For Cardinals fans of a certain age, it’s as if ’67 is being brushed away, like dirt swept off home plate by the ump.
In the past six years, Cardinals Nation lost 1967 World Series champs Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Mike Shannon, Tim McCarver and manager Red Schoendienst.
And then came word this weekend that Orlando Cepeda, the MVP, had passed away at 86.
Each goodbye is painful and poignant. A reminder of how long ago it really was — and a reminder of how long we all really have. But also a reminder of the joy of being a young girl or boy — in the “Summer of Love,” St. Louisans sure fell hard for “El Birdos.”
“Orlando brings back fond memories I was able to share with my kids,” said Augie Nash, a lifelong fan who runs a popular Twitter/X feed about Cardinals history. “I remember his smile, his voice and his love for the game. I remember sitting in the bleachers at Busch Stadium 2 with my kids chanting ‘Viva El Birdos!’ Orlando’s baseball legacy may belong to the San Francisco Giants, but for a short period, he crafted memories that a generation of Cardinals fans will never forget.”
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What’s crazy to think is — the Giants actually almost traded Cepeda to the Cubs.
Published reports in April of 1966 discussed the near-deal, ultimately turned down by San Francisco. Instead, the Giants sent “Cha Cha” to St. Louis in May, in exchange for hurler Ray Sadecki.
Cepeda hit .303 for the ’66 Cardinals.
And in 1967, well, he was an otherworldly world champion.
He hit .325 with 25 home runs, a league-best 111 RBIs and a .931 OPS. He won the MVP unanimously. And he won a ring.
And his influence within the famed ’67 Cardinals — affectionately nicknamed “El Birdos” — secured his legacy within the club. Winning teams often develop a connection — Cepeda sure stirred up St. Louis’ personality. After all, his “unabashed love for the game of baseball sparkled,” said Jane Forbes Clark, the chairman of the Baseball Hall of Fame, in a statement.
Cepeda debuted at 20 for the Giants in 1958. In his first six seasons, he averaged 32 homers a year.
He was elected into Cooperstown in 1999.
Here in St. Louis, Cepeda was beloved. Is beloved. He also played for the ’68 team, which lost in the World Series. He was in the epicenter of a halcyon era. He was a larger-than-life slugger. He was the type of player a parent would teach their kid about. This I know, first-hand. And it happened in San Francisco, as well.
“My dad grew up a Giants fan,” said Brandon Crawford, 37, the current Cardinal who previously played 13 years for his hometown team. “Orlando was one of those great players that everybody seemed to like. All-around good guy. It’s tough to see him go. … He was just a nice guy who was available, easy to talk to. Humble. And he would come back every year at spring training with Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Gaylord Perry. They were the four that would always come back and tell stories and answer questions.”
On Saturday before the ballgame, I sauntered over to the Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum. On display was the actual 1967 MVP award, as well as a game-worn Cepeda No. 30 jersey, signed by “The Baby Bull” himself (you know you’re good if you have multiple nicknames). And it’s fitting — there’s also an exhibit this summer called “Viva Los Cardenales,” which celebrates the history of Cardinals from Latin countries. Cepeda was the fourth Cardinal ever from Puerto Rico.
“For us as Puerto Rican, he was an idol, he opened doors,” said Cardinals Spanish broadcaster Bengie Molina, Yadier’s brother, who played in four seasons for San Francisco. “Roberto Clemente, all these guys that were there before us, they took the punishment, so we could be here today. …
“I got a chance to hang out with Cepeda a lot in my years with the Giants. We sat down a lot, talking baseball. And he had many stories that he told me about racism and what he went through — and the guys he went through it with, like Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Hank Aaron. So many stories.”
Cepeda was on the famous 1967 cover of Sports Illustrated, along with the Cardinals lineup and the pitcher Gibson. They’re in street clothes and seated in front of their lockers, with the players’ jerseys on display. It’s just a beautiful shot. But if you look at the image long enough, you get a tugging feeling. Scan your eyes across the faces, one-by-one. Roger Maris, gone. McCarver, gone. Gibson, gone. Shannon, gone. Brock, gone. Cepeda, gone. Curt Flood, gone. The final two players in the photo are still with us — Julian Javier (age 87) and Dal Maxvill (85).
The 1967 St. Louis Cardinals are slipping away.
“It’s very sad, very sad,” Molina said. “There goes another brain, man. Another Hall of Famer that goes away — and everything that’s in his mind goes with him.”
But Cepeda remains in our minds. Those who saw him remember his swing. Those who met him remember his personality. And those who were taught about him? We remember the pride of the people who first told us about Orlando Cepeda.
Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante addresses the media on Friday, June 28, 2024, after a win vs. the Reds. (Video by Ethan Erickson, Post-Dispatch)