The front: Here is Cedeno batting at what I believe is
Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. The Astros didn’t play any day games in
Philadelphia in 1980, so this is either a different season or I have the
ballpark wrong.
The back: Cedeno’s 1,659 hits now rank fourth in Astros
history, behind Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and Jose Cruz.
The player: Cesar Cedeno was one of the most dynamic players
of the 1970s. From 1970 to 1981 he was the center fielder for the Astros, a
four-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove. He led the NL in doubles in 1971
and 1972, stole 50+ bases six years in a row while hitting over 20 home runs
three times, a combination of speed and power that was rare in that era. He
later had stints with the Reds, Cardinals and Dodgers. Overall, in 1,512 games,
Cedeno hit .285 with 436 doubles, 199 home runs, 976 RBI and 550 stolen bases.
The man: Cedeno gained international notoriety in 1973 when
Cedeno was convicted of involuntary manslaughter after shooting and killing a
19-year-old girl he was drinking with in his motel room in the Dominican
Republic. After his career ended Cedeno was arrested at least twice on domestic
violence charges. For many years he has been a coach in the Astros
organization.
My collection: I have 31 of his cards, from 1971 to 1986. I
would be interested in trading for 1973 Topps #290.
I didn't know Cedeno killed someone, that's awful. And the Astros kept him on the team anyway? Hmmm.
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