minnie minoso (1925-2015) died sunday, march 1, 2015. he was 89.
growing up in the early 1950s in upstate new york, my friends and i were keenly aware of a handful of really talented black players, jackie robinson, of course, and roy campanella, joe black, don newcombe, junior gilliam, all with the dodgers, and the giants' willie mays.
but our consciousness didn't extend much beyond new york city, so pioneers like lady doby, hank aaron and satchel paige, were off our radars. the one fellow in the west who wasn't, whose exploits penetrated the east, was saturnino orestes arrieta, who played under the great, head-turning name of minnie minoso, and who was blazing fast, who dared to face high fastballs, left field walls, and discrimination, as mlb's first black latin player in the modern era, with determination and a great smile.
if you read the ny times obit below, you'll see that minnie's attitude toward the game was not unlike ours: if you enjoy it, do it, do it well, with respect, and keep doing it until you can't.
i thought the bbwa and the veterans' committee have gotten it really wrong three times, when, on hall of fame votes, they left off gil hodges, buck o'neill and minnie minoso. somewhere, in a better world, i hope they're playing pepper now.
