(SportsNetwork.com) – Former Chicago White Sox star Minnie Minoso has died.
The White Sox didn’t release details of the Minoso’s death, saying he passed
away Saturday night in Chicago.
Baseball-reference.com listed Minoso’s age as 89 and the White Sox said he was
90.
“Our organization and our city have suffered a heart-breaking loss today,”
said White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf in a statement Sunday. “We have lost
our dear friend and a great man. Many tears are falling.”
Minoso, a native of Cuba, began his big league career with Cleveland in 1949,
but spent 12 of his 17 seasons in the majors with the White Sox. He was
Chicago’s first black player when he was acquired from the Indians in 1951.
A nine-time All-Star, Minoso played most of his career in the outfield and was
a lifetime .298 hitter with 336 doubles, 83 triples, 186 homers and 1,023 runs
batted in. He won three Gold Glove awards, led the American League in triples
and stolen bases three times and topped the circuit in doubles once.
In addition to his time with the White Sox and Indians, Minoso also played for
the Cardinals and Senators.
Minoso retired in 1964, but returned to action in 1976 and picked up a hit in
eight at-bats over three games with the White Sox. He was hitless in two more
plate appearances in 1980, which allowed him to play in five different
decades.
The White Sox retired his No. 9 in 1983 and unveiled a sculpture of the man
known as the “Cuban Comet” in 2004.
