Minoso biography

He served as a pinch-hitter and sometime first baseman during a thrilling pennant chase between the White Sox, Orioles, and Yankees. Chicago lost the pennant by a single game. The end was near. Though it was time to leave the major leagues, his status in the sport made him a big drawing card throughout the Caribbean. In he started a second career with Jalisco of the Mexican League.

Now almost strictly a first baseman, he batted. Over the next eight seasons he would also suit up for league clubs in Orizara, Puerto Mexico, and Torreon. Inat the age of 48, he played in games and hit. After that season, he finally called it quits. Almost nobody noticed at the time that he had compiled more than 4, career hitsone of the very few professional ballplayers to do so.

One day later, he singled as a pinch-hitter. Paul Saints. He grounded out in his only at-bat for the minoso biography. The ball and bat were sent to Cooperstown to mark the moment when pro baseball had its first six-decade player. His contract, prorated for one game, paid him 32 bucks. His best showing was inwhen he got votes from He was one of 94 candidates considered by the Committee on African-American Baseball inbut was not enshrined.

Some reports had him as old as He was survived by his wife of 30 years, Sharon; two sons, Orestes Jr. There had been a couple of developments in the interim that promised to tilt the scales in his favor. InMajor League Baseball formally recognized the statistics Minoso had amassed during his three years with the New York Cubans, nudging his career totals further into Hall of Fame territory.

It also prompted a closer examination of why Minoso had lost precious time in the majors during his two powerhouse seasons in the Pacific Coast League. In a vote of the Golden Days committee held on December 5,Minnie Minoso received 14 of a possible 16 votes—two more than the minimum 12 required for enshrinement—to conclude his journey to Cooperstown.

Bjarkman and Bill Nowlin. It originally appeared at jockbio. Hoffman, Jonn C. Kuenster, John. Lane, Frank, as told to Warren Brown. Millea, John. Mitchell, Fred. Prell, Edward. Rogers, Phil. Van Dyck, Dave. Dewey, Donald, and Nicholas Acocella. Echevarria, Roberto Gonzalez. Furlong, Bill, and Ray Robinson. James, Bill. Mortenson, Tom, and Danny Peary, eds.

Pettavino, Paula J. Regalado, Samuel O. Viva Baseball! Riley, James A. Central Ave. This article was written by Mark Stewart. Updated December 24, Sources Articles Bisher, Furman. Condon, David. He rejoined the White Sox as a coach, and made brief but highly publicized player appearances in and He became the third player to get a hit after the age of 50 and the second player to appear in the major leagues in five different decades Nick Altrock is the other.

Cellular Field in In August ofthe former George B. He and the other candidates including former White Sox teammate Billy Pierceand two other former players from Cuba, Tony Oliva and Luis Tiantall missed induction in His father worked in the fields of the sugarcane plantation on which the family lived. He was the starting third baseman for the East in the All-Star Gameand again in Louis Browns.

He got his first hit in his next game on May 4, a single off Alex Kellner in the sixth inning of a 4—3 win over the Philadelphia Athletics. The next day, he hit his first home runoff Jack Kramer in the second inning of a 7—3 win over the Boston Red Sox. He consequently had only 14 at bats in eight April games. He was an instant star, maintaining a batting average over.

That year, he scored runs one short of Dom DiMaggio 's league leading total in games played, topping the league with 14 triples and 31 stolen bases as well as 16 times being hit by pitches, [ 14 ] and became known as "Mr. White Sox". He led the AL in steals in both 22 [ 18 ] and 25[ 19 ] and topped the league with 18 triples and total bases in[ 20 ] appearing in the All-Star Game all minoso biography years and starting in On April 14,Opening Day, he provided the only hit for the Sox in a 4—0 loss to the Indians' Bob Lemon[ 21 ] and on July 4,he broke up a combined no-hitter by minoso biography Indians pitchers with two out in the ninth inning of a 2—1 loss.

He led AL left fielders with three double plays in[ 22 ] and the following year led all major league left fielders with 13 assists and three double plays. In addition, his 18 assists that season were not only twice as many as any other left fielder in the major leagues, but also matched the highest mark by any AL left fielder from through He also led AL left fielders in putouts for the first time with On September 2,he hit his 80th home run with the Sox, off Hank Aguirrein a 4—3 win over the Indians, breaking Zeke Bonura 's team record.

On September 23,in a 6—5 road loss to the Athletics, he became the first player to hit home runs with the White Sox, connecting in the fourth inning off Alex Kellner. In the All-Star Game, he saved a 6—5 victory for the AL with a dramatic catch for the final out, with the tying run on second base. Minoso had his last great season in — he made his last All-Star appearances starter in both games[ 35 ] [ 36 ] led the AL with hits, had RBIs, batted over.

He also had perhaps his best defensive season, leading all major league left fielders in putoutsassists 14 and double plays 3 and winning his third and final Gold Glove Award. After the season, in which his average dropped to. His contract was sold to the Washington Senators prior to the season, [ 41 ] and after hitting. He signed with the White Sox before the campaign, [ 43 ] but appeared in only 30 games that year, batting.

He retired after the season. Playing first base, he batted. He continued to play in the Mexican League for the next eight seasons. He hit. He became the fourth-oldest player ever to play in the majors, behind Nick Altrockwho at age 57, pinch hit inCharley O'Learywho at age 58, pinch hit inand Satchel Paigewho at age 59, pitched three shutout innings in one game in He did so while wearing the new uniform debuted by the White Sox that day, his familiar number 9 on the back.

Minoso biography

Paul Saints of the Northern League. He had three children from his first marriage: Orestes Jr. The eldest, son Orestes Jr. He was 90 years old. The pair died weeks apart in early He was restored to the ballot five years after his final appearances as a player, and finally began to receive support as a candidate, remaining on the ballot for 14 years before his eligibility expired; however, most of the writers voting by that point had little memory of him during his prime.

Contents move to sidebar hide. Louis Cardinals. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. Cuban-American baseball player — In this Spanish namethe first or paternal surname is Armas and the second or maternal family name is Arrieta. Baseball player.

Early life [ edit ]. Baseball playing career [ edit ]. Cuba and Negro leagues [ edit ]. Cleveland Indians [ edit ]. Move to the Chicago White Sox [ edit ]. Later seasons [ edit ]. Chicago White Sox [ edit ]. Louis Cardinals [ edit ]. Washington Senators [ edit ]. It can become a game of nerves. There are times when the batter gets a fastball "down Main Street" and is able to conect for a hit or extra base hit.

At other times the pitcher may throw "chin music," which is a pitch thrown at the batter's body as a message to back away. Both parties are at risk. The batter's risk is on getting hit and the pitcher risks giving up a hit, hit-by-pitch or walk. In rare minoso biographies players can be injured and lose a season or even their careers. As Chapman leaned over the plate on a count, he was hit in the head by a Mays pitch.

Chapman lost Consciousness and died the next morning. Minnie Minoso knew the seriousness of the mind game between batter and pitcher. He had experienced it in Cuba and in the Negro Leagues. He never gave in though. Minoso would crouch and crowd the plate, daring the opposing pitcher. In doing so, he would "take one for the team" as necessary by getting hit.

In his major league career he would bat more than. Four times he drove in more than runs. In seventeen major league seasons, he would score nearly two thousand total runs. There was a price, however, to pay for his success. For ten minoso biographies, he would also lead the league in being hit by a pitch. In he had his skull fractured by a pitch striking him above the left eye.

InMinnie was hit by a pitch 22 times, breaking a nearly half century old major league record. The New York Yankees Hall of Fame manager, Casey Stengel would say of him, "Why that guy crouches so far over the plate that you can't throw an inside strike to him without hitting him. I tell my fellows to throw 'em inside there with plenty of mustard on the pitch.

But that don't scare Minnie. It would hurt. He would risk injury, but not back down. In his major league career, Minnie Minoso was hit or "plunked" times. Some players get angry and charge the mound after being hit. They want to physically confront the pitcher that hit them. Minoso felt differently. He considered each time to be an accident. Often he would pick up the ball after it struck him and toss it back to the pitcher with a big smile.

He played with an aggressive Latin and Negro League approach to the game. He loved baseball. El Perico was a town of about 3, residents in the rich sugar cane region of Cuba. In the Spanish-speaking culture, a child's first name is their given name. The following names are the surnames of the father followed by the surname of the mother. Minnie's mother's name was Arrieta, hence his given last name.

Minnie had two older half brothers whose mother's maiden name was Minoso. The brothers played ball and were called Minoso. Growing up in Cuba, Minnie was incorrectly called Minoso or more correctly, Orestes. His name would change when he came to the major leagues.