Chicago baseball pioneer Minnie Minoso dies
The baseball world lost another legend on Sunday with the death of former Chicago White Sox outfielder Minnie Minoso. Minoso was a seven-time All-Star while playing with the White Sox in the 1950s and 1960s, but much more than that he was a pioneer. When he was traded by the Cleveland Indians to the White Sox in 1951 he became the city of Chicago’s first black player.
There is some dispute over when Minoso was born but the team website said he was 92. The Chicago Tribune reported that Minoso was found dead in his car at a Chicago gas station on Sunday morning and that foul play was not suspected.
The Cuban slugger spent 12 of his 17 seasons with the White Sox and hit a two-run home run in his first at-bat. The White Sox retired his No. 9 in 1983 and erected a statue at U.S. Cellular Field in 2004. Minoso is one of only two players to appear in a game in five different decades. He had two at-bats for the White Sox in 1980 at age 54. He was also famous for getting plunked. Between 1952 and 1961 he led the league in times hit by a pitch nine times, and is ninth on the all-time list with 192.
His career was much more than just frivolities. He was a career .298 hitter, a three time Gold Glover, and four times finished in the top four of American League MVP voting. His combination of power and speed also put him in rare company:
Minoso began his career in Cuba then joined the Negro leagues in 1946, winning a Negro World Series in 1947 with the New York Cubans. He signed with the Indians in 1948 but had only 20 plate appearances with the club before being dealt to the White Sox. He also remains notably absent from the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Despite the push by the White Sox and other prominent Latin players, Minoso has never made it to Cooperstown. His highest percentage during his 15 years on the writers’ ballot was 21.1 in 1988. He was considered by the Veterans Committee in 2014 and fell short of the required percentage for induction.
“’My last dream is to be in Cooperstown, to be with those guys,”’ Minoso said. “’I want to be there. This is my life’s dream.”
White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf released a statement on Sunday morning.
“Our organization and our city have suffered a heart-breaking loss today,” Reinsdorf said. “We have lost our dear friend and a great man. Many tears are falling … When you talk about the top players in the American League in the 1950s, you talk about Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle and Minnie Minoso.”
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Ian Denomme is an editor and writer for Yahoo Sports. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter.
