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

Orlando Cepeda, the basketball legend who was one of the first Puerto Ricans to shine in the major leagues, has died at the age of 86.

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

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

Cepeda’s death comes just 10 days after fellow Hall of Famer Willie Mays died at age 93.

“What another gutsy hit,” said Giants manager Bob Melvin, who grew up in the Bay Area cheering for the team. “Another incredible, likable character here. A statue out front. The numbers he put up, there’s a lot of legends here and he’s definitely in the middle of that. 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.

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

“Orlando Cepeda’s boundless love for the game of baseball shone through his exceptional career as a player, and later as one of the game’s enduring ambassadors,” said Hall of Fame President Jane Forbes Clark. “We will miss his dazzling smile at the Hall of Fame Weekend in Cooperstown, where his spirit will forever shine,” Hall of Fame President Jane Forbes Clark said. We offer our deepest condolences to the Cepeda family.”