Ytown Tribe fan
01-22-2002, 01:37 PM
Minnie belongs in the Hall of Fame. Period.
He was 26 before he could break the color line (in 1949), right after Larry Doby in the AL. The Tribe kept him in the minors in 1950 before trading him to the White Sox, where he had his rookie season in 1951, at the age of 28.
Minnie was robbed of the 1951 Rookie-of-the-Year award by voters who thought the Yanks' Gil McDougald was more valuable. Compare their numbers and you will see how ludicrous that choice was.
From 28 on, he was one of the greatest ballplayers of all time. He scored over 1100 runs and drove in over 1000 RBI, and gained over 3000 total bases, all after his 28th birthday.
The only players to accomplish those feats are all in the Hall, with the exceptions of Darrell Evans, Dwight Evans, and players not yet eligible. (Pete Rose had fewer than 1000 RBI after his 28th Birthday).
The Hall has routinely made exceptions for Black players who had partial careers due to the color line, as well as great Black players who never played in the majors.
Minnie was born in the wrong year, plain and simple. If he had been born a couple of years later, he would be in the Hall since he would have had 2 or 3 more years in the majors. If he had been born a few years earlier, he would be in the Hall as a primarily Negro League selection.
Take a minute or two to look over his career accomplishments -- there can be no doubt that he was a great player before his 28th birthday, and he was -- but not in the major leagues. There is no doubt that he was a great player while he was in the majors, and for many years.
From 1951-1960, only Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle were more productive AL hitters. Look it up, it's true. Minnie was more productive than Ted Williams, Larry Doby, Al Rosen, Nellie Fox, and every other AL batter in the 50's, other than Yogi and the Mick.
He belongs in the Hall.
He was 26 before he could break the color line (in 1949), right after Larry Doby in the AL. The Tribe kept him in the minors in 1950 before trading him to the White Sox, where he had his rookie season in 1951, at the age of 28.
Minnie was robbed of the 1951 Rookie-of-the-Year award by voters who thought the Yanks' Gil McDougald was more valuable. Compare their numbers and you will see how ludicrous that choice was.
From 28 on, he was one of the greatest ballplayers of all time. He scored over 1100 runs and drove in over 1000 RBI, and gained over 3000 total bases, all after his 28th birthday.
The only players to accomplish those feats are all in the Hall, with the exceptions of Darrell Evans, Dwight Evans, and players not yet eligible. (Pete Rose had fewer than 1000 RBI after his 28th Birthday).
The Hall has routinely made exceptions for Black players who had partial careers due to the color line, as well as great Black players who never played in the majors.
Minnie was born in the wrong year, plain and simple. If he had been born a couple of years later, he would be in the Hall since he would have had 2 or 3 more years in the majors. If he had been born a few years earlier, he would be in the Hall as a primarily Negro League selection.
Take a minute or two to look over his career accomplishments -- there can be no doubt that he was a great player before his 28th birthday, and he was -- but not in the major leagues. There is no doubt that he was a great player while he was in the majors, and for many years.
From 1951-1960, only Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle were more productive AL hitters. Look it up, it's true. Minnie was more productive than Ted Williams, Larry Doby, Al Rosen, Nellie Fox, and every other AL batter in the 50's, other than Yogi and the Mick.
He belongs in the Hall.