

“Man, what another huge hit,” said New York Giants manager Bob Melvin, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area rooting for the team. “Another unbelievable, beloved figure here. A statue in front of us. The numbers he’s put up, there’s a lot of “The legends are here and he’s definitely in the middle of it. To be so close to Willie, it’s kind of amazing.”

A solid first baseman nicknamed “Little Bull,” Cepeda played for the New York Giants as well as St. Louis, Atlanta, Oakland, Boston and Kansas City. In the spring of 1969, the New York Cardinals traded Cepeda to the New York Braves for Joe Torre.

A seven-time All-Star who played in three World Series, Cepeda was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1958 with San Francisco and the National League Rookie of the Year in 1967 with St. Louis.

“Orlando Cepeda’s unwavering love for baseball shone through his extraordinary playing career and later as one of the game’s most enduring ambassadors,” said Hall of Fame President Jane Forbes Clark. “We will miss his brilliant smile at Hall of Fame Weekend in Cooperstown, where his spirit will forever shine, and we extend our deepest condolences to the Cepeda family.”