Miñoso was signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent in 1948. Between 1949 and 1964 he played for the Tribe (1949, 1951, 1958–59), Chicago White Sox (1951-1957, 1960–61, 1964, 1976, 1980), St. Louis Cardinals (1962) and Washington Senators (1963). On May 1, 1951, in a game against the New York Yankees in Comiskey Park, the speedy Miñoso became the first black player to wear a White Sox uniform (this occurred in game of Mickey Mantle's 1st major league home run). The first American-born black to appear with the White Sox was catcher Sam Hairston, on July 18, 1951. Minoso won the Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award in 1951, but in a controversial vote, was 2nd to Gil McDougald in the official BBWAA Rookie of the Year voting.