(670 The Score) White Sox great Minnie Miñoso has been elected to the Hall of Fame.
The late Miñoso earned the prestigious honor Sunday evening, when the Hall of Fame revealed the Golden Days Era committee had voted him into Cooperstown. To gain induction, individuals had to garner at least 12 of 16 votes from the committee. Miñoso earned 14 votes.
Miñoso played three seasons in the Negro Leagues – including helping the New York Cubans win a championship in 1947 – and then had a 17-year MLB career. Miñoso was a nine-time All-Star and a three-time Gold Glove winner.
Miñoso hit .299 with 195 homers in his career. He had peaked with 21.1% of the vote on the traditional Hall of Fame ballot back in 1988.
Miñoso was also an iconic figure among his fellow Cubans.
"Minnie represented us from Cuba in a way that was important both on and off the field,” former White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras said back in November. “He handled himself so well through things and times no one had experienced before.
“To me, Minnie was a legend. He was one of the reasons I started playing baseball as a kid. When I had a chance to meet him when I came here to play, it was incredible. He was our Jackie Robinson.”
Miñoso was one of four players to earn Hall of Fame honors via the Golden Days Era committee Sunday. The others were first baseman/outfielder Gil Hodges, left-hander Jim Kaat and outfielder Tony Oliva. Kaat played for the White Sox from 1973-’75.
Miñoso played for the White Sox from 1951-’57, 1960-’61 and in 1964. He also made cameo appearances for them in 1976 and 1980, becoming the first player to appear in a game in five decades. Miñoso passed away in 2015.