MLB Hall Of Fame Member Orlando Cepeda Passes Away At 86 thumbnail

MLB Hall Of Fame Member Orlando Cepeda Passes Away At 86

The New Atlantis

Orlando Cepeda — an 11-time MLB All-Star and member of the Major League Baseball Hall of fame — passed away on Friday at the age of 86.

The San Francisco Giants and Cepeda’s family announced his death on Friday night “Our beloved Orlando passed away peacefully at home this evening, listening to his favorite music and surrounded by his loved ones,” his wife, Nydia, said in a statement released through the team. “We take comfort that he is at peace.”

The Giants held a moment of silence in his honor and displayed his picture on the scoreboard at Oracle Park ahead of the team’s game with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cepeda, a native of Puerto Rico, spent parts of 17 seasons in the big leagues with the New York/San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Oakland A’s, Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals. The Hall of Fame slugger finished his career with 2,351 hits, 379 home runs, 417 doubles, 142 stolen bases, 1,365 RBI and 50.1 WAR.

His impressive stat line led to 11 All-Star nods, a Rookie of the Year award, and an MVP. He was selected to the Hall of Fame through the Veteran’s Committee in 1999.

The New Atlantis
Cepeda with the San Francisco Giants in 1965

Cepeda spent nine of his 17 seasons with the Giants after signing with the team in late 1953.

He played alongside many Giants greats of the era, including the late Willie Mays, who passed away earlier this month. “Right from the beginning, I fell in love with the city. There was everything that I liked. We played more day games then, so I usually had at least two nights a week free On Thursdays, I would always go to the Copacabana to hear the Latin music. On Sundays, after games, I’d go to the Jazz Workshop for the jam sessions,” Cepeda said of his time in San Francisco.

In May of 1965, Cepeda was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for left-hander Ray Sadecki. He would go on to notch perhaps the best season of his career with the club in 1967, when he produced a league-leading 111 RBI’s en route to an MVP award.

“MLB mourns the passing of Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda at the age of 86,” the league said in a statement.

Judge Rejects Alec Baldwin’s Motion To Dismiss Manslaughter Charges, Paving The Way For July Trial thumbnail

Judge Rejects Alec Baldwin’s Motion To Dismiss Manslaughter Charges, Paving The Way For July Trial

The New Atlantis

Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter trial will remain on track for early July after a judge denied a request to dismiss the case on complaints that key evidence was damaged by the FBI during forensic testing, the AP reported.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer sided with prosecutors in rejecting another motion to dismiss the case. The rejection comes a little over a month after a separate motion was denied.

Defense attorneys argued that the gun used in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was heavily damaged during forensic testing. This, the legal team argued, was done before it could be tested for possible modifications or problems that might exonerate the actor.

(VOTE NOW: Did TRUMP or BIDEN Win The First Debate?)

With Judge Sommer’s rejection of the motion, one of the last remaining hurdles for prosecutors has been removed. Jury selection is set to begin on July 9 in Santa Fe.

During the trial, Baldwin’s attorneys expect to call on witnesses from a court-approved list of nearly 60 people. Potential witnesses include director Joel Souza, who was wounded in the shooting, as well as assistant director Dave Halls, who has already pleaded no contest to negligent use of a deadly weapon. Other witnesses will include first responders, investigators, firearms experts and people who witnessed the shooting on set.

Baldwin, who is now fully set to go on trial next month, has claimed that he did not pull the trigger of the prop gun he was holding.  A firearms expert has disputed Baldwin’s claims, stating that the trigger would have needed to be pulled in order for the gun to fire.

In October, a forensic report concluded that the trigger of the prop Colt .45 revolver had been pulled “sufficiently” enough to cause the gun to fire.

“Although Alec Baldwin repeatedly denies pulling the trigger, given the tests, findings and observations reported here, the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver,” reads a firearms report that was commissioned by the state of New Mexico.

If convicted of involuntary manslaughter, Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison.