In 1929, uniform numbers appeared on the back of baseball jerseys for the first time, thanks to the Indians and the Yankees. By 1937, numbers finally appeared across all uniforms, both home and away, across both major leagues. Since that time, 81 distinct numbers have been worn by members of the White Sox, while the Cubs boast 76.
Today, we continue our look at those players, picking our favorite, if not the best, player to wear each uniform number for both Chicago teams with #9. 58 players have donned #9 while playing in Chicago, one of whom happened to get it retired in their honor.
Minnie Minoso, born in Cuba, came to the United States in 1945 and became Chicago’s first black player on May 1, 1951, getting 2 hits and driving in 2 runs in his White Sox debut. Minoso spent the next 7 years with the White Sox, earning 4 All Star nods, 1 Gold Glove, and 3 top 10 MVP finishes. Following the 1957 season, Minoso was traded back to the Indians, bringing Al Smith and Early Wynn, key players for the 1959 pennant winners, to the south side.
After the 1959 season, new owner Bill Veeck brought Minoso back to the White Sox. While the Sox failed to repeat as AL champions, it was through no fault of Minoso’s, as the left fielder again made the All Star team and finished 4th in MVP voting. After a sub-standard (for him) season in 1961, Minoso was traded to the Cardinals. Minoso returned to the White Sox for the third time in 1964. He appeared in only 30 games, batting .226, and was released in mid-July. At 38 years old, this appeared to be the end of the line for Minoso.
In 1976, with Bill Veeck once again owning the White Sox, he brought back a now 50 year old Minnie Minoso to allow him to become a four decade player. Minoso appeared in 3 games, and managed to get a hit in 8 at bats. The stunt was repeated 4 years later, with Minoso going 0-2 in 2 games and becoming the first person to appear in games during 5 decades.
His number 9 was retired by the White Sox in 1983. In his later years, he became an official team ambassador for the White Sox. As a season ticket holder, I had the opportunity to meet him on a few occasions, and, despite his age, he seemed energized to be interacting with fans.
On the north side of town, another Latino has made #9 his own. Javy Baez debuted in 2014 and became a full time player in 2016, helping the Cubs end their 108 year championship drought by winning the World Series. His best season came in 2018, when he led the league in RBI and finished second in MVP voting.
