Saturnino “Minnie” Miñoso “the Cuban Comet” who played his last game at the age of 54 (or thereabouts)

On My Walk at Graceland Cemetery, Chicago — Honouring Minnie Miñoso, The Cuban Comet

While searching for the grave of Ernie Banks, I came across another Chicago baseball legend resting nearby: Minnie Miñoso, affectionately known as The Cuban Comet.

Born in Perico, Cuba, near Havana, Minnie grew up on a sugarcane plantation where his father worked hard to provide for the family. Minnie’s journey took him from playing professional baseball in Cuba and the Negro Leagues to signing with the Cleveland Indians after the 1948 season, just as baseball’s colour barrier began to fall.

Minnie made history as the first Black Cuban to play in the Major Leagues and the first Black player in White Sox history — a trailblazer who changed the game.

Throughout his career, Miñoso was a formidable triple threat: combining power at the plate, a high batting average, and electrifying speed on the bases. He led the American League three times in triples, once in doubles, and once in hits, cementing his place among the game’s greats.

A fascinating footnote to his storied career came in 1980, when Minnie—at the remarkable age of 54 (or perhaps 56; his exact birthdate is a mystery)—came out of retirement to make two plate appearances with the White Sox. This feat made him one of the few players to span five decades of Major League play — from the 1940s to the 1980s.

Minnie Miñoso died in Chicago on March 1, 2015. He was 89. He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 2022.

1924-2015

A Minnie Miñoso Hall of Fame commemorative plaque I bought outside the stadium from a street vendor.

1959 Minnie Miñoso signed All-Star baseball from my personal collection.