by Yasel Porto
At last the light was made! And justice, although it took a while, has just made an appearance for two of the greatest exponents of Cuban baseball. Definitely December 5, 2021 will remain forever as one of the most momentous days of our wonderful baseball history. It seemed that the climax was going to be in the MVP of Jorge Soler or the awards of Randy Arozarena and Yuli Gurriel but no, the great closing for a fantastic year of Cuban ball has just occurred with the appointment of Orestes Miñoso and Tony Oliva as new inductees to the Hall of Fame from Cooperstown, USA.
Both were elected as part of the Special Veterans Committee “The Golden Days” and now Cuba regains supremacy in Cooperstown among foreign countries with a total of 7 elected, 6 of them baseball players.
“Minnie” Minoso was one of the most important outfielders in Major League Baseball in the 1950s, although since the mid-1940s he had already shown his mettle in the Negro Leagues. In 1949 he became the first black Latino in North American organized baseball at its top level, and two years later he was voted best rookie by “The Sporting News” magazine. He then went on to be the great star of the Chicago White Sox and one of the most comprehensive players in the American League where he combined his integrity at bat with his ability to steal bases and maintain a defense with a gold glove included. In addition, he was chosen no less than nine times to the All-Star Game. Just one point out of 300 for life, the Matanzas native also set the record for the most various decades played in the majors after his 1980 appearance with the Whitelegs.
With an extraordinary charisma, Miñoso knocked on the doors of immortality on several occasions but finally he could not achieve it. He died shortly after at least having achieved the distinction in the Cuban Hall of Fame, which after 50 years of paralysis was reactivated in 2014 for the only time, the Matanzas being one of the ten who achieved recognition.
Oliva, meanwhile, was another luxury outfielder who shone in the 1960s and ’70s with the Minnesota Twins. He was Rookie of the Year in 1964 and nearly took the MVP in 1965, the season in which he led his club to the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a batting champion three times, in addition to leading other important lines such as hits and doubles. He retired with a very commendable average of 304, among the best for Latino players.
The left-hander from Pinar del Río was only one vote away the last time the Veterans Committee of his stage met, three years ago, and unlike Miñoso he has been able to enjoy in life the unsurpassed happiness that being represents for a Major League baseball player. inducted into his Hall of Fame.
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In this way, seven Cuban members of this enclosure reach seven, six of them players. Before that, Martín Dihigo (1977), Tany Pérez (2000), José de la Caridad Méndez (2006), Cristóbal Torriente (2006) and Cuban-American businessman Alex Pompez had achieved the feat. They should be added to the sportscaster-commentator Felo Ramírez with the special award for the chroniclers.
Let us proudly shout all the true lovers of the ball and of the country: Orestes Miñoso and Tony Oliva will be part of the Cooperstown Hall of Fame! Cuban baseball continues to make history in the Major Leagues. It has been an extraordinary 2021, possibly the best year for Cuba in MLB with an unbeatable combination of past and present.
