Cesar Cedeno

Lore & Background

Cedeño was signed by Houston as an amateur free agent in 1967 and debuted on June 20, 1970. He became only the second player in MLB history to hit 20 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season, and the only one to do so in three consecutive seasons (1972–1974). He won five consecutive Gold Glove Awards (1972–1976) and was a four-time All-Star (1972–1974, 1976). He still holds the Astros team record for career stolen bases more than 40 years after last playing for the team.

In Their Own Story

The lights hummed inside the Astrodome on a humid July night in 1976. A deep fly ball soared toward the warning track in center field. The crowd held its breath as Cesar Cedeno sprinted, his cleats digging into the turf. He leaped at the wall, snatching the ball just before it cleared the fence, turning what looked like a home run into an out. The stadium erupted, chanting his nickname as he jogged back to the mound.

Reader's Guide

Cedeño played for the Houston Astros (1970–1981), Cincinnati Reds (1982–1985), St. Louis Cardinals (1985), and Los Angeles Dodgers (1986). He also played six seasons for the Estrellas Orientales in the Dominican Winter League and later with the Gold Coast Suns of the Senior Professional Baseball Association. After his playing career, he served as a minor league hitting coach for the Astros and Nationals organizations.

Did You Know?

• Cedeño hit an inside-the-park grand slam on September 2, 1971, against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Astrodome.
• He hit for the cycle in both 1972 and 1976.
• Before his 26th birthday, Cedeño had 1,097 hits, more than Rogers Hornsby (1,073) and Mickey Mantle (1,080) at the same age.
• He was inducted into the Houston Astros Hall of Fame in 2020.