Minnie Miñoso, who was Major League Baseball's first black player in Chicago when he joined the White Sox in 1951, has died, the Cook County medical examiner said Sunday. The White Sox has reported that he was 92 years old, but there has been other websites who said he was 89, ESPN reports.

Miñoso joined the White Sox with a bang, hitting a two-run home run in his first at-bat.

"We have lost our dear friend and a great man," White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said in a release. "Many tears are falling."

Miñoso spent the majority of his career in Chicago, playing 12 of his 17 seasons with the White Sox. While with the White Sox he was a .304 hitter with 135 home runs and 808 RBIs.

The White Sox retired Miñoso's No. 9 in 1983, and there is also a statue of Miñoso at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.

Miñoso is known as baseball's first black Latino star. He hailed from Havana, Cuba. Miñoso is one of only two players to appear in a major league game in five different decades. He last appeared in a major league game in 1980.

The White Sox have tried to get Miñoso, known as the Cuban Comet, into baseball's Hall of Fame but have not yet been able to.

"When I watched Minnie Miñoso play, I always thought I was looking at a Hall of Fame player," White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said in an informational package produced by the team for a 2011 Hall of Fame push. "I never understood why Minnie wasn't elected.

"He did everything. He could run, he could field, he could hit with power, he could bunt and steal bases. He was one of the most exciting players I have ever seen."

Miñoso was selected for nine All-Star games and won three Gold Glove Awards as a left fielder.

Despite all the efforts and Miñoso's strong desire, he was not installed into the Hall of Fame.

"My last dream is to be in Cooperstown, to be with those guys," Miñoso said in the same 2011 package distributed by the White Sox. "I want to be there. This is my life's dream."

Even though Miñoso did not get a chance to make it to the Hall of Fame, he still loved the game of baseball.

"I have baseball in my blood," Minoso said. "Baseball is all I've ever wanted to do."