Minnie Minoso

[hold2dibber]

I noticed that Rob Neyer of ESPN has Minnie as the 5th (I believe) most deserving player of HOF induction. Yet, as much as he is beloved on the South Side, Minnie clearly doesn't have the same forceful HOF support that Nellie had.

If you look at his career stats, (http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/minosmi01.shtml) he clearly was a special player (I was born in '67, so I have no first hand knowledge). He was a 7 time All-Star, 5 time top-ten MVP votes, 8 times top-10 league BA, 9 times top-10 league OBP leader, 6 times top-10 league SLG % leader, 8 times top-10 league OPS leader , lead the league in SBs 3 times, lead the league in hit by pitch NINE times, 3 gold gloves, top 10 in HRs twice, top 10 in RBIs 5 times, etc., etc., etc.

On top of that, Minnie was and is an incredible baseball ambassador. I met him for the first time playing pinball in CF of the old Comiskey in the late '70s. Since then, I've met him maybe 2 or 3 times at the ballpark. He is an incredible human being. Bubbling over with enthusiasm, friendliness and humor. He deserves all of our support. Write your local neighborhood HOF voter and make the case for Minnie. The HOF is woefully short of Pale Hose. We should all do what we can to see someone like Minnie, who is so obviously qualified, make it into Cooperstown.

[gogosoxgogo]

Minnie was a great player and an even better guy, I just don't think he was a hall of famer. At least no more than I think Ryne Sandburg and Ron Santo are HOFer's either.

[RichH55]

Originally posted by gogosoxgogo
Minnie was a great player and an even better guy, I just don't think he was a hall of famer. At least no more than I think Ryne Sandburg and Ron Santo are HOFer's either.


Sandburg will make it because they moved him from 3B early in his career........Santo will eventually make it because he has become a good story(He seems like an excellent guy, but I never thought that was all that important for the HOF, c'est la vie)

[A.T. Money]

I had the pleasure of meeting Minnie in May of 2000. He threw out the first pitch at Opening Day at our suburb's little league season. He gave a little speech to the kids, telling them to love baseball, and love their mother. Heh, it was great. He actually wore my glove when tossing out the first pitch. I'll have to find the picture and scan it.

[hose]

Buck O'Neil is MLB's lead man when it comes to Negro League ballplayers getting into the Hall of Fame. Somehow Latin ballplayers fall through the cracks. How about a Tony Perez or a Juan Marichal in the same capacity looking into some off the great ballplayers from Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, ect.

Minoso was 26 when he had his first ML at bat in 1949, two years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. Minnie might have been as old as 29, but officially he was "26".

Playing MLB was not an option for Minoso before 1947, and these could have been some of Minoso's most productive years.