R.I.P. Minnie Minoso

Minnie Minoso, who became Chicago’s first black major league baseball player when he played for the White Sox in 1951, died March 1st, 2015. His exact age is in question; the White Sox say he was 90 while Baseball-Reference.com says 89.

Minoso, whose real name was Saturnino Orestes Armas Minoso, was born in Havana, Cuba and made his major league debut with the Cleveland Indians in 1949, playing in 9 games. He was traded to the White Sox in April of 1951, and hit a home run off the New York Yankees’ Vic Raschi in his first game with Chicago on May 1. Minoso, who primarily played left field, had a good combination of power and speed, leading the American League in both triples and stolen bases three times. He also had four seasons of 20 or more home runs and drove in over 100 runs in a season four times, and hit .300 or better eight times.

Minoso was traded back to Cleveland after the 1957 season, and missed out in the White Sox 1959 American League championship, their first pennant in 40 years. The two players acquired in the trade, outfielder Al Smith and pitcher Early Wynn, were key players in Chicago’s championship team. Minoso was traded back to Chicago after the 1959 season. He also played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Senators. He retired in 1964, but was brought back by the White Sox in 1976 for three games and in 1980 for two games 1980 at age 54, thus playing in five separate decades. He remained a beloved figure for White Sox fans, players, and team ownership until the end. His death comes just weeks after the Chicago Cubs’ first black player, Ernie Banks, passed away.