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Minnie Miņoso [me-NYO-so] (b. November 29, 1922 in Havana [or Matanzas ?], Cuba), born Saturnino Orestes Armas Miņoso Arrieta, is a former star outfielder in Major League Baseball. He had earlier been a standout third baseman in the Negro Leagues, and would later play several seasons in Mexican baseball. He was nicknamed "The Cuban Comet", and in Mexico, "Mr. White --"El Charro Negro". He is the only player in major league history to play in five separate decades (1940s-80s). With brief appearances with the independent Northern League's St. Paul Saints in 1993 and 2003, Miņoso is the only player to have played professionally in 7 different decades.
Miņoso was signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent in 1948. Between 1949 and 1964 he played for the Tribe (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, 1951, in a game against the New York Yankees in Comiskey Park, the speedy Miņoso became the first black player to wear a White Sox uniform.
In 1976, after several years playing in Mexico, Miņoso returned to play three games with the White Sox. He picked up one single in eight at bats, becoming the oldest player ever to get a base hit in the major leagues (53); he returned to appear in two more games with the Sox in 1980. His five stints with Chicago cemented his image as a local baseball icon for at least three generations of Chisox fans.
In his major league career, and despite not playing regularly until he was nearly 30, Miņoso hit for a .298 BA, with 186 home runs, 1023 RBI, 1136 runs, 1963 hits, 336 doubles, 83 triples, 205 stolen bases, 814 walks and 192 hit by pitch. His .389 on base percentage and .459 slugging average, combined for a solid .848 OPS, is a clear indication of how valuable a player Miņoso truly was.
Achievements
- Number 9 retired by White Sox
- 7-time All-Star: 1951-54, 1957, 1959, 1960
- 3-time Gold Glove Award winner: 1957 (MLB), 1959-60 (AL)
- Five times in the top 10 of AL's MVP vote: 1951, 1953-54, 1957, 1960
- The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award: 1951
- Led AL in triples: 1951, 1954, 1956
- Led AL in hits and games played: 1960
- Led AL in doubles: 1957
- Led AL in hit by pitch: 1951-54, 1956-60
- Led AL in sacrifice flies: 1960-61
See also
External links
- Template:Baseball-reference
- Baseball Library (http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/M/Minoso_Minnie.stm)
- The Baseball Cube (http://www.thebaseballcube.com/profiles/MI/tbc15473.asp)
- The Top 100 Greatest Indians Roster (http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/submit/Cleveland_Indians1.stm)
Categories: 1951 American League All-Stars | 1952 American League All-Stars | 1953 American League All-Stars | 1954 American League All-Stars | 1957 American League All-Stars | 1959 American League All-Stars | 1960 American League All-Stars | Chicago White Sox players | Cleveland Indians players | St. Louis Cardinals players | Washington Senators players | Major league left fielders | Cuban baseball players | 1922 births