The Giants have announced. Cepeda spent nine of his 17 MLB seasons in San Francisco and won the National League MVP title in 1967 while with the Cardinals. Cepeda, a Ponce, Puerto Rico native, signed a minor league deal with the Giants in 1955. He smashed 22 home runs as a 17-year-old in his debut minor league season, indicating the power he would ultimately demonstrate in the majors. Cepeda rose quickly through the ranks, reaching the majors in mid-April 1958. His arrival coincided with the franchise’s relocation to San Francisco.
The first baseman wasted no time establishing himself as one of the organization’s faces. At age 20, he hit.312/.342/.512, including 25 home runs and a National League-high 38 doubles. Cepeda was unanimously selected as the Senior Circuit’s Rookie of the Year and ended tenth in MVP voting. While he was not named an All-Star in his debut season, Cepeda returned to the Midsummer Classic for the next six seasons. During his second and third years, the 6’2″ slugger hit 35 doubles and 20 home runs. In his fourth season, he improved his already impressive form even further.
Cepeda blasted a career-high 46 longballs to top the National League. He drove in a staggering 142 runs while hitting .311/.362/.609 over 152 contests. Cepeda led the majors in RBI and finished runner-up to Frank Robinson in MVP balloting.
While he didn’t quite match those numbers in 1962, Cepeda popped another 35 homers and drove in 114 runs. He finished 15th in MVP voting and helped the Giants capture the pennant. He didn’t have a great World Series as the Yankees dropped the Giants in a seven-game set, but he’d get another couple cracks at the Fall Classic later in the decade.
Those didn’t come in San Francisco. Cepeda remained a productive hitter for the next couple seasons, topping 30 homers while hitting over .300 in each of the next two years. He lost most of the ’65 campaign to injury, though, putting something of a sour end on an illustrious run with the organization. The Giants traded Cepeda to the Cardinals for left-hander Ray Sac in May 1966. While Sadecki was a solid starting pitcher for the next couple seasons, that blockbuster turned out squarely in the Cards’ favor.
Cepeda hit .303/.362/.469 in his first year with the Cardinals. He paced the NL with 111 RBI the following season, running a .325/.399/.524 line over 644 plate appearances. Cepeda helped the Cardinals to 101 wins and a trip to the World Series. He topped teammate Tim to win the MVP. While Cepeda only had three hits in the Series, the Cards triumphed over the Red Sox in seven games to claim the eighth title in franchise history.
The Cardinals won a second straight pennant the following season, though they fell to the Tigers in the ’68 World Series. St. Louis traded Cepeda to the Braves the following Spring Training in a one-for-one swap for joe . The star catcher and future Hall of Fame manager would win the ’71 MVP in St. Louis, so the Cardinals netted a future MVP on both ends of their respective Cepeda trades.
Those didn’t come in San Francisco. Cepeda remained a productive hitter for the next couple seasons, topping 30 homers while hitting over .300 in each of the next two years. He lost most of the ’65 campaign to injury, though, putting something of a sour end on an illustrious run with the organization. The Giants traded Cepeda to the Cardinals for left-hander in May 1966. While Sadecki was a solid starting pitcher for the next couple seasons, that blockbuster turned out squarely in the Cards’ favor.