Exaltation to the Hall of Fame

Havana, July 25 (RHC) - Three Latino baseball players, Cubans Minnie Miñoso and Tony Oliva, and Dominican David "Papi" Ortiz, are part of the Baseball Hall of Fame since Sunday, after an exaltation ceremony held in Cooperstown.

Oliva, Miñoso, and "Papi" Ortiz had been inducted last December after the traditional voting.

Oliva, 83, who was present at the ceremony, was an eight-time All-Star, won three batting titles and two World Series titles, and averaged 304 in 15 seasons with the Minnesota Twins between 1962 and 1976.

Miñoso, the first black Latin American player to play in the Major Leagues, who died in 2015 at the age of 90, was a seven-time All-Star with the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians, batted over 300 on eight occasions, the leader in stolen bases three times and won three Gold Gloves in left field.

With the election of Miñoso and Oliva, there are now six Cuban ballplayers in Cooperstown. Previously, Martín Dihigo, Tony Pérez, Cristóbal Torriente and José de la Caridad Méndez were exalted. Also the narrator "Felo" Ramirez and the executive Alex Pompez.

Meanwhile Big Papi, who stole the show at the ceremony in front of a large fan base, mainly Dominicans wearing Boston jerseys, played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox, and hit 541 home runs, with 1768 RBIs and an offensive average of 282.

He also went to the All-Star Game ten times, won seven Silver Bats and Most Valuable Player awards, and won three World Series with the Red Sox.

"Big Papi", 46 years old, is one of the most popular athletes on the planet in recent years and Cubans do not forget his performance against Team Cuba in the first World Classic (2006).

In addition to Oliva, Miñoso and Ortiz, the careers of Jim Kaat, Bud Fowler, Buck O'Neil, Gild Hodges and sports journalist Tim Kurkjian were honored at the ceremony.