Minnie Minoso, a legendary, longtime baseball player and the first Black player for the Chicago White Sox, died unexpectedly on March 1. He was 90.
Minoso died from a tear in his pulmonary artery caused by "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease," an autopsy found Sunday afternoon, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Minoso went out Saturday night for a friend's birthday party when he apparently fell ill and pulled over in the Lakeview neighborhood, according to police and family, the Tribune reported. He was found unresponsive in the driver's seat of his car near a gas station on North Ashland Avenue around 1 a.m. Sunday, according to police.
His son, Charlie Rice-Minoso, a Chicago resident who is openly gay, said March 1 that his dad had been "in great health and great spirits."
Rice-Minoso was a Windy City Times 30 Under 30 honoree in 2014.
"Dad never looked at people's labels," such as sexual orientation, said Rice-Minoso, who has received worldwide support since news broke that the former baseball player had passed, including friends/fans in London, the Dominican Republic and San Diego, among other places.
Minoso was born in Cuba, began his professional career in the Negro Leagues before breaking into the majors with the Cleveland Indians in 1949. He played for the White Sox from 1951-1957, and then again in 1964, 1976 and 1980. He was a seven-time All-Star whose uniform number ( 9 ) has been retired by the White Sox and the team dedicated a statue of him at U.S. Cellular Field in 2004.
"For South Siders and Sox fans all across the country, including me, Minnie Minoso is and will always be 'Mr. White Sox,'" President Obama said in a statement, released by the White House.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel released a statement hours after Minoso's death: "With the passing of Minnie Minoso, the City of Chicago has lost a legend on and off the field. He went from playing in the Negro leagues to reaching the very top of the major leagues, becoming the first African-American to play for the White Sox in 1951. His heroics, combining speed and power, brought joy to generations of fans on the South Side and his infectious enthusiasm forever solidified his place as a Chicago icon for the ages. I send my deepest condolences to his family, his friends, and his legion of fans. Soon it will be spring, the Sox will take the field, and 'The Cuban Comet' will be looming large in spirit. Thank you, Minnie for the many great memories."‹
Minoso, a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame, was a White Sox coach after playing and still a team ambassador, if not a representative for all of baseball and sports overall with his gracious, caring, loving, heartfelt ways. He never turned down autograph-seekers and always posed for photos. Minoso signed autographs in late January at the annual team-run convention, SoxFest, held at the Hilton Chicago—his last public signing sessions, according to signingshotline.com, a website that tracks sports autographs and appearances. Minoso also signed autographs last June at a major sports memorabilia convention held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.
His last media interview, conducted in mid-February, was with Chicago transgender sportswriter Christina Kahrl, Rice-Minoso said.
"They really connected," Rice-Minoso said of his dad and Kahrl. "He really enjoyed her, and loved, loved [the story she wrote for ESPN.com .]"
Rice-Minoso said his dad was a "pioneer for equal rights," and added that "it meant a lot that he supported me."
Kahrl, on March 1, said, "Among the gifts the game of baseball gives to all of us, one of its greatest was to give to Chicago and to fans everywhere a man like Minnie Minoso. There was no one more willing to embrace people through a shared love of baseball, and no one more unselfish with himself for the benefit of fans across generation after generation."
Jeff Book, a White Sox fan, said Chicago lost "a great baseball legend" with Minoso's passing. "Minnie Minoso was timeless and played across five decades which we will never see again. Hopefully he will be inducted to the Hall of Fame posthumously," Book said.
The White Sox released a press release about Minoso's passing, and team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said, "Our organization and our city have suffered a heart-breaking loss today. We have lost our dear friend and a great man. Many tears are falling.
Minoso is survived by his wife of 30 years, Sharon, sons Orestes Jr. and Charlie, and daughters Marilyn and Cecilia.
"Minnie truly was the heart, soul and smile of the White Sox," Christine O'Reilly, vice president of community relations for the White Sox, said in a statement. "We saw him every day at the ballpark and he loved the fans and the White Sox dearly. Nothing made him prouder than to be at the ballpark."
The Minoso family released a statement: "Our entire family appreciates the kind expressions of concern, sympathy and compassion from so many of our friends and fans of the White Sox during this most difficult time. Minnie lived a full life of joy and happiness, surrounded always by friends and family. It is during moments like these that love matters most. Minnie enjoyed nothing more than to be at the ballpark cheering on his White Sox. For Minnie, every day was a reason to smile, and he would want us all to remember him that way, smiling at a ballgame. As he so often said, "God Bless you, my friends."
