An intimate portrait session with Minnie Miñoso in Plainfield, Illinois, in his later years, before his death in 2015 and his long-awaited, posthumous induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.
Even in his late eighties, “Mr. White Sox” arrived in his beret with his rings on, ready to play. A ball in his hand and a story on his lips, he was every bit the showman who charmed Chicago for more than half a century.
Orestes “Minnie” Miñoso was born in Perico, Cuba, in the mid-1920s (records differ on the exact year) and left school young to work in the sugarcane fields and play baseball.
The Negro Leagues
He came to the United States to play third base for the New York Cubans of the Negro National League, where his speed, hitting and joy for the game made him a star.
Breaking Barriers
Miñoso debuted in the major leagues with Cleveland in 1949. In 1951 he was traded to Chicago and became the first Black player in White Sox history, widely recognized as the first Afro-Latino player in the major leagues. On May 1, 1951, he homered on the very first pitch of his first at-bat at Comiskey Park, hit .326 that season, and quickly became a fan favorite.
On the Field
Hitting for average and power, running the bases with abandon and playing tough defense, he was a nine-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner. He led the American League in stolen bases three times and in triples three times. The White Sox brought him back for brief appearances in 1976 and 1980, making him one of only two players to appear in major league games in five different decades.
Mr. White Sox
Miñoso remained a beloved ambassador for the White Sox and a fixture at the ballpark for the rest of his life. The team retired his No. 9 and, in 2004, unveiled a statue of him in his batting stance. He died on March 1, 2015.
The Hall of Fame
For decades his Hall of Fame case fell short. In December 2021 the Golden Days Era Committee finally elected him with 14 of 16 votes, and he was inducted posthumously in Cooperstown on July 24, 2022, recognized at last as a great player and a trailblazer for Latin American and Black players.
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