Trade for Miñoso energizes White Sox

Minnie Miñoso had played in just 17 American League games when he became a prime member of a three-team trade on April 30, 1951.

Many of the other players in the deal – like Lou Brissie, Dave Philley and Gus Zernial – were established big league regulars. But it was Miñoso who would outshine them all on the way to Cooperstown.

Miñoso, born in Cuba, got his first shot to play professional baseball in the United States after signing with the New York Cubans of the Negro National League in 1946. In his three seasons with the team, Miñoso would be named an All-Star four times and win the Negro League World Series in 1947.

Following a tryout in which Miñoso would fail to secure a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, he had unknowingly impressed the scouts of another team: The Cleveland Indians. In 1948, Miñoso would sign with Cleveland and spend the remainder of the season playing for Dayton in the Central League, hitting an astonishing .525 over 11 games.

The following season in 1949, Miñoso would make the Opening Day roster but did not see much playing time, only appearing in nine games before being sent to play in the Pacific Coast League for the next two seasons.

Despite making the Opening Day roster again for Cleveland in 1951, the team could not give Miñoso a consistent starting spot. As a result of this, Cleveland decided to deal Miñoso to the White Sox as part of the three-team transaction with the Philadelphia Athletics.

Debuting for the White Sox on May 1, Miñoso would have a breakout season, hitting .326 while leading the AL with 31 stolen bases and all major leagues with 14 triples. He would also secure an All-Star selection and a fourth-place finish in the AL Most Valuable Player voting for his efforts.

While Miñoso was putting on stellar performances on the field, he was also breaking barriers for Black and Latino athletes in American professional sports. Miñoso was not only the first dark-skinned Latino player in AL or NL history but he was also the first Black player to compete for the White Sox.

In his 1998 autobiography, Hall of Fame player Orlando Cepeda had nothing but praise for Miñoso and his lasting impact on the game of baseball.

“Minnie Miñoso is to Latin ballplayers what Jackie Robinson is to black ballplayers,” Cepeda wrote. “Minnie is the one who made it possible for all us Latins.”

Over his next six seasons with the White Sox, Miñoso would earn four All-Star selections and finish Top 10 in AL MVP voting three times.

After the 1957 season, Miñoso would be traded back to Cleveland by the White Sox in exchange for future Hall of Fame pitcher Early Wynn and Al Smith. He would be traded back to Chicago only two seasons later in 1960. Picking up right where he left off, Miñoso would again be selected to the All-Star team and finish fourth in the AL MVP voting in a season where he would lead the AL in hits with 184.

After the 1961 season, Miñoso played for St. Louis and Washington before returning to the White Sox in 1964 for what would be his final full season of Major League Baseball. He would, however, come out of retirement for a few pinch-hitting appearances in 1976 and 1980 for the White Sox while serving as a coach. After his 1980 pinch-hit appearance, Miñoso became one of three players in history to play across five decades, joining Nick Altrock and Satchel Paige.

Over his 12 seasons with the White Sox, Miñoso compiled 1,523 hits and 171 stolen bases along with a .304 batting average. In 1984, Chicago would retire his jersey number and unveil a statue in his honor.

Miñoso was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.

Aidan Shephard was an intern in the Jim Murray Sports Communications Scholars Program at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum