A Hall Of Fame Moment, And I Didn't Even Realize It.

A few weeks ago, I went with my friend Mark to Play Ball Park at the Colorado Convention Center, a baseball event held in conjunction with the All-Star game that recently took place in Denver. They had activities for kids, a display featuring the Negro Leagues, and other exhibits, including a selection of Baseball Hall of Fame memorabilia. And I was surprised to see on display the jersey that Minnie Minoso, one of the Chicago White Sox's most beloved players, wore on October 4th, 1980 when he became one of only a handful of players to play baseball in five different decades. I took a photograph of it in it's case, as seen in the photograph on the left.

I was there that day, and didn't even realize I was witnessing history, although I did take the photograph on the right of Minnie up at bat. Bill Veeck, who owned the White Sox at the time, made him the designated hitter that day so he could reach that important milestone, a really nice gesture, in addition to being a great publicity stunt. Veeck sold the team after that season, but the White Sox invited Minoso to bat again in 1990 to become the only player (I think) to play in six different decades. Major League baseball officials refused to allow it, however, calling it a publicity stunt that would tarnish the image of the game. What a bunch of stick-in-the-muds.