It was with a certain sadness that people came to say goodbye to a man who came to be known as Mr. White Sox. But for the fans who came to pay their respects to Minnie Minoso, there was also great joy for having seen him play.
“The man was just an all-around good guy,” said longtime fan Barry Antoniazzi. “He played the game the right way. You weren't his fan, you were his friend and he never had a bad word to say about anybody. He loved talking to anybody and everybody. How could you not want to turn out and pay respects to a man like that?”
The aisles of Holy Family Church were lined with photos from Minoso's long career.
Longtime teammate Ron Kittle remembered what the legend meant to baseball.
“Minnie was like the Jackie Robinson of the Latino players,” Kittle said. “The Latino players know who he is. They have a great absorption of who their heritage is in baseball and Minnie is a key figure in that.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner also attended, joining the family for a private visitation.
Howard Pizer/Executive VP White Sox (12:11 ) Minnie represented all the good things in baseball. He was...to know him is to love him. People say they were Minnie's friends and they hardly knew him...but they were his friends . He was their friend. He was just a wonderful, kind, thoughtful man, generosity of spirit...just a fun guy...he represented all that was good in baseball
Chicago Baseball
Minoso's son both smiled and fought back tears remembering his father.
“It's so surreal to see so many people, from our mayor, our governor, our president to say such wonderful words about a man who was our eccentric but our lovable father,” said Charlie Rice.
A memorial service for the "Cuban Comet," will be held Saturday. A procession to U.S. Cellular Field will follow.
Fans can watch a live stream of the service beginning at 11:30 a.m. on NBCChicago.com.
