Rocky Colavito: Stick it up their ***

[irv]

Originally Posted by MCoxon

Off-topic I guess, but two cards I'd love to see:
- 1949 Bowman Minnie Minoso in an Indians uniform, given his call-up
- 1951 Bowman Minnie Minoso in an Indians uniform, when he finished 2nd in ROY voting.

I think Gil McDougald got the 1951 AL ROY because he played in NY and not Cleveland:

From Baseball-Reference.com
1. Gil McDougald 14 HR, 63 RBI, .306 BA, .884 OPS, 14 SB
2. Minnie Minoso 10 HR, 76 RBI, .326 BA, .922 OPS, 31 SB

A Better Season Than Gil McDougald?

From 1951 to 1961, Minoso hit .305 with a .395 on base average and a .471 slugging percentage. He averaged 16 home runs, 89 RBIs and 18 stolen bases a season.

If the 1922 birth year is correct, then Minoso lost many seasons to racism. He was the Sporting News 1951 Rookie of the Year, out-hitting the Baseball Writers Association of America winner Gil McDougald, .326 to .306, out slugging Gil .500 to .488 and topping Gil in on base average, .422 to .396.

Pretty clear to see he didn't win the ROY due to racism. What a shame!

Only Williams and Musial Were Better

While there is doubt with respect to Minoso being a Hall of Famer, there is no doubt that he was a great player.

He was the third best left fielder in baseball, behind Ted Williams and Stan Musial during the 1950s—and he was to Hispanic players almost what Jackie Robinson was to American players.

Minnie Minoso belongs in the Hall of Fame.