Orlando Cepeda - Baby Bull: From Hardball to Hard Time and Back

I had wonderful people come into my life at the right time. My wife Mirian soon found out that I wasnt a rich baseball player, but she loved me, cared for me, and gave to me regardless of where I was at the time. Most importantly, she believed in me.

Mirians late father, Kuikue, was a real friend and surrogate father to me. My uncles Ubaldo and Alejandro Pennes always looked after me and were wonderful role modelswhether I was a young boy in danger of going astray or an adult experiencing troubled times. How I miss them both. My brother, Pedro, and my sisters, aunts, cousins, and nephew were with me always.

There were always loyal and good friends as well. Angel Cordero and his mother were there for me through the tough times. When I needed money for an airline ticket to New York, it was there.

Joe Trout, who I met at Elgin over twenty years ago, is still a good friend. Joe; his wife, Pat; and his mother, Jane, were like family to me during the hard times in Philadelphia. Joe and I are like brothers.

My good friends in Puerto Rico, Mariano and Angie Diaz and Pedro and Angie Rosario, never stopped supporting me through periods of pain, sorrow, and humiliation. Emilio Montanez, an attorney in Puerto Rico, represented me in court when I didnt have the money to pay a lawyer.

Harry Rexach, a journalist and friend for forty-five years; George Colon, a sports collector; and David Albarran, another good friend, all worked hard against the public tide to convince people that I belonged in the Puerto Rican Hall of Fame. Eddie Millan, a good friend and Las Vegas hotel executive, always found the time to put me up when I needed some rest and recreation.

Vincent Donahue, my dear friend of forty-five years, and actor Tony Martinez supported me one hundred percent during my bad times in Puerto Rico. Tato Cruz bought my airline ticket to Eglin when I was broke and hired me to coach an amateur team in Juncos when everyone was against me.

Manny Gonzales flew to Puerto Rico after I was busted and was a good friend and supporter. Ben and Nellie Fernandez, Clark and Janette Parker, and Ruben and Martha Rodreguez have always welcomed me in their homes. David, Jeanie, and Dean Blackman and the whole Blackman family were always there for me. How honored I was to participate in Allison Blackmans bat mitzvah ceremony this yearthe only person not of the Jewish faith to have been asked.

Baseball players are special people. The talent required to play the game is enormous. Many of us are still in touch. Two of my closest friends, Felipe Alou and Juan Marichal, are still very involved in the game. How far back we go!

Its always fun to be around my old batting coach and teammate Hank Sauer. In my younger days with the Giants, I dont know what I would have done without him. And they dont come any finer than Bill Rigney, my first manager. He gave me the opportunity I needed as a twenty-year-old kid. And to former major league coach and manager Dave Garcia, thanks for caring so much and helping me when I was just a scared kid from Puerto Rico trying to make it as a baseball player in this country.

These are some of my unsung heroes. Like that Beatles song from the sixties says, In my life Ive loved them all.

No list of acknowledgments would be complete without a special debt of gratitude to my former St. Louis Cardinals teammate and New York Mets announcer Tim McCarver for writing the introduction. The same for Peter Magowan, President and Managing General Partner of the San Francisco Giants, for writing the foreword.

Equally to Larry Baer, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of the San Francisco Giants; Pat Gallagher, Vice President of the San Francisco Giants; Bob Rose, Vice President of Communications; and Maria Jacinto in the Giants Public Relations Division. Thanks for all your enormous help and assistance.

The same to Rebecca, Kerry, and Sue, my able assistants in the Community Relations Department, for making my job so much easier. Likewise to my good friends Russ, Amy, Bob Bisio, and everyone else in the Giants Ticket Office.

Thanks you Brian David, my attorney and business manager, and to good friends Jon Gilmore and John Taylor, who have helped me with legal advice. And to Max Shapiro and Laurence Hyman, how much I thank you for bringing me back to baseball at a time when I felt all was lost.

To Al Albergate and Tony Dorsey of SGI and to the Soka Gakkai in Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Suison, your friendship and spiritual help know no limits.

Friends Bill Diaz and Gary Disien have been great and caring neighbors. To photographer Frank Hadfield, thanks for the Golden Gate photographs. There is no city like San Francisco.

Ten months ago Herb Fagen approached me with an idea: to tell the true and honest story of my life. I had been reluctant till then, but he convinced me that the right time was now. We spent many long hours together and became good friends. He heard my words, took his notes, and made me think. My life unfolded before my very eyes with memories that had long been hidden. The result is our book, Baby Bull: From Hardball to Hard Time and Back . I am very proud.

Orlando Cepeda

The Society of American Baseball Research (SABR), as usual, provided a multitude of information. They are the true custodians of the baseball flames. And a rousing thanks to SABR member Dick Beverage for his expertise in proofing the manuscript for factual and statistical accuracy.

Two former baseball greats are also deserving. Many thanks to my very good friend and two-time American League batting champion Ferris Fain for his help in selecting a title for the booka real on-target job. And to Minnie Minoso, one of my boyhood heroes growing up in Chicago, who five years ago took a chance on a former history teacher turned middle-aged writer and chose me from among many to co-author the story of his life, Just Call Me Minnie: My Six Decades in Baseball , and who in the process first brought baseballs Baby Bull, Orlando Cepeda, to my attention.

A million thanks to those baseball people who granted interviews and helped with the project: Tim McCarver, Peter Magowan, Bill Rigney, Dave Garcia, Hank Sauer, Stanley Javier, Juan Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez, Pat Gallagher, and Tony LaRussa. The same to Al Albergate, Laurence Hyman, Brian David, and Tato Rojas. Your comments and remembrances are invaluable.

To my mom, Gert Fagen, and my sister, Ruth Phillipsfamily love and support is everything. To Sally Landis, My Gal Sal, thanks for your patience and understanding. To my pal Irving Katzman, thanks for being the best friend a guy could have.

Thanks to my agent, Jake Elwell of Wieser and Wieser, for another job well done. The same to Mike Emmerich, Senior Editor at Taylor Publishing, and to Stacey Sexton, Assistant Editor at Taylor, for seeing the project through to completion.

Finally, to Orlando Cepeda, baseballs Baby Bull, a true Hall of Famer in every possible way. Its been a real privilege and a genuine pleasure.

Herb Fagen