R.I.P. Minnie "The Cuban Comet" Minoso, Chicago's First Black MLB Player Dead at 92.

The baseball world lost another legend on Sunday, as former Chicago White Sox outfielder Minnie Minoso passed away this morning at the age of 92.

Minoso had a phenomenal career with the White Sox: he held a .304 average with 135 homers, and recorded 808 RBIs in 12 seasons with the club.

In addition to his performance on the field, Minoso’s impact on the game was in the form as a pioneer of progress and reform. When he was traded by the Cleveland Indians to the White Sox during the 1951 season, Minoso became Chicago’s first black MLB player ever. The White Sox retired his No. 9 in 1983, and there is a statue of “The Cuban Comet” outside of U.S. Cellular Field.

Overall: Minnie was a three-time winner of the Gold Glove Award, and finished in the top four of American League MVP voting four separate times. In addition: his combination of power and speed put him in a class of his own…

Despite a campaign by the White Sox franchise and other prominent Latin players, Minnie never got inducted to the Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown — the closest he ever got was 21.1%, on the writers’ ballot, in 1988. In 2014: he almost got the votes required to get in via the MLB Veterans Committee, however, once again fell short of the required percentage for induction.

”My last dream is to be in Cooperstown, to be with those guys,” Minoso said in a 2011 video distributed by the White Sox. ”I want to be there. This is my life’s dream.”

Damn…

R.I.P. Minnie. You may not be in the Hall of Fame, but, your contributions to the game of baseball will be remembered forever.