093_HR0076

                                     LRB093 06974 KEF 07123 r

 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, In 2001, the National Baseball  Hall  of  Fame's
 3    Veterans   Committee  nominated  1,400  former  major  league
 4    baseball players for this year's induction into the  Baseball
 5    Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York; and

 6        WHEREAS, Baseball historians and experts culled this list
 7    down to 25 outstanding former players; and

 8        WHEREAS, For the first time, elections and induction this
 9    year  will  be  done  by  a  vote  of the living Hall of Fame
10    members in January, 2003; and

11        WHEREAS, Any candidate named on 75 percent of the ballots
12    will earn election to the Hall of Fame in 2003; and

13        WHEREAS, The Baseball Hall of Fame has actively solicited
14    comments from the public about the former players who  should
15    be elected; and

16        WHEREAS,  Former  Chicago  White  Sox  star  left fielder
17    Orestes "Minnie" Minoso is one of the 25 players eligible for
18    election in 2003; and

19        WHEREAS, Minnie Minoso is a true son of Chicago  and  has
20    lived here most of his adult life; and

21        WHEREAS,  Minnie  Minoso  spent  12 full seasons with the
22    Chicago White Sox, over five  separate  stints  that  spanned
23    four decades; and

24        WHEREAS, Minnie Minoso was the first great Cuban American
25    baseball player; and

26        WHEREAS,  Minnie Minoso is generally considered to be one
27    of the top left fielders in baseball history; and

28        WHEREAS, Minnie Minoso broke the White Sox color  barrier
29    in his professional debut on May 1, 1951 at age 28; and
 
                            -2-      LRB093 06974 KEF 07123 r
 1        WHEREAS,  Orestes  "Minnie"  Minoso  was  voted  American
 2    League Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News in 1951; and

 3        WHEREAS, Orestes "Minnie" Minoso hit over .300 six times,
 4    won  three  Gold  Gloves,  batted .300 in seven All-Star game
 5    appearances, regularly finished in the League top 10 in  most
 6    offensive  categories,  and  concluded his career with a .298
 7    batting average, a .391 on base average, almost  2,000  hits,
 8    and over 1,000 runs batted in; and

 9        WHEREAS, Minnie Minoso was the heart and soul of the "Go,
10    Go White Sox" in the 1950s; and

11        WHEREAS,  Minnie  Minoso  was  widely known as "Mr. White
12    Sox" and "the Cuban Comet"; and

13        WHEREAS, Orestes "Minnie" Minoso was named to  the  White
14    Sox All-Century Team in 2000; and

15        WHEREAS,   Even   though   he   was   not   part  of  the
16    pennant-winning 1959 White Sox team, he was given an honorary
17    championship ring; and

18        WHEREAS, Minnie Minoso's "9" jersey was  retired  by  the
19    White Sox; and

20        WHEREAS,  Orestes  "Minnie"  Minoso  was  elected  to the
21    Chicago Sports Hall of Fame, the World Baseball Hall of Fame,
22    and to the White Sox All-Century Team; and

23        WHEREAS, Minnie Minoso's exceptional  achievements  as  a
24    professional  baseball  player  merit  his  election  to  the
25    National Baseball Hall of Fame; and

26        WHEREAS, The people of Illinois are encouraged to express
27    their  support  of  Minnie  Minoso  by sending letters to the
28    Baseball Hall of Fame at 25  Main  Street,  Cooperstown,  New
29    York 13326, or by emailing baseballhalloffame.org; therefore,
30    be it
 
                            -3-      LRB093 06974 KEF 07123 r
 1        RESOLVED,   BY   THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
 2    NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,  that
 3    the  members  of  the  Illinois  House  of Representatives do
 4    hereby support the induction of Orestes "Minnie" Minoso  into
 5    the National Baseball Hall of Fame; and be it further

 6        RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be sent
 7    to  the  living members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, sitting
 8    as electors, at Cooperstown, New York; and be it further

 9        RESOLVED, That a suitable  copy  of  this  resolution  be
10    presented to Orestes "Minnie" Minoso.