Minnie the Mulch

Orestes “Minnie” Minoso, who before becoming a side show gimmick was actually a pretty good baseball player, has died at the age of 89 or 90 of a torn pulmonary artery. A standout in the Cuban and Negro leagues before making the majors, he was the first black Latin ballplayer in the major leagues and the first black White Sox player. He got traded from the Indians to the White Sox in April 1951, as the Indians showed the kind of foresight that has left them without a World Series title since 1948, and Minoso went on to finish 2nd in Rookie of Year voting and 4^th in MVP voting for the first of 4 times. A solid RBI man with good speed and decent power, Minoso was a .298 career hitter, a 7-time All Star, 3-time Gold Glove winner and retired as the White Sox leading HR hitter, and his batting stance on top of the plate let him lead the league in hit by pitch a record 10 times. Minoso retired in 1964, but came back for cameo publicity stunts divined by White Sox owner Bill Veeck in 1976 and 1980 to become the only 5-decade player in 20^th century major league history. A planned reprise in 1990 was kiboshed by Fay Vincent, wielding the best interest of baseball sword he would later be hoisted upon. Veeck’s son Mike brought him back for 1 plate appearance for the independent minor league St. Paul Saints each in 1993 and 2003, to give him 7 professional decades.