33 Facts About Monte Irvin

Monford Merrill "Monte" Irvin was an American left fielder and right fielder in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball who played with the Newark Eagles, New York Giants and Chicago Cubs.

Monte Irvin grew up in New Jersey and was a standout football player at Lincoln University.

Monte Irvin's career was interrupted by military service from 1943 to 1945.

When he joined the New York Giants, Monte Irvin became one of the earliest African-American MLB players.

Monte Irvin was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.

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At the time of his death, Monte Irvin was the oldest living former Negro Leagues player, New York Giant and Chicago Cub.

Monte Irvin lived in a retirement community in Houston before his death.

Monte Irvin was born February 25,1919, in Haleburg, Alabama, the eighth of 13 children, and brother of fellow Negro leaguer Cal Monte Irvin.

Monte Irvin played baseball for the Orange Triangles, the local semiprofessional team, and he credited its coach with giving him an activity that helped him to stay out of trouble.

Monte Irvin was offered a football scholarship to the University of Michigan, but he had to turn it down because he did not have enough money to move to Ann Arbor.

Monte Irvin attended Lincoln University and was a star football player.

Monte Irvin played for the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League in 1938.

Monte Irvin said that while many black soldiers had been treated badly by their white counterparts, the situation improved for black soldiers as many white soldiers realized the contradiction in an oppressed group being sent to Europe to fight for the oppressed people in other countries.

Monte Irvin returned to the Newark Eagles in 1946 to lead his team to a league pennant.

Monte Irvin was a five-time Negro League All-Star.

Monte Irvin was one of the first black players to be signed, as Jackie Robinson had only broken the MLB color line in 1947.

Monte Irvin debuted with the Giants on July 8,1949, as a pinch hitter.

In 1951, Monte Irvin sparked the Giants' miraculous comeback to overtake the Dodgers in the pennant race, batting.

Monte Irvin knew everything about what was going on and he protected me dearly.

Monte Irvin suffered a broken ankle during a spring training game in Denver in 1952, jamming his ankle on third base while sliding.

However, Monte Irvin returned in time to be named to his only Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1952.

In 1955, Monte Irvin had been sent down to the minor leagues, where he hit 14 home runs in 75 games for the Minneapolis Millers.

Monte Irvin appeared in 111 games for the Cubs that year, hitting.

Monte Irvin sustained the injury during spring training that year and only appeared in four minor league games for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League.

Monte Irvin appeared on an episode of To Tell The Truth dated May 22,1961, in which he impersonated a judo champion.

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Monte Irvin was named an MLB public relations specialist for the commissioner's office under Bowie Kuhn in 1968.

Monte Irvin was elected to the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

Monte Irvin stepped down from his role with the commissioner when Kuhn announced his retirement in 1984.

Monte Irvin retired to Homosassa, Florida, but he accepted an MLB role involving special projects and appearances.

Monte Irvin later joined those same Giants Hall of Famers in throwing out the ceremonial first pitch of Game 1 of 2010 World Series.

On January 11,2016, Monte Irvin died of natural causes in Houston a month before his 97th birthday.

At the time of his death, Monte Irvin was the oldest living African American to have played in the major leagues, as well as the oldest living member of a World Series-winning team.

Monte Irvin served on the Veterans Committee of the Hall of Fame.