San Francisco Giants: Bonds Not Deserving Of Franchise Four Nod

Apr 10, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants Angel Pagan (16) greets former San Francisco Giant and hall of famer Orlando Cepeda in the dugout prior to their MLB baseball game with the Arizona Diamondbacks at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

Orlando Cepeda (1958-1966)

Cepeda, also known as the “Baby Bull” played for the Giants for nine seasons. His tenure in San Francisco started with a Rookie of the Year win in 1958, and was followed by consistent production for the Giants.

Over the course of his time in San Francisco, Cepeda batted a cool .308, crushed 226 home runs, knocked in 767 RBI’s, and had 226 double and 22 triples as well. With the Giants, he had a .352 on base percentage and a .535 slugging percentage.

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Cepeda’s best year in San Francisco was 1961, a year in which he belted 46 home runs, drove in 142 RBI’s, and had 32 extra base hits. He also finished second in league MVP voting behind Frank Robinson of the Cincinnati Reds – though some think Cepeda got hosed in the voting. He eventually was named NL MVP in 1967 – as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Cepeda was an eleven time All Star whose number (30) was retired by the organization. Withmore than 1,300 hits, 200 plus home runs, and more than 750 RBI’s as a Giant, Cepeda most definitely should have garnered some attention for one of the team’s Franchise Four.

Next: The Dominican Dandy