TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

Minnie Minoso official MLB debut was on April 19, 1949, he walked in his first official plate appearance against the St Louis Browns. He was nicknamed "the Cuban Comet". He began his baseball career in the Negro leagues in 1946 and became an All-Star third baseman with the New York Cubans. He hit .356 in 1947 and .344 in 1948 leading the league in triples. He was signed by the Cleveland Indians after the 1948 season.

Minoso had a cup of coffee with Cleveland in 1949, played in AAA in 1950 where he dominated the league hitting .339 with 70 extra base hits. The main issue with Cleveland at the time, there roster was full with Larry Doby, Ken Keltner, and Dale Mitchell. After appearing in 8 games in 1951 and still officially a rookie he was obtained by the White Sox in a three-team deal involving the Indians and A's on April 30, 1951.

On May 1, in a game against the Yankees in Comiskey Park, the young Cuban speedster became the first black player to don a White Sox uniform. In the very first inning, Minoso homered off Vic Raschi. (Mickey Mantle hit his first ML home run in the sixth inning of the same game.) Read more

Minoso finished his rookie year as the AL leader in stolen bases (31) and triples (14); his .326 batting average was second only to Philadelphia's Ferris Fain's .344, and his 112 runs fell one short of Dom DiMaggio's league-leading 113. Though the Yankees' Gil McDougald won the baseball writers' Rookie of the Year honors, Minoso was TSN's Rookie of the Year.

He led the AL in stolen bases again in 1952 and 1953 and in triples in 1954, and tied for the league lead in steals in 1956 and in doubles in 1957. He would do whatever was necessary to get on base, including getting in the way of fastballs.

In 16 AL seasons, he set the league record by being hit by a pitch 189 times. Traded with Fred Hatfield to Cleveland in December 1957 for Early Wynn and Al Smith, he was not around when the Go-Go White Sox won the 1959 AL pennant; Bill Veeck awarded him an honorary championship ring anyway.

With Cleveland, Minoso hit a career-high 24 home runs in 1958, and he batted .302 in both 1958 and 1959 before the White Sox reacquired him. In 1960 he led the AL with 184 hits, was second to Roger Maris with 105 RBI, and batted over .300 for his eighth and final time.

Following stints with the Cardinals and Senators, he retired after spending 1964 as a White Sox pinch hitter.

Twelve years later, during the second Veeck ownership, Minoso was brought out of retirement and went hitless as Chicago's DH against the Angels' Frank Tanana on September 11, 1976. "It's been many years since I face pitching like this," he explained. "I hope they [the fans] forgive me." The next day, he collected his last ML hit. He was a White Sox coach from 1976 to 1978.

In 1980, when he was again activated, joining Nick Altrock as the only five-decade major leaguers; he went 0-for-2 as a pinch hitter.

In 2001, historian Bill James selected Miñoso as the tenth greatest left fielder of all time; based on the then-general belief that Miñoso was born in 1922 rather than 1925, James wrote, "Had he gotten the chance to play when he was 21 years old, I think he'd probably be rated among the top thirty players of all time."

July 16, 2003 - Minnie Minoso becomes the 1st player to play professional baseball in 7 decades when he walks in the 1st inning as DH for the St. Paul Saints in their Northern League game against Gary. Minoso currently works in the Chicago White Sox community relations department.

"I know that baseball fans have me in their own Hall of Fame - the one in their hearts. That matters more to me than any official recognition. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be, and I am truly honored to be considered. I've given my life to baseball, and the game has given me so much." — after he failed to earn election to the Hall of Fame by a special Negro leagues ballot in 2006.

Ever popular in Chicago, he became a team goodwill ambassador. He will pass away on March 1, 2015.

Miñoso was selected to be on the Hall of Fame's Golden Era Committee election ballot in 2011 and 2014. In order to be inducted, any of ten candidates on the ballot must receive at least 12 of 16 votes cast by the 16-member Golden Era Committee at the MLB Winter Meeting in December. In 2011 and 2014, Miñoso received 9 and 8 votes; in 2011, only Ron Santo with 15 votes was elected to the Hall of Fame (inducted 2012). In 2014, none of the candidates were elected by the committee. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on December 5, 2021. He was formally inducted on July 24, 2022, with his widow Sharon speaking on his behalf.

April 19, 1944 — At the Polo Grounds, Mel Ott of the New York Giants hits the first National League home run of the season off Jim Tobin of the Boston Braves in the bottom of the first, his 464th of his career, held up as all the runs the Giants would need behind the pitching of Ewald Pyle. 3,900 fans saw the Pyle go the distance allowing just 4 hits, 1 run and striking out 5. Giants defeat the Boston Braves, 2 – 1. Ernie Lombardi would record the only other hit for the Giants.

April 19, 1945, Joe Cronin of the Boston Red Sox fractured his right leg when he catches his spikes at 2B in a 4–3 loss to the New York Yankees. The injury will influence the 39-year-old to retire as a major league player.

April 19, 1949 — The New York Yankees unveil a granite monument to Babe Ruth. Monument Park, eight months after his death, located in the deep center field region of Yankee Stadium, also includes monuments for Lou Gehrig and Miller Huggins. Gehrig and Huggins, who were also awarded posthumously with cenotaphs, the team’s highest honor of all.

April 19, 1963 — Willie Mays becomes the all-time National League right-handed home run leader when he connects for his 371st career round-tripper, a fourth-inning solo shot off Chicago’s Larry Jackson in the Giants’ 5-1 victory at Candlestick Park. The San Francisco center fielder surpasses Gil Hodges, who established the mark last season.

April 19 , 1964 — Bob Bruce ties a major-league record by striking out the side on nine pitches in the eighth inning against the Cardinals. It happens in a 6-1 loss to Bob Gibson. Bruce fans Bill White, Charley Jones and Ken Boyer in perfect order. The next inning, after a leadoff single, Bruce KOs Tim McCarver, Julian Javier and Gibson for good measure.

April 19, 1966 — The California Angels play their first game at Anaheim Stadium. Rick Reichardt of the Angels hits the first home run in the new ballpark, but California loses the game, 3 – 1, to the Chicago White Sox.

April 19, 1972 — Sparky Lyle becomes the first reliever to come into a game with a signature entrance song when the Yankee Stadium PA system plays Pomp and Circumstance as the closer approaches the mound. Although the southpaw secures the last out of the team’s 3-2 victory over Milwaukee, the New York relief pitcher feels the song, selected by PR man Marty Appel to signify the end of the game much as the Edward Elgar’s march signals the end of an academic accomplishment, adds more pressure to his closer role and asks the public relations department to put the tradition on hold.

Bob Elson Interviews Bill Buckner on April 19, 1980.

April 19, 1981, at the Kingdome, Billy ball prevails as the Oakland Athletics set a modern day record for the most consecutive wins to start a season. Mike Norris goes 6+ in the A’s 6-1 win over the Mariners. Ricky Henderson goes 2-4 with a triple and 2 RBI’s. Giving them their 11th straight victory.

TRIVIA

TRIVIA: Which player's sixth career leadoff home run was also the home run that placed him in the 300/300 club?

Hint: #1 He was on one end of the worst trade in Orioles’ history, according to locals.

Hint: #2 He’s the only outfielder to win a Gold Glove at age 39.

IF you think you know the answer and bonus points for how many respond with details and if you are right I will give you a shut out! No Googling!

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 ANSWER TO YESTERDAY’S TRIVIA

YESTERDAY'S TRIVIA: Who once led the league in home runs the same year that his batting average was barely over the Mendoza Line?

Hint: #1 He led the National League in home run for two different teams.

Hint: #2 A Hall of Fame home run slugger said of him, “He can hit them out of any park—including Yellowstone”.

A. DAVE KINGMAN  

- Ans. Kingman’s 37 HR in 1982 for NYM, led the NL. He ended the season hitting .204, the lowest ever for a league HR champion. Mendoza Line.

- #1 Kingman hit 48 HR to lead the majors for the Cubs in 1979. When he fell to 18 HR in 1980, he was traded back to the Mets where he managed 37 in ‘82.

- #2 The quote is attributed to Ralph Kiner, who had a 10-year playing career then a half-century career (1961-2013) as a baseball announcer.

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