1961 Topps, Minnie Minoso

#380 Minnie Minoso

Here is a card that I was able to get signed at the All Star Game Fanfest this past summer in Kansas City. I took two cards of Minnie with me to the event with the hopes of getting them both signed. Minnie, however, only had one signing while I was there and I was stuck in the Tony Gwynn line at that time. Luckily, my always willing to help out Dad struck out on his own and stood in the Minoso line to get this card signed for me.

Minnie played in the Majors for about seventeen seasons with the Indians, White Sox, Cardinals, and Senators. He was a nine-time All Star and a .298 career hitter that finished with 186 home runs and 1,023 RBI. Minnie's claim to fame is being the last player to play in the Majors in five different decades. He made his debut in 1949 and then played every season from 1951 through 1964. Minnie left the Majors after the '64 season and he kept playing in Mexico through 1973. Then, the White Sox brought him back for three games in 1976 so he got into a game for a fourth decade. They then did the same thing again in 1980 to get him into a game for a fifth decade.

As if that wasn't enough, the independent St. Paul Saints got Minnie into a game with them in 1993 and, again, in 2003. So, Minnie can claim that he played professionally in seven different decades.

In Minnie's stint with the Sox in '76, he got one base hit in eight at-bats to become the fourth-oldest player to get a hit in the Majors at the ripe age of 50.

Minnie signed this card with a straightedge to keep his signature level on the bottom. Also, Major League Baseball was real big on authenticating every autograph at Fanfest. Because of that, you can see part of the hologram that was attached to the back of this card poking out over the top.