(WTTW News)

White Sox legend Minnie Miñoso made the ultimate home run: a forever home in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, July 23. For generations of White Sox fans, he was a favorite for his outstanding performance on the field and his gregarious spirit off it.

Minnie Minoso Autograph on a 1960 Topps (#365)

Minnie Miñoso, “the Cuban Comet” broke the color line for the White Sox when he joined the team in 1951. He was selected for induction by the Golden Days Era committee on Sunday, and University of Illinois professor Adrian Burgos Jr says, it’s an honor that was long overdue.

Last season, the White Sox became the first team in MLB history to have an all-Cuban born top four in their lineup, but the history of Cubans and baseball bleeds back to the 1860s. (Courtesy NBC Sports Chicago)

Players from Minnie Miñoso to Luis Aparicio to Ozzie Guillén have been fan favorites on Chicago’s South Side for decades. Never has the Latino presence on the White Sox roster been more important than this year, when the Sox could have seven or more players of Latino heritage starting in the playoffs.