Hall of Fame: Minnie Miñoso

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MINNIE MIÑOSO “The Cuban Comet”

Born: November 29, 1923 in Perico, Cuba

Died: March 1, 2015 (age 91)

Position: Outfielder, third baseman

Bats: Right / Throws: Right

Hall of Fame induction: 2022

Teams: Cleveland Indians (1949, 1951, 1958, 1959), Chicago White Sox (1951-1957, 1960-1961, 1964, 1976, 1980), St. Louis Cardinals (1962), Washington Senators (1963)

MLB debut: 1949

A speedy, high-average hitting star with the Negro League’s New York Cubans, Orestes “Minnie” Miñoso made his MLB debut in 1949 with the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first Afro-Latino player in the big leagues two years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. Traded to the Chicago White Sox in mid-1951 — when he became the Sox’s first Black player ever — Miñoso was an All-Star third baseman that season and the AL Rookie of the Year runner-up, batting .326 with a league-leading 31 stolen bases and 14 triples. One of the most popular players in White Sox history — one of his nicknames was “Mr. White Sox” — Miñoso batted .300 eight times over a 16-year career, led the AL in triples and steals three times, was a nine-time All-Star and earned three Gold Glove awards. He retired in 1964 at the age of 40, but Miñoso was activated by the White Sox in 1976 and again in 1980 to become only the second player to appear in a major league game in five decades. During his eight-game stint in 1976 stint, he became the third player to get a hit after the age of 50. Miñoso was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022 by the Veterans Committee.

Career:

Batting average: .299

Home runs: 195

RBI: 1,089

OPS: .848

Highlights:

Batted .300 in eight seasons

AL Hit by pitch leader 10 times

AL Top 10 in MVP votes five times

AL Stolen bases leader (3): 1951-1953

AL Triples leader (3): 1951, 1954, 1956