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Remembering Minnie Minoso

(CBS) -- The White Sox world is in mourning after the death of legendary slugger Minnie Minoso Sunday morning. Several former White Sox players talked with 670 The Score to share their recollections of the "Cuban Comet."

White Sox broadcaster and former player Steve Stone says he first ran into Minoso when Minnie was a coach in 1977.

"Minnie was a real character, one of the guys that always had a smile on his face," Stone said. "He was kind of a lot like Ernie [Banks] in that he seemed to always be genuinely happy to be still associated with baseball, to be able to come to the ballpark, to be involved with the game that was essentially his whole life."

Former White Sox player and manager Ozzie Guillen said he was in shock when he learned of Minoso's death Sunday morning.

Guillen said Minoso, "Represented the White Sox very well and made fans love the White Sox…I've never seen Minnie upset, and I've never seen Minnie mad and that's something you really appreciate as a player."

Guillen referred to Minoso as the "Jackie Robinson of Latin America" and said that he and others went through a lot difficulty to make baseball better for future Latin players.

"I think a lot of players right now, counting myself, they appreciate what they did and Minnie Minoso was a big, big, big part of that," Guillen said.

Guillen said he hopes Minoso gets elected to the Hall of Fame and that it is a shame he won't be alive for it.

Former Sox player and broadcaster Ed Farmer was a teammate of Minoso in 1980 when he came back for two at-bats. Farmer says when he received a kidney from his brother Tom, Minnie never forgot him.
"He was with us at the hotel for Sox Fest this year, the first thing out of his mouth: 'How is your brother Tom?'" Farmer said. "That is what kind of guy he was."

Farmer, who grew up in Chicago and got to see Minnie play, said he was amazed by Minoso's speed.

You can listen to the full interviews with Stone, Guillen and Farmer below.

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