Cepeda’s death is another “punch in the gut” for the Giants after the loss of Mays

Cepeda’s death deals Giants another ‘gut punch’ after losing Mays, originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – For the second time in 11 days, Giants pitcher Logan Webb stepped onto the mound in the middle of a start, looked at the scoreboard and realized he needed a moment to compose himself.

Webb was the one pitching at Wrigley Field when it was announced that Willie Mays had died, and on Friday the Giants organization lost another legend. Orlando Cepeda, a Hall of Famer who broke into the major leagues by batting two spots behind Mays in a crowded lineup, died peacefully at his home on Friday night. The Giants made the announcement in the midst of a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, as Webb was warming up to start an inning at Oracle Park.

“It was tough,” he said. “When I first saw it, I thought, man, same situation. It was a tough month for the Giants, losing guys like that and losing such important guys. It was tough.”

It’s been a painful month for the organization, which had already planned to celebrate Mays at Oracle Park on July 8. The Giants took the field Friday with “24” patches on their jerseys, and while the players celebrated the victory, Brad Grems, the team’s senior manager of clubhouse and equipment, was busy ironing the “30” onto each jersey the team will wear Saturday night.

“What a punch in the gut,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Another incredible personality. He’s loved here and has a statue in front of him. I mean, the numbers he put up, there are a lot of legends here and he was certainly right up there with them. For him to be so close to Willie is kind of mind-blowing.”

In the days following May’s death, the Giants failed to put a smile back on their faces. They lost every game on the road, even the one at Rickwood Field, which Melvin played like a late September game with the playoffs on the line. It wasn’t until Monday, when they all wore number 24, that they finally got a win, but on Friday they were able to take some joy out of the sad news.

Brett Wisely hit a walk-off home run in the ninth inning, the third of the night, for a team that suddenly looks much stronger. Webb did the rest, allowing two runs in seven innings against a Dodgers team that had beaten him on the first road trip of the year. In two starts against them since then, he has allowed just two runs in 13 innings.

Friday’s performance brought an added bonus for Webb, who again leads the National League in innings pitched, a potential tiebreaker in a tight MLB All-Star race. He had his best velocity of the 2024 MLB season early, hitting 95.5 mph in the first inning. That was his fastest pitch since 2021. He definitely noticed.

“I finally got my 95 — a real 95,” Webb said, smiling. “I couldn’t tell you (where that came from), but I feel like I’ve been feeling better lately. Technique has gotten better. It was quite a grind, and I feel like my technique wasn’t right in the beginning. You saw my spring training; it wasn’t very good. I think I’m finally finding my rhythm and the right technique and everything. Hopefully it continues to improve.”

It was a good night in terms of game record, but still a rough one for Webb, one of the few Giants who has been around long enough to know Mays and Cepeda. In a way, though, it was fitting that he was the one in the spotlight when the announcement was made.

Cepeda played nine seasons for the Giants and still ranks among their San Francisco-era leaders in home runs, RBI and hits. His 142 RBIs in 1961 remain the best since the Giants moved west, and although he ended his career elsewhere, he was so successful and popular that it was a no-brainer to put his statue outside the stadium’s 2nd Street entrance. It stands just steps away from a statue honoring Gaylord Perry.

The Giants have been all about change for the past few years. Smart behavior was the end result of a series of smart moves by management. Matt Chapman, who gave the Giants a short-lived lead, is in his first year in orange and black.

Webb, however, is in his sixth year. He is the best candidate on this roster to have double-digit seasons with the Giants and have the kind of longevity and resume that could one day put him in conversations with the organization’s bigs. Long before they were ironed onto jerseys, numbers 24 and 30 were permanently retired by the organization. It’s possible that number 62 could one day get there, too.

Webb is on track to be the one to return and sit in a suite watching the Giants, as Cepeda did so many times. The Giants love their legends, and for good reason. They lost two this month, but like Mays, Cepeda left a lasting impression.

“He couldn’t have been nicer to anyone who was here as a Giant,” Melvin said. “I even knew him as a kid. He was just one of those guys that was so great with kids and always had a smile on his face. You feel like he’s your friend. Another one of those things, so it’s really tough.”

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