BoSox Injection
Fansided

Red Sox all-time washed up player All-Star team (part two)

By Drew Athans

Boston Red Sox outfielder Rickey Henderson scores on a sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning as New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada (L) catches the ball too late, 2 June 2002 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. AFP PHOTO/Matt CAMPBELL (Photo by MATT CAMPBELL / AFP) (Photo by MATT CAMPBELL/AFP via Getty Images)
Boston Red Sox outfielder Rickey Henderson scores on a sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning as New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada (L) catches the ball too late, 2 June 2002 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. AFP PHOTO/Matt CAMPBELL (Photo by MATT CAMPBELL / AFP) (Photo by MATT CAMPBELL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OH – APRIL 20, 1973: Designated-hitter Orlando Cepeda #25 (right) of the Boston Red Sox is congratulated at home plate by shortstop Rico Petrocelli #6 (left) after Cepeda hit a solo homerun in the top of the second inning of a game on April 20, 1973 against the Cleveland Indians at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by: Ron Kuntz Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – APRIL 20, 1973: Designated-hitter Orlando Cepeda #25 (right) of the Boston Red Sox is congratulated at home plate by shortstop Rico Petrocelli #6 (left) after Cepeda hit a solo homerun in the top of the second inning of a game on April 20, 1973 against the Cleveland Indians at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by: Ron Kuntz Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images) /

Orlando Cepeda

Another former Giant who made his way to Boston for a single season toward the end of his career, Orlando Cepeda was fifteen seasons into his Hall of Fame career when he got to the Red Sox in 1973. He had spent nine seasons in San Francisco, a few in St. Louis, three in Atlanta, and one in Oakland before the Red Sox signed him as a free agent in 1973.

Cepeda’s contract with the Red Sox was groundbreaking in that he was signed to exclusively be their DH. The designated hitter was making its debut in 1973 and the Red Sox decided the former first baseman would be better suited to being a full-time hitter than trying to play in the field every day at the age of thirty-five.

It actually worked out really well as Cepeda played in 142 games and hit .289 with 20 home runs and 86 RBI. After the season he signed with the Kansas City Royals but only played in 33 games before retiring. This was one of the rare case where a long in the tooth player had a little something left in the tank when he got to the Red Sox.

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