Monte Irvin Stats & Facts
Monte Irvin
Positions: Leftfielder, First Baseman and Shortstop
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-1, 195lb (185cm, 88kg)
Born: February 25, 1919 in Haleburg, AL us
Died: January 11, 2016 in Houston, TX
Buried: Cremated
High School: Orange HS (Orange, NJ)
School: Lincoln University (Lincoln University, PA)
Debut: 1938 (8,330th in major league history)
AL/NL Debut: July 8, 1949
vs. BRO 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game: September 30, 1956
vs. CIN 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1973. (Voted by Negro League Committee)
View Monte Irvin’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Full Name: Monford Merrill Irvin
Nicknames: Mr. Murder
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Relatives: Brother of Cal Irvin
Nine Players Who Debuted in 1949
Monte Irvin
Minnie Minoso
Roy Sievers
Smoky Burgess
Del Crandall
Bobby Avila
Walt Dropo
Don Newcombe
Morrie Martin
The Monte Irvin Teammate Team
C: Wes Westrum
1B: Johnny Mize
2B: Eddie Stanky
3B: Hank Thompson
SS: Ernie Banks
LF: Bobby Thomson
CF: Willie Mays
RF: Don Mueller
SP: Sal Maglie
SP: Larry Jansen
SP: Johnny Antonelli
SP: Jim Hearn
RP: Hoyt Wilhelm
M: Leo Durocher
Vintage Baseball HOT ON EBAY
Card Collections ENDING SOON ON EBAY
MOST WANTED ROOKIE CARDS
VINTAGE SPORTS TICKETS
Baseball Hall of Famers
Notable Events and Chronology
Biography
After baseball’s color line was broken in 1947, Monte Irvin was one of the first black players signed by the Giants. He could run, throw, field, hit, and hit with power, all brilliantly. He earned 16 letters and all-state honors in four sports at East Orange (NJ) High School. His outstanding athletic career was almost prematurely ended in 1938 when he scratched his hand in a basketball game; the resulting infection kept him near death for seven weeks. He recovered and returned to the Orange Triangles, a semi-pro team that he had joined in 1932. He began playing for the Newark Eagles on weekends under the name “Jimmy Nelson” to protect his amateur standing, a practice he continued while attending Lincoln University.
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.
@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IC0gLSAtIC0gLSAtIC0gIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@
Vintage Baseball HOT ON EBAY
Card Collections ENDING SOON ON EBAY
MOST WANTED ROOKIE CARDS
VINTAGE SPORTS TICKETS
Baseball Hall of Famers
Factoids, Quotes, Milestones and Odd Facts
Playing in the Negro leagues during his prime, talented Monte Irvin made it to the majors in 1949 with the Giants. Despite his years in the shadows, Irvin still enjoyed a fine career, finishing among league leaders in many offensive categories in 1951 and 1953, his best seasons in the majors. In 1951 he paced the National League in RBI, helping the Giants to the pennant.
Played For
New York Giants (1949-1955)
Chicago Cubs (1956)
Similar: Jermaine Dye
Linked: Willie Mays, Buck O’Neil
Best Season, 1951
Like many stars who came from the Negro leagues, Irvin was a five-tool player. In 1951 he finished near the league-lead in home runs and steals, paced the league in RBI, and was third in triples. He batted .312 with a .514 slugging mark, and a had a .415 OBP in the only ML season he stayed healthy. He was 32 years old, and his best seasons had been in the Negro leagues.
Post-Season Appearances
1951 World Series
1954 World Series
Where He Played: Left field in the big leagues, though he played the infield in the Negro leagues.
Big League Debut: July 8, 1949
The Giants bought Irvin’s contract for a reported $5,000 from Effa Manley, the famed Negro league owner. The Dodgers had held Irvin’s rights, but had released them after the 1948-1949 Winter League season.
Transactions
November 27, 1955: Drafted by the Chicago Cubs from the New York Giants in the 1955 Rule V draft.
Replaced
Whitey Lockman, believe it or not.
Replaced By
Lee Walls
Best Strength as a Player
Athleticism; Irvin had been a four-sport all-stater at East orange High School in New Jersey. He was quick, fast, and he had a great throwing arm and good hitting power.
Largest Weakness as a Player
None
Other Resources & Links
Coming Soon
If you would like to add a link or add information for player pages, please contact us here.