Hall of Fame first baseman Orland Cepeda died Friday:

“Orlando Cepeda was one of the best hitters of his generation. He starred for three historic National League franchises, and the 11-time All-Star played alongside Hall of Fame players throughout his career,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Orlando was the 1958 National League Rookie of the Year when Major League Baseball debuted in San Francisco, where later ‘The Baby Bull’s’ number 30 was retired. In 1967 he earned NL MVP honors during the St. Louis Cardinals’ World Championship season.

“Orlando overcame challenges throughout his life to build a Hall of Fame career. This beloved figure from Puerto Rico was one of the many players of his era who helped turn baseball into a multicultural game. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to his family, his friends across our game, and his many fans in Puerto Rico, San Francisco, St. Louis, Atlanta and beyond.”

MLB.com

My thoughts go out to his family and friends:

Cepeda came up young, seasonal age 20, and immediately made an impact with a three WAR season. That was his low for his first seven years. Two injury plagued seasons led the Giants to trade him to the Cardinals, where he posted the best season of his career with a 6.2 WAR in 1967. He posted a .325/.399/.524 slash line and led the NL with 111 RBI, winning the MVP. His best power year came in 1961 when he slugged .609, leading the NL in homers with 46 and the majors in RBI with 142, despite the NL playing eight games fewer than the AL that year.

For his career, Cepeda just missed two round number plateaus, hitting .297/.350/.499 for his career. He fell eleven hits short of a .300 BA.