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Ganas pushed Orlando Cepeda to greatness

For Orlando Cepeda, the game of baseball was about playing with grit and gusto.

For Orlando Cepeda, the game of baseball was not about winning awards and accolades. It was about playing the game with grit and gusto, which earned him the nickname “Baby Bull.”

Hall of Fame baseball player Orlando Cepeda was recognized twice this summer, including once at Chase Field in Phoenix. Cepeda, 71, one of just two Puerto Ricans in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame (Roberto Clemente is the other), was recognized by the Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame prior to a game between the Arizona Diamondbacks on the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 30.

The following weekend, a bronze statue of Cepeda was unveiled at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Orlando was an All-Star first baseman for the Giants from 1958-66. During his 16-year career, he played for five other teams. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999.

“When I played, I worked as hard as I could,” he says. “Baseball was a way for me to escape poverty. Very few (players) have that chance. I made the most of mine.”

Orlando was introduced to baseball at a young age. He was batboy for the Santurce Crabbers. Team owner Pedro Zorilla then convinced Cepeda’s family to allow their son to attend a New York Giants tryout. From there, his career shot into a trajectory that launched him to stardom.

“There are so many opportunities for young, Latino players these days,” Cepeda says. “But it all goes back to working hard and giving it your all.”