Former Woodlawn resident and White Sox Legend Minnie Miñoso was recently inducted into the 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame on July 24, in Cooperstown, New York.
Prior to his induction, Miñoso wife Sharon Rice-Miñoso sent the Baseball Hall of Fame organization valuable items and thousands of dollars worth of her former husband’s old jewelry to help tell the story of his personal life.
The valuable items consisted of a 1940s diamond and gold ring worth $75,000 and a gold bracelet with his name on it worth $50,000 dollars. The jewelry was appraised by professional appraiser Leila Dunbar.
Miñoso began his baseball career in the leagues in 1946 and became an All-Star third baseman with the New York Cubans. He was signed by the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball (MLB) after the 1948 season as baseball’s color line fell.
Miñoso went on to become an All-Star left fielder with both the Indians and the Chicago White Sox. Miñoso was also the first Black Cuban in the major leagues and the first Black player in White Sox history. He was also one of the first Latin Americans to play in an MLB All-Star Game.
At one point during his career, Miñoso resided at the Wedgewood Hotel on the corner of East 64th Street and South Minerva Avenue in the Woodlawn community.
Miñoso was nicknamed the “Cuban Comet” for his speed and five-tool ability on the baseball field as a player.
