Career: 1928, … Montford Merrill Irvin was born in Haleburg, Alabama, on February 25, 1919. View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject. [13] The Giants went on to win the Series in four games, with Irvin collecting two hits in nine at bats. The appointment made him the first black executive in professional baseball. If you have any questions regarding Negro Leagues statistical or biographical data, please contact [email protected].. All biographical data, copyright 2011-2018 Gary Ashwill. Hall of Famer Monte Irvin . [10] However, Irvin returned in time to be named to his only Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1952. Calvin Coolidge Irvin (November 28, 1924 – November 25, 2017) was an American Negro league shortstop and college basketball coach.. A native of Haleburg, Alabama, Irvin was the brother of Baseball Hall of Famer Monte Irvin.Younger brother Cal attended Orange High School and Morgan State University, where he played basketball and football. Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1950 season Full Name: Monford Merrill Irvin Irvin was in left field when Mays, playing center field, made "The Catch" on a deep drive off the bat of Vic Wertz in Game 1. He was one of the first black players to be signed, as Jackie Robinson had only broken the MLB color line in 1947. In 1949, the New York Giants paid $5,000 for Irvin's contract. He 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. Larry Doby and Monte Irvin, to take the two best comps I can think of, saw their OPS+’s decline by 35 to 40 points. But I was wrong. After playing for the Newark Eagles for more than 9 seasons (and serving nearly 3 years in the Army), on July 8, 1949, Irvin became one of the first African American players to play for the New York Giants (along with Hank Thompson), after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. . Furthermore, if he tried to do it, she would sue and fight him in court ... Rickey contacted her to say he was no longer interested released me ... the Giants picked up my contract ...[8]:p.277. Later, he finished third in the NL's MVP voting. When he did face Major League teams (in exhibition settings, of course), Charleston performed extraordinarily well. He grew up in New Jersey and was a standout football player at Lincoln University. Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame, List of first black Major League Baseball players, List of Negro league baseball players who played in Major League Baseball, List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders, "Monte Irvin, Hall of Fame baseball star who began in Negro leagues, dies at 96", Hall of Famer, trailblazer Irvin dies at 96, "Irvin played big part in Mays' ascension", "Bums, to a man, regret injury to Monte Irvin", "Angered Aaron snubs Kuhn at award ceremony", "Giants to retire uniform #20 worn by Monte Irvin", "Giants greats, sans Mays, take part in pregame", "Monte Irvin, 96, gets his Giants ring from Larry Baer, Bobby Evans", "Giants visit White House for World Series celebration", "Hall of Famer Irvin laments diminishing number of African-Americans in baseball", "The #SFGiants will wear patches on their sleeve in honor of @BaseballHall of Famer Monte Irvin and Jim Davenport", "Essex County Dedicates Monte Irvin Statue in (Monte Irvin) Orange Park", "Irvin's Injury Dims Giant Hopes; Star Breaks Ankle, May Be Sidelined for Rest of Season", "Ankle Injured, Monte Irvin Has Plentitude Of Troubles But Still Hopes For Batting Crown", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Monte_Irvin&oldid=1023132462, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. From SABR member Mark Aubrey at Baseball Nuggets on January 13, 2016: Monte Irvin slipped from this earth this week. While doing some research about his early years I found his high school yearbook. This website is a wonderful and much-needed asset for those of us who are students of Negro League Baseball research. He was a five-time Negro League All-Star (1941, 1946–1948, including two games in 1946). The Eagles won the Negro World Series in 1946, and included future Hall of Famers, Ray Dandridge, Leon Day, Larry Doby, Monte Irvin, Biz Mackey, Mule Suttles, and Willie Wells. The following season, he hit .262 with 19 home runs and 64 RBI,[12] with the Giants winning the pennant and facing the Cleveland Indians in the 1954 World Series. Monte Irvin of the Negro Leagues. The above was compiled using various sources including the Negro Leagues Database at seamheads.com after consultation with John Thorn, the Official Historian for MLB, and other Negro Leagues experts. Irwin ’ s first exposure to the game of baseball came on Saturday afternoons when men came from neighboring towns to play with homemade bats and balls and then picnic after the game. [22] He retired to Homosassa, Florida, but he accepted an MLB role involving special projects and appearances. Larry Doby and Monte Irvin, to take the two best comps I can think of, saw their OPS+’s decline by 35 to 40 points. Irvin's baseball career concluded in … He lived in a retirement community in Houston prior to his death. Joining the army's GS Engineers, 1313th Battalion, for the next three years, Irvin was deployed to England, France and Belgium, and he served in the Battle of the Bulge. Monte Irvin played for the New York Giants from 1949 -1956. That year Irvin teamed with Hank Thompson and Willie Mays to form the first all-black outfield in the majors. He finished his lengthy career among the top five in every offensive category. [14], In 1955, Irvin had been sent down to the minor leagues, where he hit 14 home runs in 75 games for the Minneapolis Millers. Murder. He knew everything about what was going on and he protected me dearly. He debuted with the Giants on July 8, 1949, as a pinch hitter. Smokey Joe Williams of the Negro Leagues. When he joined the New York Giants, Irvin became one of the earliest African-American MLB players. I didn't understand life in New York until I met Monte. When that was denied, he left the Negro leagues for the Mexican League, where he won a triple crown; he had a .397 batting average and 20 home runs in 63 games. 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. When he did face Major League teams (in exhibition settings, of course), Charleston performed extraordinarily well. In 1949 and 1950, he played for the Jersey City Giants , in 1951 for the Drummondville Cubs , 1952 and 1953 for the Phoenix Senators , and 1954 for the El Paso Texans . Monte Irvin , Willie Mays, and Hank Thompson hold bats on their shoulders in Yankee Stadium. Irvin won his second batting championship, hitting .401, and was instrumental in beating the Kansas City Monarchs in a seven-game Negro League World Series, batting .462 with three home runs. [24], On June 26, 2010, the San Francisco Giants officially retired his number 20 uniform. Phoenix, AZ 85004 [2], Irvin attended Lincoln University and was a star football player. [25] He later joined those same Giants Hall of Famers in throwing out the ceremonial first pitch of Game 1 of 2010 World Series. 2. He 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. "'That Boy's So Full of Play'; Two close friends of Willie Mays talk about frisky personality of newly legendary Giant". The Seamheads Negro Leagues Database proves that documentation exists to more seamlessly incorporate the Seven Negro Leagues stats into the same record books as the segregated white leagues and the integrated majors ... Monte Irvin, Roy Campanella, and Satchel Paige come to mind. The above was compiled using various sources including the Negro Leagues Database at seamheads.com after consultation with John Thorn, the Official Historian for MLB, and other Negro Leagues experts. Other top-tier Negro leagues players saw their stat lines diminish when they went to the Majors. By the end of the 1952 season, Monte Irvin had 43 National League homers and (per Seamheads) 61 Negro League homers for a total of 104. "[9] Irvin later replied, "I did that for two years and in the third year he started showing me around. Join Facebook to connect with Monte Irvin and others you may know. Campanella had 33 … Josh Gibson’s two HR in the second League All-Star Game for the Northeast team of Caguas, Humacao, Santurce and San Juan players, propelled them to an 8-3 win, and a sweep, on January 1, 1942. His career was interrupted by military service from 1943 to 1945. [12], Monte appeared on an episode of To Tell The Truth dated May 22, 1961, in which he impersonated a judo champion.[17]. As a child, he moved with his family to Orange, New Jersey, one of five players who grew up in the Garden State to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. [20] The next year, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, primarily on the basis of his play in the Negro leagues. Other top-tier Negro leagues players saw their stat lines diminish when they went to the Majors. Most baseball fans know that the first baseball number retired was Lou Gehrig's No. [27][28], On January 11, 2016, Irvin died of natural causes in Houston at the age of 96. 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. The expert baseball historians over at Seamheads have meticulously combed records and added … Irvin left Lincoln to spend several seasons in Negro league baseball. There is no official record of Negro Leagues Baseball statistics. [16] In his major league career, Irvin batted .293, with 99 home runs, 443 RBI, 366 runs scored, 731 hits, 97 doubles, 31 triples, and 28 stolen bases, with 351 walks for a .383 on-base percentage, and 1187 total bases for a .475 slugging average in 764 games played. Wells’s 17 doubles tied him for second-best, with four others, behind Monte Irvin’s 18 two-baggers. Monte Irvin. 4, on July 4, 1939, the day of his famous “luckiest man on the face of this earth” speech. [21], Irvin stepped down from his role with the commissioner when Kuhn announced his retirement in 1984. He appeared in only 46 games that season, hitting .310 with four home runs and 21 RBI. [11][12] Irvin hit .329 with 21 home runs and 97 RBI in 1953, finishing 15th in the league MVP voting. (Note: I included players elected for their play in the Negro Leagues, using their active years as listed on Seamheads.com. After his playing career, Irvin was a baseball scout and held an administrative role with the MLB commissioner's office. Irvin earned MVP honors in the 1945–46 Puerto Rican Winter League. Back with Jersey City in 1950, he was called up after hitting .510 with ten home runs in 18 games. Defensively, Irvin recorded a .981 fielding percentage. [2], Irvin played for the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League in 1938. The baseball world mourns the passing of Monte Irvin on Monday. Yes, there are only 27 … In an earlier article, I profiled Josh Gibson, the iconic Negro League catcher, and one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He was joined by fellow Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry and Orlando Cepeda in the pre-game ceremony. [26] In 2015, he was presented a 2014 World Series ring by Giants executives and later joined the Giants in visiting the White House. [4][5], Following the 1942 Mexican League season, Irvin was drafted into military service. Baseball Hall of Famer Monte Irvin discusses his early baseball career in The Negro Leagues. Monte Irvin was not the first African-American player in the modern major leagues, but of all the talented players who made the perilous trip from the Negro Leagues to the big leagues in the late 1940s, Irvin may have been the best. Leroy (Satchel) Paige, Pitcher. In 1949, Irvin went to the Majors as a member of the New York Giants. 1951 New York Giants, Cronkite School at ASU Monford Merrill Irvin (Mr. [33] The first results from this study were the statistics for Negro league Hall of Famers elected prior to 2006, which were published in Shades of Glory by Lawrence D. Hogan. Monte Irvin was one of the top all-around athletes of his era. At the time of his death, Irvin was the oldest living former Negro Leagues player, New York Giant and Chicago Cub. He returned to the Newark Eagles in 1946 to lead his team to a league pennant. The Chicago Cubs signed him before the 1956 season. [3] After hitting for high batting averages of .422 and .396 (1940–41), Irvin asked for a raise before the 1942 season. [7] The Newark Eagles business manager, Effa Manley, would not let Rickey sign Irvin without compensation. The team said that he would compete with Hank Sauer for a starting position in left field. View Monte Irvin's Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos). Monte Irvin Elected to the Hall of Fame: 1973 Need to know: Irvin made his Negro Leagues debut in 1938 at 19 years old and very quickly became one … He went on to a Hall of Fame career as a pioneering African American player in the major leagues. Contact SABR, 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, http://sabr.org/sites/default/files/images/MonteIrvin-1951.png, /wp-content/uploads/2020/02/sabr_logo.png, The Newark Eagles Take Flight: The Story of the 1946 Negro League Champions”, “The Team That Time Won’t Forget: The 1951 New York Giants”.