Minnie Miñoso facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Minnie Miñoso
Miñoso with the Chicago White Sox in 1953
Left fielder
Born: (1923-11-29)November 29, 1923 Perico, Cuba
Died: March 1, 2015(2015-03-01) (aged 91) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Professional debut
NgL: 1947, for the New York Cubans
MLB: April 19, 1949, for the Cleveland Indians
Last appearance
October 5, 1980, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
Batting average	.299
Hits	2,110
Home runs	195
Runs batted in	1,093
Teams
Negro leagues New York Cubans (1947–1949) Major League Baseball Cleveland Indians (1949, 1951) Chicago White Sox (1951–1957) Cleveland Indians (1958–1959) Chicago White Sox (1960–1961) St. Louis Cardinals (1962) Washington Senators (1963) Chicago White Sox (1964, 1976, 1980)
Career highlights and awards
2x NgL All-Star (1947–1948) 9× All-Star (1951–1954, 1957, 1959–1960²) Negro World Series champion (1947) 3× Gold Glove Award (1957, 1959, 1960) 3× AL stolen base leader (1951–1953) Chicago White Sox No. 9 retired
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	2022
Vote	87.5%
Election Method	Golden Days Era Committee

Orestes "Minnie" Miñoso was a famous Cuban professional baseball player. People called him "The Cuban Comet" and "Mr. White Sox". He started playing baseball in the Negro leagues in 1946. He became an All-Star third baseman for the New York Cubans.

After 1948, Major League Baseball (MLB) began allowing Black players. Miñoso then joined the Cleveland Indians. He became an All-Star left fielder for the Indians and later the Chicago White Sox. He was the first Black Cuban player in the major leagues. He was also the first Black player in White Sox history. In 1951, as a rookie, he was one of the first Latin American players in an MLB All-Star Game.

Miñoso was an American League (AL) All-Star seven times. He won the Gold Glove three times. He hit over .300 for eight seasons. He led the AL in triples and stolen bases three times each. He was also known for getting hit by pitches a lot. He led the AL in this ten times!

Miñoso was a very popular player for the White Sox. He helped the team become one of the best in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a strong hitter on a team known for speed and defense.

Miñoso left the major leagues in 1964. But he kept playing and managing in Mexico until 1973. He returned to the White Sox as a coach. He also played briefly in 1976 and 1980. He became the third player to get a hit after age 50. He was also the second player to play in the major leagues in five different decades. The White Sox retired his number 9 jersey in 1983. A statue of him was put up in 2004. He was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in Exile in 1983. He also joined the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.

In 2021, Miñoso was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Baseball Beginnings

Miñoso was born in Perico, Cuba, near Havana. His parents were Carlos Arrieta and Cecilia Armas. His birth date is usually listed as November 29, 1923. But some documents say 1925 or 1924.

His father worked on a sugarcane farm where the family lived. His mother had other children from a previous marriage. They had the last name "Miñoso." Orestes also started using "Miñoso" as his last name. He legally changed it when he became a U.S. citizen.

Miñoso grew up playing baseball with his brothers. He even managed his own team on his father's farm. In 1941, he moved to Havana to play baseball there.

Playing Career Highlights

Cuba and Negro Leagues

Miñoso started playing professional baseball in Cuba. He played as a third baseman. In 1945, he signed with a team from Marianao for $150 a month. The next year, he joined the New York Cubans in the Negro leagues. His salary doubled!

He hit .309 in 1946. In 1947, he hit .294 as the Cubans won the Negro World Series. He was the starting third baseman for the East team in the 1947 and 1948 All-Star Games.

In 1948, Miñoso signed with the Cleveland Indians. He started his minor league career with the Dayton Indians. He hit an amazing .525 in 11 games.

Joining the Cleveland Indians

On April 19, 1949, Miñoso played his first major league game with the Cleveland Indians. He was the first Black Cuban player in the major leagues. He got his first hit on May 4. His first home run came the next day.

The Indians were a very strong team. They had won the 1948 World Series. So, Miñoso did not get to play much. He was sent to the minor leagues. He played for the San Diego Padres in 1949 and 1950. He hit .297 and then .339 with 115 RBIs.

Miñoso returned to the Indians in 1951. But the team still had many good players. He only played in eight games in April.

Moving to the Chicago White Sox

On April 30, 1951, the Indians traded Miñoso to the White Sox. On May 1, Miñoso became the first Black player for the White Sox. He hit a 415-foot (126 m) home run on the first pitch of his first at-bat!

He quickly became a star. He hit over .350 for much of the season. He finished the year hitting .324. He led the league with 14 triples and 31 stolen bases. He was hit by pitches 16 times. People started calling him "Mr. White Sox."

Miñoso was named to the AL All-Star team. He was one of the first Latin Americans to be an All-Star. He finished second in the AL's Rookie of the Year voting. He also finished fourth for the Most Valuable Player award.

Miñoso with the White Sox in 1953

Miñoso continued to play great for Chicago. He led the AL in steals in 1952 (22) and 1953 (25). In 1954, he led the league with 18 triples. He played in the All-Star Game every year from 1952 to 1954.

On May 18, 1955, Miñoso was hit in the head by a pitch. He suffered a skull fracture. But he still finished the season strong. He had a 23-game hitting streak. He also led AL left fielders with 18 assists.

Miñoso was a rare power hitter for the White Sox. On September 2, 1956, he broke the team record for career home runs. On September 23, 1957, he became the first White Sox player to hit 100 home runs. He led the league in triples again in 1956. In 1957, he led in doubles.

In the 1957 All-Star Game, Miñoso made a great catch. It saved a 6–5 victory for the AL. He won his first Gold Glove Award in 1957.

Later Seasons and Teams

Back to the Cleveland Indians

After the 1957 season, the White Sox traded Miñoso back to the Indians. In 1958, he hit a career high of 24 home runs. He led AL left fielders with 13 assists. He hit .302 in both 1958 and 1959. On April 21, 1959, he had a career-high five hits. He also drove in six runs.

He won his second Gold Glove Award in 1959. He also made another All-Star appearance.

Return to the Chicago White Sox

Miñoso was sad he missed the White Sox winning the pennant in 1959. He was very happy to be traded back to Chicago in December. White Sox owner Bill Veeck gave Miñoso an honorary 1959 championship ring.

Miñoso had his last great season in 1960. He made his last All-Star appearances. He led the AL with 184 hits. He had 105 RBIs. He hit over .300 for the last time. He also had a great defensive season. He won his third and final Gold Glove Award.

St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Senators

After the 1961 season, Miñoso was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1962, he broke his skull and wrist crashing into an outfield wall. He missed two months and struggled that year.

His contract was sold to the Washington Senators before the 1963 season. He was released in October after hitting .229.

Final Time with the White Sox

He signed with the White Sox again in 1964. He played in only 30 games, mostly as a pinch hitter. He hit his last home run on May 6. He retired after the 1964 season.

Starting in 1965, Miñoso played in the Mexican League. He played for the Charros de Jalisco. In his first season, he hit .360. He led the league with 35 doubles. He kept playing in Mexico for eight more seasons. In 1973, at age 47, he hit .265 with 12 home runs.

Coaching and Special Appearances

In 1976, Miñoso came out of retirement. He became a coach for the White Sox. He also played in three games that September. He got one hit. At age 50, he became the fourth oldest player to get a hit in the major leagues.

In 1980, Miñoso, at age 54, played for the White Sox again. He was a pinch hitter in two games. He became the fourth-oldest player ever in the majors. He also became only the second player in history to play in five different decades (1940s–1980s).

In 1993, Miñoso, at 67, played for the independent St. Paul Saints. He returned to the Saints in 2003. He drew a walk, becoming the only player to appear professionally in seven different decades! These later appearances were often special events.

Later Years and Legacy

Miñoso in 2010

Miñoso lived in Chicago. He was known as "Mr. White Sox." He married Sharon Rice in the 1990s. They had one son, Charles. Miñoso also had three children from a previous marriage: Orestes Jr., Cecilia, and Marilyn. His oldest son, Orestes Jr., played baseball for a short time.

He was inducted into many Halls of Fame:

• Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame (1994)
• Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame (1996)
• Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame (2002)
• Shrine of the Eternals (2002)
• Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame (2014)

On September 19, 2004, "Minnie Miñoso Day" was celebrated. A statue of him was unveiled at the ballpark. He received the 2011 Jerome Holtzman Award.

Death

Minnie Miñoso passed away on March 1, 2015. He died from a torn pulmonary artery. This was caused by a lung disease. His funeral was held in Chicago. Over 1,000 people attended.

President Barack Obama said, "For South Siders and Sox fans all across the country, including me, Minnie Miñoso is and will always be ‘Mr. White Sox.’"

Hall of Fame Journey

Miñoso became eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970. At that time, the Hall did not fully consider players from the Negro Leagues. He did not get enough votes. He was later put back on the ballot. He remained on the ballot for 14 years. But many voters did not remember his best playing days.

Some experts believe Miñoso should have been in the Hall of Fame sooner. They point to his "wins above replacement" (WAR) statistic. This shows how much a player helps their team win. Miñoso was among the top players in WAR for many seasons.

In 2011 and 2014, Miñoso was a candidate for the Hall of Fame's Golden Era Committee. This committee looks at players from 1947–1973. Candidates need 12 out of 16 votes to be inducted. Miñoso received 9 votes in 2011 and 8 votes in 2014.

Finally, on December 5, 2021, Minnie Miñoso was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame! He was officially inducted on July 24, 2022. His wife, Sharon, spoke for him at the ceremony.

Minnie Miñoso's Achievements

• East-West All-Star Game: 1947, 1948 (two games each)
• Sporting News Rookie of the Year: 1951 (Chicago AL, OF)
• MLB All-Star: 1951–1954, 1957, 1959 (two games), 1960 (two games)
• Gold Glove: 1957 (Outfield), 1959 (AL-Outfield), 1960 (AL-Outfield)
• AL leader in hits (1960)
• AL leader in doubles (1957)
• AL leader in triples (1951, 1954, 1956)
• AL leader in sacrifice flies (1960, 1961)
• AL leader in stolen bases (1951–1953)
• AL leader in times on base and total bases (1954)
• Chicago White Sox All-Century Team (2000)

Images for kids

• Minnie Miñoso 2010.jpeg

  Miñoso in 2010

See also