Monte Irvin

[Dr. Rat]

Willie Mays was my idol when I was a kid, passed down from my dad for whom he was "the greatest" and "most exciting" player of all time. My dad insists that if you hadn't seen Mays play, you were no judge of his impact.

But an even more special place in my dad's heart is reserved for the under-recognized breakers of the color barrier: Larry Doby and Monte Irvin foremost amongst them.

So Monte Irvin's always been a name to reckon with in the family mythology.

Here's his info from the hall of fame:

Monte Irvin

Monford Irvin

Born: February 25, 1919, Columbia, Alabama

Batted: right

Threw: right

Played for: Newark Eagles, New York Giants, Chicago Cubs

Elected to Hall of Fame by Committee on Negro Leagues: 1973

Career Batting Record

Hall of Fame Plaque

One of the finest African-American players in the years preceding integration, Monte Irvin fashioned a career of dual excellence in both the Negro leagues and the major leagues. A high-average hitter with some power, he provided the most potent bat in a Newark Eagles lineup that also included legends Willie Wells, Biz Mackey, and Mule Suttles. The well-spoken and dignified Irvin crossed the color line in 1949 and was a key contributor to two Giants pennant-winners, batting .458 in the 1951 World Series.

Did you know ... that as a teenager, Monte Irvin set a New Jersey state high school record for throwing the javelin?

In 764 career games he hit .293, 99 home runs and 443 RBIs.

And From baseballlibrary.com:

Irvin became one of the brightest stars in the Negro Leagues, playing in four East-West all-star games. After hitting league highs of .422 in 1940 and .396 in 1941, he won the triple crown in Mexico with a .398 average and 30 home runs in 68 games. Many Negro League owners felt Irvin was the best-qualified candidate to break the major league color line, but Irvin was drafted in 1942 and spent the next three years in the army.

Upon his return from the service, Irvin was tentatively contacted by the Dodgers' Branch Rickey, but felt he needed to play himself back into shape. He earned MVP honors in the 1945-46 Puerto Rican Winter League. He then led the Negro National League in RBI and hit .389, taking the Eagles to a victory over the Kansas City Monarchs in the 1946 Negro World Series. Irvin hit .462, slammed three HR, and scored the winning run in the seventh game. He was ready for the majors, but Rickey did not want to pay Eagles owner Effa Manley for the rights to Irvin's contract. Irvin remained with the Eagles and proceeded to lead the NNL in HR and RBI.

After Irvin spent the 1948-49 winter in Cuba, Rickey relinquished his claim, and the New York Giants paid Manley $5,000 for Irvin's contract. Assigned to Jersey City (International League), he batted .373. He debuted with the Giants on July 27, 1949 as a pinch hitter. Back with Jersey City in 1950, he was called up after hitting .510 with 10 HR in 18 games. He batted .299 for the Giants that season, playing first base and the outfield. In 1951 Irvin emerged as a star, hitting .312 with 24 HR, leading the National League with 121 RBI, and finishing third in MVP balloting. He hit .458 in the 1951 World Series and stole home off Yankee pitcher Allie Reynolds in the second game.

During an exhibition game in April 1952, Irvin broke his ankle sliding into third. He reinjured the leg in August 1953 and never regained his earlier form. He was sent down in mid-1955, and spent his final ML season with the Cubs. He scouted for the Mets in 1967-68, then joined the Commissioner's office as a public relations representative. The Committee on Negro Baseball Leagues elected him to the Hall of Fame in 1973; he later became a member of that body and of the Hall of Fame Committee on Baseball Veterans.