SAN FRANCISCO — The phrases of Willie Mays graced the shores of McCovey Cove one final time Sunday afternoon.
In a becoming ribbon on an emotional yr for the Giants group, that noticed the loss of life of two lions of the sport inside two weeks of one another, Mays’ ready remarks headlined the hourlong celebration of life for his former teammate, Orlando Cepeda, who died simply 10 days after Mays this summer time.
The ceremony preceded the Giants’ sequence finale in opposition to the Padres, a 4-3 loss in 10 innings, and would have delighted Cepeda with a reside band, dancers and dozens of his closest family and friends along with a slate of audio system that included fellow Corridor of Famers Tony Oliva and Juan Marichal.
Oliva, a Twins legend hailing from Cuba, informed the story of assembly Cepeda for the primary time as a rookie at an exhibition recreation in New York in 1963 and stated, “From that moment Orlando Cepeda never forgot me.” Marichal, his teammate in San Francisco from 1960-66, added, “Orlando wasn’t just a tremendous athlete, he was a beacon of generosity and kindness. His love was infectious, his wisdom profound and his loyalty unwavering.”
However essentially the most highly effective — and least anticipated — second of the afternoon was Mays’ message from the afterlife, delivered by emcee Mike Krukow.
Earlier than his loss of life, Mays received phrase of Cepeda’s deteriorating well being and needed to verify he had an opportunity to honor his buddy, even when he couldn’t be there.
“How do you say goodbye to a little brother?” Mays’ letter learn, partly, sharing their first assembly, in 1954, when Cepeda was a teenage batboy for a winter ball staff in Puerto Rico, and happening to type a 70-year bond. “Some said it was one of the best winter teams ever put together, and there was this big kid hanging around. They called him the ‘Baby Bull,’ after his father, Pedro Cepeda, ‘The Bull.’ … Four years later, he’d be my Giants teammate.
“You already know his successes, his records, his numbers. He’s an MVP-winning Hall of Famer, but to me he was like family. While he was looking up to me, I was watching out for him. He made his own way, but he will always be my little brother. You always look out for your little brother, even after they grow.
“So long, kid. — Willie Mays”
Giants supervisor Bob Melvin was a budding 5-year-old fan when Cepeda was traded to St. Louis in 1966 and took within the ceremonies from the highest step of the dugout, an analogous perch to the place he stood in a go well with and tie three months in the past for the celebration of Mays’ life.
Mays died at age 93 on June 18, two days earlier than the Giants have been set to play in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. What was already going to be a particular night at Rickwood Area took on much more significance. Upon returning residence, they honored Mays in a pregame ceremony then held their first celebration of life July 8.
“The Willie thing, that hit us for a while,” Melvin stated earlier than the sport. “It made sense that there was a little bit of a gap before the Cepeda stuff today. But I think similarly, we’re going to feel it again today, how much these guys have meant to the organization.”
Requested if his staff has felt extra of an emotional toll this season than typical, Melvin stated, “For sure, especially here, guys that are from the area. …
“Even some of our players who might not know as much about the history of the organization do now. With the Rickwood game on top of that, and then the Orlando passing, these guys are probably getitng up to speed about what these guys meant and how much they meant to baseball and the Bay Area in general.”
The festivities coincided with Fiesta Gigates, one in all Cepeda’s favourite days annually, in addition to the leaguewide Roberto Clemente Day.
Heliot Ramos, who wore No. 21 in honor of the man Puerto Rican, described a “tough” season from his locker after their 8-0 loss Saturday evening.
“I feel like offensively sometimes we’re hot and the pitching is not working. Sometimes the offense is not working. That’s the frustrating part,” he stated. “That’s where the emotions come in. Because we want to be better as a team. We don’t know the feeling, but we want to know what it’s like to win a championship.”
Clemente’s eldest granddaughter, Christina, was additionally available to honor Mike Yastrzemski because the Giants’ nominee for the award named after her grandfather given yearly to the MLB participant who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team.”
Cepeda “loved to be around people,” Oliva stated, and his attain touched Dusty Baker, Spanish-language broadcasters Erwin Higueros and Tito Fuentes, in addition to the third technology of the Clemente household. “To me,” Christina stated, “he was a godfather, an uncle and a father figure.”
Baker was an up-and-coming rookie with Atlanta when he first met Cepeda within the twilight of his profession however stated, “He taught me about everything in life” and finally developed a relationship together with his 4 sons, who have been tapped to throw the ceremonial first pitches.
Barry Bonds, Matt Williams, Ron Wotus and Marvin Benard lined up behind residence plate, the place Cepeda’s signature white fedora was emblazoned on the grass above his No. 30, and acquired 4 strikes.
“I’m Uncle Dusty to them,” Baker stated in his speech, “and they’re family to me.”
Notable
Donovan Walton, of all individuals, ended the Giants’ scoreless streak with a solo residence run to guide off the sixth inning that tied the rating at 1. San Francisco had gone 32 consecutive innings since final scoring a run, within the eighth inning of Wednesday’s 13-2 win over the Brewers.
The drought went down because the fourth-longest in franchise historical past, trailing solely the 1916 Giants (39 innings), 1976 Giants (35 innings) and 1992 Giants (33 innings).
It was Walton’s first residence run and RBI within the main leagues since June 5, 2022, when he hit a grand slam in a 5-1 win over the Marlins.
Heliot Ramos tied the rating at 2 and compelled additional innings with a fair rarer feat, turning into the primary right-handed hitter to ever attain McCovey Cove on the fly with an opposite-field solo shot to guide off the ninth inning in opposition to Robert Suarez. Solely 74 right-handed hitters had ever gone deep to proper subject within the historical past of Oracle Park earlier than Ramos, Jerar Encarnacion and the Brewers’ Jackson Chourio all did so this residence stand.
They proved solely to be ethical victories, nevertheless, as Fernando Tatis Jr. deposited Tyler Rogers‘ first pitch of the eighth inning over the left-center subject wall for a go-ahead, pinch-hit residence run and the Padres plated two runs within the tenth in opposition to Camilo Doval.
The Giants (72-78) completed 1-5 on the six-game residence stand to fall six video games beneath .500, matching a season-worst.
Up subsequent
The Giants journey to Baltimore, the place they’re off Monday earlier than starting their remaining highway journey of the season — a 10-game swing by way of three cities — Tuesday in opposition to the Orioles. LHP Blake Snell (3-3, 3.52), RHP Hayden Birdsong (3-5, 4.74) and RHP Logan Webb (12-10, 3.53) are lined as much as get the ball within the three-game sequence.
Initially Printed: September 15, 2024 at 4:17 p.m.
