The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced earlier today that former MLB outfielder Monte Irvin passed away at the age of 96 on Monday night.
"The National Pastime has lost a pioneer with the passing of Monte Irvin, and the Hall of Fame has lost a devoted family member and friend," said Jane Forbes Clark, Chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. "Monte followed in the footsteps of Jackie Robinson as one of the men who integrated baseball, then proceeded from his exceptional playing days to working tirelessly for years in the Commissioner's office. His impact will always be felt on the game, and he will be missed in Cooperstown."
Irvin may not be a household name, but the Hall of Famer's impact on the game of baseball does not reflect his short career with the New York Giants and Chicago Cubs. Irvin, because baseball was still segregated during his playing days, began his MLB career at the age of 30 after spending nine seasons in the Negro National League with the Newark Eagles and then missing three years in his prime when he enlisted in the Army during World War II.
"I was way past my peak then," he said of his time in the MLB, via Richard Goldstein of the New York Times. "My only regret is that I didn't get a shot at 19, when I was a real ballplayer."
But in 1949 the Giants bought his contract from the Eagles and that was his best season in the majors. Irvin hit .312/.415/.514 with 94 runs scored, 24 home runs and 121 RBI (led NL) in 151 games. The Giants lost to the Yankees in the World Series, but it was Irvin who lifted the team to an NL pennant.
However, Irvin got his World Series ring in 1954 when the Giants swept the Cleveland Indians in the Fall Classic. The former slugger hit .262/.363/.438 with 62 runs scored, 19 home runs and 64 RBI in 135 games that year to help propel the Giants into the playoffs.
Fellow Hall of Famer Willie Mays viewed Irvin as a mentor during their time together on the Giants. Mays made his MLB debut in 1951 as a 20-year-old.
"Today is a sad, sad day for me. I lost someone I cared about and admired very, very much; someone who was like a second father to me," Mays said in a statement released by the Giants. "Monte was a kind of guy that you had to be around to get to know. But once you became friends, he always had your back. You had a friend for life. Monte Irvin was a great left fielder. Monte Irvin was a great man. I will miss him. There are no words for how I feel today. I could say so much more about Monte, but this is not so easy to do right now."
Irvin was among the candidates to be the first African-American to break Major League Baseball's color barrier. However, it was Jackie Robinson who achieved that recognition in 1947. Irvin still played a memorable role in helping integrate baseball as he mentored African-American players coming to the MLB in the 1950s.
Irvin was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973.
"Baseball is a game you'd play for nothing," Irvin said during his induction speech. "And I am so happy the Lord gave me a little ability, because it allowed me to meet a lot of good people and see so many exciting places."
Here's a video of the MLB Network remembering Irvin:
