Customer Reviews

Just Call Me Minnie: My Six Decades in Baseball

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I grew up on the south side of Chicago and remember when I sat in left field thinking how it would be to meet Minnie. My dream came true after reading this book, I felt I knew him all my life. The respect he gave the fans and the respect we gave him is rare in baseball today, this was the thrilling days of "Go Go" when we as fans had a real life hero, and that hero is Minnie Minoso in the past and forever in the future we will never forget him. This book is the type of book that takes you back to the past and the memories of great players. It's the type of book you can read time after time after time.

Thank You Minnie

Here we have the autobiography of Minnie Minoso. Minnie was the first dark skinned Latino to play Major League Baseball and was one of the most popular Chicago White Sox of all time. Minnie comes across as a true gentleman in this book, as he relates the story of his life in and out of baseball. He doesn't have an axe to grind, although he is honest about people who he feels have slighted him. A good read about one of the true good guys in baseball.

The title certainly tells it. "Just Call Me Minnie" is the biography of Orestes "Minnie" Minoso. He was a major league outfielder, mostly in the American League, from 1949-1964 and one of the most exciting players of his generation. This reviewer is old enough to remember that when Minnie came to bat, fans sat up in their seats. He made things happen! JCMM is an enjoyable story. It follows Minnie's baseball life from his early years in Cuba through his Major League years, to the ups and downs of his later years. The golden years are those with the exciting "Go-Go" White Sox from 1949- 1957. It helps that the story's time frame encompasses what is arguably the big leagues golden years. Those would be 1946-1960. WW2 was over, pro football was still relatively undiscovered and expansion had yet to dilute the talent base. JCMM is the American League counterpart to Robin Robert's recent-and recommended- "My Life in Baseball". The core of JCMM is solid Hot Stove League. Minnie is a fine storyteller. The tone is positive. He does not attempt to settle old scores or tell tales out of the locker room. There are obvious hard feelings toward a former manager, Al Lopez, but the reader is left to imagine the complete story behind them. There are a few nice, if self-serving, tributes from the likes of Ray Boone, Lou Boudreau, Bob Feller, Jim Landis, Ferris Fain, Cal McLish and Jim Landis. Those baseball fans in the amazon community who can remember those guys will enjoy JCMM. There are some weak points: Minnie's later years are less than compelling and a bit too many pages are devoted to Minoso family travails. Left mostly unexplained are Minnie's various comebacks. For the record, he is the oldest player to appear in a major league game. Finally, and to the distress of this reviewer, there is no statistical composite of the Minoso career. Since baseball is so numbers-obsessed, this omission is strange indeed. Despite these objections, JCMM is a safe choice for hardcore fans of baseball's "golden era". Both White Sox fans and Chicagoland natives should take a close look at this offering.

What a great book thats interesting and easy to read. You get to look behind the scenes and see the real life of a professional athlete. True life experiences that Minnie remembers vividly from over six decades of experience. From his childhood days in Havana to his present day life with his family in Chicago, this is a wonderful story that can put a lump in your throat one line then have you laughing the next. A book worth adding to your collection!

"Just Call Me Minnie" ranks as one the best baseball autobiographies I've read. It's very rare that an individual with such vivid recollections and interesting stories ever gets around to writing them down. Minnie Minoso succeeds in delivering this unique perspective of baseball, from pre-Castro life in Cuba all the way up to his goal to play Major League Baseball at age 70. Minoso gives the reader a glimpse of the sport that is entertaining, exciting, and eclectic. Although only 205 pages, this is not a book to be read in one sitting. Instead, it's easier to read it in "doses", letting the stories fully sink in. The patter is similar to those of Buck O'Neill's and Satchell Paige's, except that Minoso seemingly has never retired! Minoso's first-hand accounts of the Negro Leagues (from a non african-american), Major League Baseball, (remember the "Go-Go" Chicago WhiteSox?) are priceless, especially in the present tense. If you can get past Minoso's constant lobbying for a shot to play MLB in his 70's (the only thing missing is a postcard to send to the commissioner), this is a must read for any "real" baseball fan. Who knows, if he ever gets his chance, you can say you read it in this book first!

I was pleasantly surprised by this autobiography. Minnie Minoso had a lengthy playing career, but what really shines through is his genuine love for baseball, his pride in playing the game the right way and his gratitude for the friendship of the players that were his team mates and for those people who helped him along the way.

Minoso is a people person who enjoys meeting fans and making new friends. He is an excellent ambassador for baseball. Be prepared, Minoso names names in this book. I doubt he overlooked anyone who ever helped him in terms of recognizing his fellow baseball people.

There is so much joy and optimism in this book. Minoso faced discrimination in Cuba, where baseball teams were integrated, but strict quotas limited the number of minority players, and in the United States, where he became the first black player on the Chicago White Sox. It was interesting to learn that Minoso thinks that too many American born minorities allow perceived racism to stop their progress by complaining too often instead of carrying on and doing the best that they can to reach their full potential.

Minoso suffered great personal and financial losses when the Communists came to power in his native Cuba. His real estate holdings were seized by the Castro regime and he never saw many of his family members again.

Minoso is best known for his career longevity, having appeared in Major League Baseball in five decades. Moreover, he also played extensively in Cuba, Mexico and South America. Upon his arrival in the USA, he played several seasons in the Negro Leagues.

My sole complaint is that book did not contain Minoso's statistics, but otherwise this was perfect light reading.

MINNIE MINOSO FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE OUTFIELDER DOES A GREAT JOB TELLING US HIS LIFE AND CAREER IN AND OUT OF BASEBALL. MINNIE WAS A VERY GOOD AND COLORFUL PLAYER WHO GAVE HIS ALL ON THE FIELD. AS A CHILD I REMEMBER MINNIE AS A MEMEMBER OF THE CLEVELAND INDIANS AND HOW POPULAR AND WELL LIKED HE WAS BY THE FANS AND MEDIA. MOST OF MINNIE'S GLORY DAYS WERE WITH THE WHITE SOX. THERE ARE MANY INTERESTING PARTS INCLUDING LIFE IN CUBA BEFORE AND AFTER CASTRO TOOK POWER AND TOOK EVERYTHING AWAY FROM THE CITIZENS OF CUBA. MINNIE LEFT CUBA AND MOST OF HIS FAMILY REMAINED. MINNIE HAS GONE THRU A DIVORCE AND OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN LIFE. BUT HIS POSITIVE OUTLOOK AND LIKE ABLE PERSONALITY MAKE THIS BOOK A GREAT READ FOR ALL BASEBALL FANS AND ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO SAW MINNIE PLAY. HIS NAME MAYBE MINNIE BUT THIS BOOK IS MAXI.