Giants Announcers Found Perfect Way to Honor Orlando Cepeda During Call of Walk-Off

Tim Capurso | Jun 29, 2024

Jun 28, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants players surround second baseman Brett Wisely (0) after Wisely hit a two-run home run for a walk-off win against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Baseball Hall of Famer and former San Francisco Giants star Orlando Cepeda passed away at the age of 86, his family told the club in a statement on Friday night.

In a fitting tribute to Cepeda, the Giants won Friday's game against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 on a two-run, walk-off home run by second baseman Brett Wisely in the bottom of the ninth inning.

In the process, Giants play-by-play commentator Duane Kuiper and color analyst Mike Krukow found the perfect way to honor Cepeda during their call of the walk-off.

"For the Baby Bull."

"For the Baby Bull." https://t.co/plCRse3EwB

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 29, 2024

"For the Baby Bull," Kuiper and Krukow said as Wisely and the Giants celebrated the victory.

Cepeda spent the first nine seasons of his career in San Francisco, winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1958 as a 20-year-old, then earning All-Star honors six times while posting a .308/.352/.535 slash line with 226 home runs during that span. Cepeda became one of the most feared sluggers in the game, as well as a fan favorite in San Francisco and St. Louis, with whom he won the '67 MVP award and World Series title.

"Our beloved Orlando passed away peacefully at home this evening, listening to his favorite music and surrounded by his loved ones," Cepeda's wife Nydia said in a statement to the Giants. "We take comfort that he is at peace."

Cepeda's passing comes after the Giants lost another legend—and arguably baseball's greatest player—Willie Mays, earlier in June.