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Son Of Sox Great Minnie Minoso Honors Legacy Through Gay Activism

By Mina Bloom | July 8, 2016 3:24pm | Updated on July 11, 2016 8:33am
 Minnie Minoso debuted with the Sox in 1951 and served as a long-time team ambassador after retiring.
Minnie Minoso
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LINCOLN PARK — When Charlie Rice-Minoso was growing up, his dad — one of the most influential figures in Chicago sports — would always give him the same advice: "Be the best you can be." 

His father, the late White Sox star Minnie Minoso, "always said be yourself — the right people will appreciate it and the right people will gravitate towards that," Rice-Minoso said.

Minnie Minoso, aka "The Cuban Comet," became Chicago's first black major league baseball player in 1951 and he went on to become a nine-time all star. He died last year at age 92.

Rice-Minoso didn't get to see his dad play. By the time Rice-Minoso was born, his dad had been retired for years. He was the son in his dad's second marriage.

 Charlie Rice-Minoso is the son of White Sox great Minnie Minoso.
Charlie Rice-Minoso is the son of White Sox great Minnie Minoso.
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Courtesy/Charlie Rice-Minoso

But Rice-Minoso has always carried his dad's legacy with him. It was Minoso's trailblazing that allowed Rice-Minoso to chart his own path as a gay rights activist on the city and state level.

"Something that he always reminded me of was to be involved with the community and give back, especially to causes that resonate with you," he said. "It really made a huge difference for me."

Rice-Minoso's fourth annual "LGBT Pride Night" event at U.S. Cellular Field is set for Saturday. (Tickets available here.)

Rice-Minoso designed the event for people who identify with the LGBT community and for allies to come together for a pre-game party and then sit together at the game. 

Tickets are $35. A portion of the proceeds go toward Equality Illinois, which is where Rice-Minoso worked for two years before landing his current gig as a marketing professional.


Charlie Rice-Minoso (second from right) at a previous "Out at the Sox" event. [Courtesy/Charlie Rice-Minoso]

Rice-Minoso said it's more important than ever to bring awareness to gay rights, especially in light of the mass shooting in Orlando.

"I can't say how important it is," he said. "We need that visibility and inclusion."

As a gay Latino man, the shooting, the worst in the country's history, struck a nerve for Rice-Minoso.

"I have a few friends in common with some of the victims and the injured. My heart went out to all of them," he said.

Just like his dad, Rice-Minoso hopes to leave behind a lasting legacy. 

"My dad didn't always feel comfortable speaking out against laws and injustice. He found his own ways of doing that by being the best player he could be and being the best role model he could be," he said. 

"It's about showing that we all have more similarities than differences."

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