Minnie Miñoso
Encyclopedia
Saturnino Orestes Armas "Minnie" Miñoso Arrieta (miˈɲoso; mɨˈnoʊsoʊ; born November 29, 1925 in Havana
, Cuba
), is a former star left fielder
in Major League Baseball
. He had earlier been a standout third baseman
in the Negro Leagues
, and would later play several seasons in Mexico
. He was nicknamed "The Cuban Comet" as well as "Mr. White Sox", and while playing in Mexico was "El Charro Negro" — "The Black Cowboy". He is one of just two players in Major League history to play in five separate decades (1940s-80s), the other being Nick Altrock
. With brief appearances with the independent Northern League's St. Paul Saints
in 1993 and 2003, Miñoso is the only player to have played professionally in seven different decades. He was also the last Major Leaguer to have played in the 1940s to play a Major League game.
Miñoso was signed by the Cleveland Indians
as an amateur free agent in . Between and he played for the Indians (1949, 1951, 1958–59), Chicago White Sox
(1951–1957, 1960–61, 1964, 1976, 1980), St. Louis Cardinals
(1962) and Washington Senators
(1963). On May 1, , in a game against the New York Yankees
in Comiskey Park
, the speedy Miñoso became the first black player to wear a White Sox uniform.
In his Major League career, Miñoso hit for a .298 batting average
, with 186 home run
s, 1023 RBI
, 1136 runs
, 1963 hits
, 336 doubles
, 83 triples
, 205 stolen base
s, 814 walks
and 192 hit by pitch
. His career ended with a .389 on base percentage
and a .459 slugging average, combined for a solid .848 OPS
. He was a nine-time All-Star
. For his excellence in left field, he received the Gold Glove Award
three times. He led his league in triples and stolen bases three times each. He was also the league leader in being hit by pitches an amazing ten times; Miñoso is 9th all-time in the category.
in eight at bat
s, becoming, at age 50, the second-oldest player ever to get a base hit in the Major Leagues (Hall of Famer Jim O'Rourke was the oldest when he hit safely at age 54 on September 22). Miñoso then returned to appear in two more games with the Sox in . His five stints with Chicago cemented his image as a local baseball icon for at least three generations of White Sox fans. When the last game was played at the old Comiskey Park
on September 30, , Miñoso was invited to present the White Sox lineup card to the umpires in the pregame ceremonies at home plate. He did so while wearing the new uniform debuted by the White Sox that day, his familiar number 9 on the back.
In his 1980 appearance at age 54, Miñoso became the second-oldest player ever to bat in the majors (behind Nick Altrock
, who pinch-hit in 1933 at the age of 57) and the third-oldest ever to play, behind only Altrock and Satchel Paige
(who made an appearance at 59). Minoso is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in Major League games in four decades. In 1990, he was scheduled to make an appearance with the minor league Miami Miracle and hence become the only professional to play in six decades; however, MLB overruled the Miracle on the idea. Nonetheless, in 1993 at the age of 67, he made an appearance with the independent St. Paul Saints
of the Northern League. Then, in 2003 he returned to the Saints and drew a walk, thus becoming the only ball player to appear professionally in seven different decades. The earlier extensions to his career with the Sox were publicity stunts orchestrated respectively by one-time Sox owner Bill Veeck
and his son Mike, who at the time owned partial or controlling interest in the teams.
Hall of Fame on August 11, 2002 in pregame on field ceremony at Comiskey Park, Chicago, IL.
Minnie took part in the victory parade for the Chicago White Sox
2005 World Series Championship.
In November 2005, Miñoso's name was placed on a special ballot of Negro League players to be voted upon by a special committee of Negro Leagues historians and scholars, though he did not win induction. Miñoso remains on the Veterans Committee ballot for the Hall of Fame as of 2006.
On opening day for the Chicago Cubs in 2008, he was in attendance for the unveiling of the Ernie Banks
statue at Wrigley Field
.
He threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the 2011 White Sox home opener to manager Ozzie Guillén
.
}}
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
), is a former star left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He had earlier been a standout third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
in the Negro Leagues
Negro league baseball
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams predominantly made up of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in...
, and would later play several seasons in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. He was nicknamed "The Cuban Comet" as well as "Mr. White Sox", and while playing in Mexico was "El Charro Negro" — "The Black Cowboy". He is one of just two players in Major League history to play in five separate decades (1940s-80s), the other being Nick Altrock
Nick Altrock
Nicholas Altrock was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Altrock was one of the better pitchers in baseball for a brief period from to with the Chicago White Sox...
. With brief appearances with the independent Northern League's St. Paul Saints
St. Paul Saints
The St. Paul Saints are a professional baseball team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The Saints are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
in 1993 and 2003, Miñoso is the only player to have played professionally in seven different decades. He was also the last Major Leaguer to have played in the 1940s to play a Major League game.
Miñoso was signed by the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
as an amateur free agent in . Between and he played for the Indians (1949, 1951, 1958–59), Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
(1951–1957, 1960–61, 1964, 1976, 1980), St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(1962) and Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
(1963). On May 1, , in a game against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
, the speedy Miñoso became the first black player to wear a White Sox uniform.
In his Major League career, Miñoso hit for a .298 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, with 186 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 1023 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, 1136 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, 1963 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, 336 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 83 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 205 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s, 814 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
and 192 hit by pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
. His career ended with a .389 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
and a .459 slugging average, combined for a solid .848 OPS
On-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
. He was a nine-time All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
. For his excellence in left field, he received the Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
three times. He led his league in triples and stolen bases three times each. He was also the league leader in being hit by pitches an amazing ten times; Miñoso is 9th all-time in the category.
Comebacks
In , after several years playing in Mexico, Miñoso returned to MLB to play three games with the White Sox. He picked up one singleSingle (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
in eight at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s, becoming, at age 50, the second-oldest player ever to get a base hit in the Major Leagues (Hall of Famer Jim O'Rourke was the oldest when he hit safely at age 54 on September 22). Miñoso then returned to appear in two more games with the Sox in . His five stints with Chicago cemented his image as a local baseball icon for at least three generations of White Sox fans. When the last game was played at the old Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
on September 30, , Miñoso was invited to present the White Sox lineup card to the umpires in the pregame ceremonies at home plate. He did so while wearing the new uniform debuted by the White Sox that day, his familiar number 9 on the back.
In his 1980 appearance at age 54, Miñoso became the second-oldest player ever to bat in the majors (behind Nick Altrock
Nick Altrock
Nicholas Altrock was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Altrock was one of the better pitchers in baseball for a brief period from to with the Chicago White Sox...
, who pinch-hit in 1933 at the age of 57) and the third-oldest ever to play, behind only Altrock and Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime...
(who made an appearance at 59). Minoso is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in Major League games in four decades. In 1990, he was scheduled to make an appearance with the minor league Miami Miracle and hence become the only professional to play in six decades; however, MLB overruled the Miracle on the idea. Nonetheless, in 1993 at the age of 67, he made an appearance with the independent St. Paul Saints
St. Paul Saints
The St. Paul Saints are a professional baseball team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The Saints are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the Northern League. Then, in 2003 he returned to the Saints and drew a walk, thus becoming the only ball player to appear professionally in seven different decades. The earlier extensions to his career with the Sox were publicity stunts orchestrated respectively by one-time Sox owner Bill Veeck
Bill Veeck
William Louis Veeck, Jr. , also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball. He was best known for his publicity stunts to raise attendance. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis...
and his son Mike, who at the time owned partial or controlling interest in the teams.
Awards and recognition
Minnie Miñoso was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball MuseumHispanic Heritage Baseball Museum
The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame, Inc., was founded in San Francisco, California, in June 1999 by its founder Mr.Gabriel "Tito" Avila, Jr., as a way to honor the greatest Hispanic baseball players of all time. The organization is a not-for-profit institution...
Hall of Fame on August 11, 2002 in pregame on field ceremony at Comiskey Park, Chicago, IL.
Minnie took part in the victory parade for the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
2005 World Series Championship.
In November 2005, Miñoso's name was placed on a special ballot of Negro League players to be voted upon by a special committee of Negro Leagues historians and scholars, though he did not win induction. Miñoso remains on the Veterans Committee ballot for the Hall of Fame as of 2006.
On opening day for the Chicago Cubs in 2008, he was in attendance for the unveiling of the Ernie Banks
Ernie Banks
Ernest "Ernie" Banks , nicknamed "Mr. Cub", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and first baseman. He played his entire 19-year baseball career with the Chicago Cubs . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.-High school years:Banks was a letterman and standout in football,...
statue at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
.
He threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the 2011 White Sox home opener to manager Ozzie Guillén
Ozzie Guillén
Oswaldo José "Ozzie" Guillén Barrios is a Venezuelan-American former Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Miami Marlins. He managed the Chicago White Sox from 2004 to 2011 before asking for his release at the end of the 2011 season....
.
See also
- List of Cuban-Americans
- List of Cubans
- List of first black Major League Baseball players by team and date
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- List of Major League Baseball stolen base champions
- List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
External links
- Baseball Hall of Fame candidate profiles: Negro League Committee and Veterans Committee – at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Baseball Library
- The Top 100 Greatest Indians Roster
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