Minnie Minoso documentary airs tonight on WTTW

Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune
In 2012, White Sox legend Minnie Miñoso speaks to the crowd at Sluggers bar in Chicago after a viewing of a documentary about Miñoso called "Baseball's Been Very, Very, Good To Me."
Chicago Tribune
The White Sox's Minnie Miñoso slides into third for a triple in a 12-1 route of the Cleveland Indians on May 12, 1951.
Phil Velasquez, Chicago Tribune
Former White Sox great Minnie Miñoso strikes a pose for the cameras after a statue of his likeness is unveiled at U.S. Cellular Field before the White Sox-Tigers game on Sept. 19, 2004.
Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune
Hall of Famer Frank Robinson acknowledges applause as Minnie Miñoso, Harold Baines and Jermaine Dye look on. The first ever Double Duty Classic was held at U.S. Cellular Field, paying tribute to the Negro Leagues and Chicago's own Double Duty Radcliffe. Teens from the Chicago-area and Midwest played against each other.
Phil Velasquez, Chicago Tribune
Former White Sox great Minnie Miñoso acknowledges fans during a ceremony in his honor at U.S. Cellular Field on Sept. 19, 2004.
Anthony Souffle, Chicago Tribune
Minnie Miñoso speaks to the media about the passing of Hall of Famer Ernie Banks during SoxFest 2015.
Chicago Tribune historical photo
Ron Matz, 8, of Chicago, from left, Jackie Frederick, 12, of Morton Grove, and Smitty Newson, 12, of Wheaton, mingle with players Luis Aparicio, Juan Pizarro, and Minnie Miñoso (from left) in the White Sox dugout on Sept. 21, 1961. The three children are all afflicted with cystic fibrosis, a childhood disease.
Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune
White Sox great Minnie Miñoso, 82, visits the mural that features him prominently as the largest figure (see player directly behind him) in a series of African American ballplayers that was unveiled on 35th Street below the Metra tracks at Federal.
Chicago Tribune historical photo
Saturnino Orestes (Minnie) Miñoso, who has developed into one of baseball's great players, will be in left field on Aug. 8, 1954, for the Chicago White Sox when they battle the Washington Senators in a double header in Comiskey Park.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
White Sox players (left to right) Mike Fornieles, Chico Carrasquel, Minnie Miñoso, Jim Rivera, and Sandy Consuegra pose for a photo at Comiskey Park in 1955. They were the Sox's players of Latin descent in 1955.
Chicago Tribune historical photo
Minnie Miñoso at Comiskey Park on June 19, 1954.
Chicago Tribune
White Sox left fielder Minnie Miñoso relaxes at Comiskey Park on April 27, 1956.
Alex Garcia, Chicago Tribune
Minnie Miñoso hangs out at Sluggers in Wrigleyville, even though it is Cubs territory. There's a portion of the wall covered with photos of him during his White Sox career.
Alex Garcia, Chicago Tribune
Minnie Miñoso was at Namaste Charter School signing autographs and speaking to grade school children.
Ray Gora / Chicago Tribune
Minnie Miñoso signs autographs in left field before game at Sox Park.
Ron Bailey, Chicago Tribune
A portrait of Minnie Miñoso on the on-deck circle at Comiskey Park on June 25, 1961.
Charles Cherney, Chicago Tribune
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich chats with former Sox stars Billy Pierce and Minnie Miñoso before the White Sox home opener at U.S. Cellular Field on April 4, 2003.
CHARLES CHERNEY / CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Current and former White Sox players who played on All-Star teams unveil the 2003 All-Star game logo. The game will be played at Sox Park in 2003: Minnie Miñoso, Moose Skowron, Bill Melton, Ed Farmer, Ron Kittle, Mark Buehrle, Carlton Fisk, Chico Carrasquel, Carlos May and Billy Pierce.
Chicago Tribune historical photo
Minnie Miñoso eludes the tag of Yankees' Roland Sheldon to score in the third inning at Comiskey Park as Juan Pizarro, waiting a turn at bat, roots Minnie in on July 14, 1961.
Chicago Tribune historical photo
Minnie Miñoso, Chicago White Sox outfielder, circa August 1955.
Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune
Cuban slugger Jose Abreu, 26, shares a moment with baseball legend Minnie Miñoso, who played for the White Sox in the 1950s, after being introduced to the media at U.S. Cellular Field.
Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune
White Sox legend Minnie Miñoso talks with producer Tom Weinberg during a viewing party for the premiere of the documentary about Miñoso called "Baseball's Been Very, Very, Good To Me."
Phil Velasquez, Chicago Tribune
Chet Lemon, Minnie Miñoso and Harold Baines talk baseball at SoxFest 2007 at the Palmer House.
Chicago Tribune
White Sox great Minnie Miñoso, a natural outfielder, takes some grounders in the infield at Comiskey Park in 1951.
José Moré, Chicago Tribune
Former White Sox star Minnie Miñoso hugs former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley during a rally at Daley Plaza for the Sox before their successful postseason run on Oct. 3, 2005.
John Austad/Chicago Tribune
White Sox outfielder Minnie Miñoso poses outside the Comiskey Park dugout on Sept. 3, 1960.
John J. Kim, Chicago Tribune
Minnie Miñoso is introduced during the opening ceremony at SoxFest 2015 at the Chicago Hilton and Towers.
Ernie Cox Jr. / Chicago Tribune
Mayor Jane Byrne chats about baseball with White Sox coach Minnie Miñoso after dedicating Carson ball field in Cabrini-Green and officially opening league play there. The ball field is part of new $500,000 sports and recreation complex in its second phase of completion on the site of the former Cooley High School.
Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen receives 2005 World Series trophy from Luis Aparicio as Billy Pierce, Minnie Miñoso and Harold Baines watch.
Chicago Tribune historical photo
Minnie Miñoso, circa October 1954.
Chicago Tribune historical photo
Minnie Miñoso holds five bats to indicate five decades after he was activated by the White Sox for their weekend series against the California Angels on October 3, 1980.
UPI / Chicago Tribune
July 5, 1954: White Sox shortstop Chico Carrasquel,and outfielder Minnie Miñoso smilingly congratulate each other after they were picked to play in the All-Star game in Cleveland.
Chicago Tribune historical photo
Minnie Miñoso reads the sports pages, circa August 1954.
Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune
White Sox legend Minnie Miñoso signs an autograph during a viewing party for the premiere of a documentary about Miñoso called "Baseball's Been Very, Very, Good To Me."
Bill Hogan, Chicago Tribune
Sox great Minnie Miñoso (right) and Cubs great Ernie Banks get together before the dedication ceremony for the Jack Brickhouse memorial statue on Michigan Avenue on Sept. 14, 2000. Many local celebrities came out to honor the memory of the late broadcaster.
Tribune File Photo
Minnie Miñoso's car: A big green convertible. 1954 Tribune file photo.
Chicago Tribune
Minnie Miñoso, a 53-year-old designated hitter.
Chicago Tribune
Bubba Phillips, left, and Minnie Miñoso tried to keep their ears warm on a crisp April day at Comiskey in 1957.
Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune
Minnie Miñoso talks with family and friends at a viewing party for the premiere of a documentary about Miñoso called "Baseball's Been Very, Very, Good To Me."
Antonio Perez, Chicago Tribune
Former White Sox star Minnie Miñoso joins in the protest to save St. Mark's School, located at 2510 W. Cortez St. on March 29, 2004.. About 40 parents rallied with Miñoso in protest of the Archdiocese decision to close the 98-year-old school.
Alex Garcia, Chicago Tribune
White Sox legend Minnie Miñoso at U.S. Cellular Field, a day before opening day on April 6, 2011.

PUBLISHED: March 2, 2015 at 8:37 p.m. | UPDATED: April 6, 2019 at 3:44 a.m.

A documentary about White Sox great Minnie Minoso, whose death was reported Sunday, will air Monday night on the local PBS affiliate, WTTW-Ch. 11.

“Baseball Has Been Very, Very Good to Me: The Minnie Minoso Story” (comprising footage shot by producer Tom Weinberg over the last four decades) offers a portrait of the Cuban-born athlete who became Chicago’s first black major league baseball player in 1951. The doc includes home footage of Minoso off the field as well as interviews with everyone from Bud Selig to Richard M. Daley to Jerry Reinsdorf.

A 2012 story about the film by my colleague John Owens revealed that Weinberg and Minoso first met in the spring of 1976 at a motel in Sarasota, Fla., where the White Sox formerly convened for spring training:

“We had a deal to do a TV show about (White Sox) spring training, but it rained every day,” Weinberg recalled. “So I played shuffleboard with Minnie and ended up interviewing him.”

The documentary, wrote Owens, “pulls no punches when looking back at the racism Minoso encountered throughout the country during his first few years with the Sox in the early ’50s. Even in Chicago, Minoso wasn’t allowed to stay in Hyde Park’s Piccadilly Hotel, where many Sox players lived during the season, because of his race.”

The doc will broadcast 10:30 p.m. tonight (Monday) on WTTW and is streamable through Sunday here.

nmetz@tribune.com | Twitter @NinaMetzNews