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{{Short description|American baseball player (1919–2016)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name = Monte Irvin
|position = [[Left fielder]]
|image = Monte Irvin 1953.jpg
|caption = Irvin with the New York Giants, {{c.|1953}}
|bats = Right
|throws = Right
|birth_date = {{birth date|1919|2|25}}
|birth_place = [[Haleburg, Alabama]], U.S.
|death_date = {{death date and age|2016|1|11|1919|2|25}}
|death_place = [[Houston|Houston, Texas]], U.S.
|debutleague = NgL
|debutdate =
|debutyear = 1938
|debutteam = Newark Eagles
|debut2league = MLB
|debut2date = July 8
|debut2year = 1949
|debut2team = New York Giants
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate = September 30
|finalyear = 1956
|finalteam = Chicago Cubs
|statleague = MLB
| stat1label  = [[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
| stat1value  = .305
| stat2label  = [[Home run]]s
| stat2value  = 140
| stat3label  = [[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
| stat3value  = 694
|teams =
*[[Newark Eagles]] ({{by|1938}}–{{by|1943}}, {{by|1945}}–{{by|1948}})
*[[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] ({{mlby|1949}}–{{mlby|1955}})
*[[Chicago Cubs]] ({{mlby|1956}})
|highlights=
*4x [[East–West All-Star Game|NgL All-Star]] (1941, 1946–1948)
*[[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|MLB All-Star]] ([[1952 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1952]])
*[[Negro World Series]] champion ([[1946 Negro World Series|1946]])
*[[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1954}})
*3× [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions#Negro leagues|Negro National League batting champion]] (1940, 1941, 1946)
*[[List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders|NL RBI leader]] (1951)
*[[San Francisco Giants#Retired numbers|San Francisco Giants No. 20]] retired
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate=[[1973 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1973]]
|hofmethod=Negro Leagues Committee
|module = {{Infobox military person
|embed = yes
|allegiance = {{flag|United States}}
|branch = {{army|United States}}
|serviceyears = 1942–1945
|rank = [[Sergeant]]
|unit = [[1313th Battalion]]
|battles = [[World War II]]
|awards = }}
}}

'''Monford Merrill''' "'''Monte'''" '''Irvin''' (February 25, 1919 – January 11, 2016) was an American [[left fielder]] and [[right fielder]] in the [[Negro league baseball|Negro leagues]] and [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) who played with the [[Newark Eagles]] (1938–1942, 1946–1948), [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] (1949–1955) and [[Chicago Cubs]] (1956). He grew up in [[New Jersey]] and was a standout [[American football|football]] player at [[Lincoln_(Pennsylvania)_Lions|Lincoln University]]. Irvin left Lincoln to spend several seasons in Negro league baseball. His career was interrupted by military service from 1943 to 1945.

When he joined the New York Giants, Irvin became one of the earliest African-American MLB players. He played in two World Series for the Giants. When future Hall of Famer [[Willie Mays]] joined the Giants in 1951, Irvin was asked to mentor him. He was inducted into the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 1973. After his playing career, Irvin was a baseball [[scout (sport)|scout]] and held an administrative role with the MLB commissioner's office.

At the time of his death, Irvin was the oldest living former Negro Leagues player, [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giant]] and [[Chicago Cubs|Chicago Cub]]. He lived in a retirement community in [[Houston]] before his death.

==Early life==
Irvin was born February 25, 1919,<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|title = Monte Irvin, Hall of Fame baseball star who began in Negro leagues, dies at 96|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/monte-irvin-hall-of-fame-baseball-star-who-began-in-negro-leagues-dies-at-96/2016/01/12/f7a16e44-b968-11e5-b682-4bb4dd403c7d_story.html|newspaper = The Washington Post|date = 2016-01-12|access-date = 2016-01-13|issn = 0190-8286|language = en-US|first = Matt|last = Schudel}}</ref> in [[Haleburg, Alabama]], the eighth of 13 children, and brother of fellow Negro leaguer [[Cal Irvin]]. As a child, he moved with his family to [[Orange, New Jersey]]. At [[Orange High School (New Jersey)|Orange High School]], he starred in four sports, earning a total of 16 [[varsity letter]]s and setting a state record in the [[javelin throw]].<ref>[[Jerry Izenberg|Izenberg, Jerry]]. [https://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/izenbergcol/2014/02/izenberg_happy_95th_birthday_m.html "Happy 95th birthday Monte Irvin"], ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'', February 25, 2014, updated January 17, 2019. Accessed January 24, 2022. "He lives in Houston now, but there is a piece of him that never left New Jersey, where as a teenage superstar at Orange High School he won 16 varsity letters in four years"</ref> 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. 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.<ref name=Jackie>{{cite book|last1=Dorinson|first1=Joseph|last2=Warmund|first2=Joram|title=Jackie Robinson: Race, Sports, and the American Dream|date=1998|publisher=[[M. E. Sharpe]]|isbn=0765633388|page=[https://archive.org/details/jackierobinsonra00dori/page/33 33]|url=https://archive.org/details/jackierobinsonra00dori|url-access=registration|access-date=November 28, 2014}}</ref>

Irvin attended [[Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)|Lincoln University]] and was a star football player. However, he had disagreements with his coach and he found that he could not remain on his athletic scholarship and pursue pre-dentistry studies. As his frustration mounted, Irvin began to be recruited by Negro league baseball teams.<ref name=Jackie/>

==Negro league and Mexican League career==
Irvin played for the [[Newark Eagles]] of the [[Negro National League (1933–48)|Negro National League]] in 1938. [[Larry Doby]], the first player to break the color barrier in the [[American League]], was Irvin's double play partner with Newark at one time.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news|last1=Coyne|first1=Kevin|title=Black baseball's rich legacy|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/27Rbaseball.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0|access-date=November 28, 2014|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 27, 2008}}</ref> After hitting for high [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]]s of .422 and .396 (1940–41), Irvin asked for a raise before the 1942 season. When that was denied, he left the Negro leagues for the [[Mexican League]], where he won a [[Triple Crown (baseball)|triple crown]]; he had a .397 batting average and 20 [[home run]]s in 63 games.<ref name="Burkett">{{cite web|last1=Burkett|first1=Samantha|title=Remembering Monte Irvin|url=http://baseballhall.org/news/remembering-monte-irvin|publisher=[[Baseball Hall of Fame]]|access-date=October 9, 2016|date=January 12, 2016}}</ref><ref>Justice, Richard; Haft, Chris (January 12, 2016). [https://www.mlb.com/news/monte-irvin-giants-hall-of-famer-dies-c161697548 Hall of Famer, trailblazer Irvin dies at 96] . MLB.com. Retrieved January 13, 2016.</ref>

===World War II===
Following the 1942 Mexican League season, Irvin was drafted into military service. 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]]. 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. Irvin's military service left him with [[tinnitus|ringing in the ears]], which affected his coordination.<ref name="Wartime">{{cite web|title=Monte Irvin|url=http://www.baseballinwartime.com/player_biographies/irvin_monte.htm|website=www.baseballinwartime.com|access-date=October 9, 2016|date=May 13, 2007}}</ref>

===Return to baseball===
After World War II, Irvin was approached by [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] executive [[Branch Rickey]] about being signed for the major leagues, but Irvin felt he was not ready to play at that level so soon after leaving the service.<ref>[http://www.baseballinwartime.com/player_biographies/irvin_monte.htm Monte Irvin]. ''Baseball in Wartime''. Retrieved January 13, 2016.</ref> The Newark Eagles business manager, [[Effa Manley]], would not let Rickey sign Irvin without compensation. Rickey had already obtained [[Jackie Robinson]] without paying for his rights to his Negro league clubs. Said Irvin,

<blockquote> ...&nbsp;from a purely business standpoint, Mrs. Manley felt that Branch Rickey was obligated to compensate her for my contract. That position probably delayed my entry into the major leagues&nbsp;... Mrs. Manley told Rickey that he had taken [[Don Newcombe]] for no money but she wasn't going to let him take me without some compensation. Furthermore, if he tried to do it, she would sue and fight him in court&nbsp;... Rickey contacted her to say he was no longer interested and released me&nbsp;... the Giants picked up my contract&nbsp;...<ref name="Cooperstown_Simons">{{cite book|title=The Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, 2000|editor=Alvin L. Hall|isbn=978-0786411207|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc.|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|last=Simons|first=William M.|date=2 October 2015|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OT2oXO8-5KwC&q=larry+dobby+effa+manley+bill+veeck+contract&pg=PA288}}</ref>{{rp|p.277}}
</blockquote>

Irvin earned MVP honors in the 1945–46 Puerto Rican Winter League. He returned to the Newark Eagles in 1946 to lead his team to a league pennant. 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. He was a five-time [[East-West All-Star Game|Negro League All-Star]] (1941, 1946–1948, including two games in 1946). He spent the winter of 1948–49 in Cuba.

==MLB career==
In 1949, the New York Giants paid $5,000 for Irvin's contract. He was one of the first black players to be signed, as [[Jackie Robinson]] had only broken the MLB [[Baseball color line|color line]] in 1947. Assigned to Jersey City of the [[International League]], Irvin batted .373. He debuted with the Giants on July 8, 1949, as a [[pinch hitter]]. Back with Jersey City in 1950, he was called up after hitting .510 with ten home runs in 18 games. Irvin batted .299 for the Giants that season, playing [[first baseman|first base]] and the outfield.

In 1951, Irvin sparked the Giants' miraculous comeback to overtake the Dodgers in the pennant race, batting .312 with 24 homers and a league-best 121 [[run batted in|runs batted in]] (RBI), en route to the [[1951 World Series|World Series]] (he went 11–24 for .458). In the third game of the playoff between the Giants and Dodgers, Irvin popped out in the bottom of the ninth inning before [[Bobby Thomson]] hit the [[Shot Heard 'Round the World (baseball)|Shot Heard 'Round the World]]. That year Irvin teamed with [[Hank Thompson (baseball)|Hank Thompson]] and [[Willie Mays]] to form the first all-black outfield in the majors. Later, he finished third in the NL's MVP voting.

During that season, Giants manager [[Leo Durocher]] asked Irvin to serve as a mentor for Mays, who had been called up to the team in May. Mays later said, "In my time, when I was coming up, you had to have some kind of guidance. And Monte was like my brother ... I couldn't go anywhere without him, especially on the road ... It was just a treat to be around him. I didn't understand life in New York until I met Monte. He knew everything about what was going on and he protected me dearly."<ref name=Haft>{{cite web|last1=Haft|first1=Chris|title=Irvin played big part in Mays' ascension|url=http://m.giants.mlb.com/news/article/28565986/|work=[[MLB.com]]|access-date=December 28, 2014|date=April 13, 2012|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000738/http://m.giants.mlb.com/news/article/28565986/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Irvin later replied, "I did that for two years and in the third year he started showing me around."<ref name=Haft/>

Irvin suffered a broken ankle during a spring training game in Denver in 1952, jamming his ankle on third base while sliding. "It was a horrible thing to see," reported Mays.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mays|first=Willie|title=Say Hey: The Autobiography of Willie Mays|url=https://archive.org/details/sayheyautobiogra00mays_0|url-access=registration|location=New York|publisher=Simon and Schuster|year=1988|isbn=0671632922|page=[https://archive.org/details/sayheyautobiogra00mays_0/page/100 100]}}</ref> However, Irvin returned in time to be named to his only [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game]] in 1952. He appeared in only 46 games that season, hitting .310 with four home runs and 21 RBI.<ref name=Leg>{{cite news|last1=Lacy|first1=Sam|title=Bums, to a man, regret injury to Monte Irvin|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2205&dat=19520408&id=ysYlAAAAIBAJ&pg=3706,6048112|access-date=November 28, 2014|work=[[Baltimore Afro-American]]|date=April 8, 1952}}</ref><ref name=BR/> Irvin hit .329 with 21 home runs and 97 RBI in 1953, finishing 15th in the league MVP voting. The following season, he hit .262 with 19 home runs and 64 RBI,<ref name=BR/> with the Giants winning the pennant and facing the [[Cleveland Indians]] in the [[1954 World Series]]. Irvin was in left field when Mays, playing center field, made "[[The Catch (baseball)|The Catch]]" on a deep drive off the bat of [[Vic Wertz]] in Game 1.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1954/B09290NY11954.htm |title=New York Giants 5, Cleveland Indians 2 |website=[[Retrosheet]] |date=September 29, 1954 |access-date=April 15, 2020}}</ref> The Giants went on to win the Series in four games, with Irvin collecting two hits in nine at bats.<ref name=WS54>{{cite web|title=1954 World Series|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1954_WS.shtml|publisher=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=December 28, 2014}}</ref>

In 1955, Irvin had been sent down to the minor leagues, where he hit 14 home runs in 75 games for the [[Minneapolis Millers]]. The [[Chicago Cubs]] signed him before the 1956 season. The team said that he would compete with [[Hank Sauer]] for a starting position in left field.<ref name=BAA>{{cite news|title=Monte Irvin signs Cubs' contract|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2205&dat=19560103&id=BeclAAAAIBAJ&pg=2483,3811533|access-date=November 28, 2014|work=[[Baltimore Afro-American]]|date=January 3, 1956}}</ref> Irvin appeared in 111 games for the Cubs that year, hitting .271 with 15 home runs.<ref name=BR>{{cite web|title=Monte Irvin Statistics and History|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/irvinmo01.shtml|publisher=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=28 November 2014}}</ref>

A back injury led to Irvin's retirement as a player in 1957. He sustained the injury during spring training that year and only appeared in four minor league games for the [[Los Angeles Angels (PCL)|Los Angeles Angels]] of the [[Pacific Coast League]].<ref name="Sentinel">{{Cite news |date=1957-05-12 |title=Aching Back Forces Irvin to Quit Game |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/springfield-news-sun-aching-back-forces/163363192/ |access-date=2025-01-18 |work=Springfield News-Sun |page=5C |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> In his major league career, Irvin batted .293, with 99 home runs, 443 RBI, 366 [[Run (baseball)|runs scored]], 731 [[hit (baseball)|hits]], 97 [[Double (baseball)|doubles]], 31 [[triple (baseball)|triples]], and 28 [[stolen base]]s, with 351 [[Base on balls|walks]] for a .383 [[on-base percentage]], and 1187 total bases for a .475 [[slugging average]] in 764 games played. Defensively, Irvin recorded a .981 [[fielding percentage]].<ref name=BR/>

==Later life==
Monte appeared on an episode of ''[[To Tell The Truth]]'' dated May 22, 1961, in which he impersonated a judo champion.<ref>{{cite news|title=To Tell the Truth, May 22, 1961|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dnBqR-xITU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/6dnBqR-xITU |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|access-date=October 5, 2020|work=[[To Tell the Truth]]|date=May 22, 1961}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

[[File:Monte Irvin number retirement.jpg|thumb|230px|right|Irvin at his number retirement ceremony, 2010]]
After retiring, Irvin worked as a representative for the [[Rheingold beer]] company,<ref>''[[To Tell the Truth]]'', CBS, May 22, 1961 episode</ref> and later as a scout for the [[New York Mets]] from 1967 to 1968. He was named an MLB public relations specialist for the [[Baseball Commissioner|commissioner]]'s office under [[Bowie Kuhn]] in 1968. The appointment made him the first black executive in professional baseball.<ref name=PPG>{{cite news|title=Monte Irvin joins staff in New York|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19680822&id=WA5ZAAAAIBAJ&pg=5027,3299300|access-date=November 28, 2014|work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|date=August 22, 1968}}</ref> He was elected to the [[Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 1972.<ref name=Cards>{{cite news|title=Cards get Cuozzo; Stasiuk fired|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19720427&id=kLwqAAAAIBAJ&pg=7421,4841221|access-date=November 28, 2014|work=[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]]|date=April 27, 1972}}</ref> The next year, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, primarily on the basis of his play in the Negro leagues.

In 1974, Kuhn was present in Cincinnati when [[Hank Aaron]] tied [[Babe Ruth]]'s record of 714 career home runs. When the team came back to Atlanta, Kuhn sent Irvin in his place, so Kuhn was not present for Aaron's 715th home run. Even as late as 1980, Aaron was so angry at Kuhn that he did not attend an event where Kuhn was to present him with an award.<ref name=Ledger>{{cite news|title=Angered Aaron snubs Kuhn at award ceremony|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19800129&id=xIEsAAAAIBAJ&pg=3873,4729243|access-date=November 28, 2014|work=[[Lakeland Ledger]]|date=January 29, 1980}}</ref>

Irvin stepped down from his role in the commissioner's office when Kuhn announced his retirement in 1984.<ref name=SHT>{{cite news|title=Irvin to retire with Kuhn|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19840118&id=Rm4fAAAAIBAJ&pg=2430,6205082|access-date=November 28, 2014|work=[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]]|date=January 18, 1984}}</ref> He retired to Homosassa, Florida, but he accepted an MLB role involving special projects and appearances.<ref name=Class>{{cite news|last1=Bock|first1=Hal|title=Monte Irvin a class guy|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1899&dat=19840301&id=Uw0gAAAAIBAJ&pg=2086,443090|access-date=November 28, 2014|work=[[Lewiston Journal]]|date=March 1, 1984}}</ref>

On May 16, 2006, Orange Park in the city of Orange, New Jersey was renamed Monte Irvin Park, in his honor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/monte/honor.html|title=Monte Irvin {{!}} In Honor|website=www.state.nj.us|access-date=2017-08-14}}</ref>

{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = SFGiants_20.png
|Name   = Monte Irvin
|Number = 20
|Team   = San Francisco Giants
|Year   = 2010
|}}
On June 26, 2010, the San Francisco Giants officially retired his number 20 uniform. He was joined by fellow Hall of Famers [[Willie Mays]], [[Willie McCovey]], [[Juan Marichal]], [[Gaylord Perry]] and [[Orlando Cepeda]] in the [[pre-game ceremony]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20100526&content_id=10455556&vkey=pr_sf&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf|title=Giants to retire uniform #20 worn by Monte Irvin|work=San Francisco Giants|access-date=2010-05-31|archive-date=2017-06-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626182708/http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20100526&content_id=10455556&vkey=pr_sf&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf|url-status=dead}}</ref> He later joined those same Giants Hall of Famers in throwing out the ceremonial first pitch of Game 1 of [[2010 World Series]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101027&content_id=15861210&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb|title=Giants greats, sans Mays, take part in pregame|work=Major League Baseball}}</ref>  In 2015, he was presented a [[2014 World Series]] ring by Giants executives and later joined the Giants in visiting the White House.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/giants/shea/article/Monte-Irvin-96-gets-his-Giants-ring-from-Larry-6261129.php |title=Monte Irvin, 96, gets his Giants ring from Larry Baer, Bobby Evans |first=John |last=Shea |date=May 13, 2015 |work=San Francisco Chronicle}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/giants/ci_28253405/giants-visit-white-house-world-series-celebration |title=Giants visit White House for World Series celebration |first=Andrew |last=Baggarly |date=June 4, 2015 |work=San Jose Mercury News}}</ref>

In 2013, the [[Bob Feller Act of Valor Award]] honored Irvin as one of 37 Baseball Hall of Fame members for his service in the United States Army during World War II.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://actofvaloraward.org/hof-players/|title=WWII HOF Players – Act of Valor Award|access-date=2021-08-18|archive-date=2021-10-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008204152/https://actofvaloraward.org/hof-players/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On January 11, 2016, Irvin died of natural causes in Houston at age 96.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2016/01/12/hall-famer-monte-irvin-dies-96/78694934/|title=Hall of Famer Monte Irvin dies at 96|work=USA Today|date=January 12, 2016}}</ref> At the time of his death, 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. Before his death, he lived in a retirement community in Houston.<ref name=Chron>{{cite web|last1=Barron|first1=David|title=Hall of Famer Irvin laments diminishing number of African-Americans in baseball|url=http://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/astros/article/Hall-of-Famer-Irvin-laments-diminishing-number-of-5511528.php|work=[[Houston Chronicle]]|access-date=November 29, 2014|date=May 28, 2014}}</ref> He also served on the [[Veterans Committee]] of the Hall of Fame. The Giants wore a patch in his memory for the 2016 season, a black circle with an orange outline with "Monte" on top of his number 20, to be worn on the left sleeve.<ref>{{cite tweet |number=714880303471263744 |user=SFGiants |date=March 29, 2016 |title=The #SFGiants will wear patches on their sleeve in honor of @BaseballHall of Famer Monte Irvin and Jim Davenport.}}</ref>

On October 19, 2016, a life-sized bronze statue of Irvin was dedicated in Monte Irvin Park in [[Orange, New Jersey]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tapinto.net/towns/east-orange-slash-orange/categories/press-releases/articles/essex-county-dedicates-monte-irvin-statue-in-mon|title=Essex County Dedicates Monte Irvin Statue in (Monte Irvin) Orange Park|work=TAPinto|access-date=2017-08-14|language=en}}</ref>

In 2021, Irvin was inducted into the [[New Jersey Hall of Fame]].

==Career statistics==

===Negro leagues===
The first official statistics for the Negro leagues were compiled as part of a statistical study sponsored by the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|National Baseball Hall of Fame]] and supervised by Larry Lester and Dick Clark, in which a research team collected statistics from thousands of box-scores of league-sanctioned games.<ref>Hogan, p. 381.</ref>  

Link including Negro Leagues statistics officially entered into Major League Baseball’s official records: https://www.mlb.com/player/monte-irvin-116403

The results from the first study were the statistics for Negro League Hall of Famers elected before 2006, which were published in  ''Shades of Glory'' by Lawrence D. Hogan.  These statistics include the official Negro league statistics for Monte Irvin, which may differ from Major League Baseball's official records:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|- 
! Year
! Team
! [[Games played|G]]
! [[At bat|AB]]
! [[Run (baseball)|R]]
! [[Hit (baseball)|H]]
! [[Double (baseball)|2B]]
! [[Triple (baseball)|3B]] 
! [[Home run|HR]]
! [[Run batted in|RBI]]
! [[Stolen base|SB]]
! [[Base on balls|BB]]
! [[Batting average (baseball)|BA]]
! [[Slugging percentage|SLG]]
|-
| 1938
| [[Newark Eagles|Newark]]
| 2
| 4
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| .000
| .000
|- style="background-color:silver;"
| 1939
| Newark
| 21
| 76
| 11
| 22
| 2
| 1
| 2
| 11
| 0
| 7
| .289
| .421
|-
| 1940
| Newark
| 35
| 131
| 26
| 46
| 9
| 4
| 3
| 36
| 2
| 12
| .351
| .550
|- style="background-color:silver;"
| 1941
| Newark
| 34
| 126
| 28
| 50
| 11
| 1
| 5
| 36
| 7
| 10
| .397
| .619
|-
| 1942
| Newark
| 4
| 18
| 7
| 11
| 3
| 1
| 1
| 11
| 0
| 0
| .611
| 1.056
|- style="background-color:silver;"
| 1945
| Newark
| 1
| 5
| 0
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 1
| 0
| 0
| .200
| .200
|-
| 1946
| Newark – <span style="color:green;">c</span>
| 40
| 149
| 34
| 57
| 8
| 2
| 6
| 36
| 3
| 16
| .383
| .584
|- style="background-color:silver;"
| 1947
| Newark
| 13
| 48
| 13
| 16
| 1
| 0
| 4
| 10
| 1
| 8
| .333
| .604
|-
| 1948
| Newark
| 9
| 30
| 6
| 7
| 0
| 0
| 2
| 5
| 2
| 4
| .233
| .433
|- style="background-color:black; color:white; text-align:center;"
|'''Total'''
|'''9 seasons'''
| 159
| 587
| 125
| 210
| 34
| 9
| 23
| 146
| 15
| 57
| .358
| .564
|-
|colspan="14"|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color:green;">c</span> = pennant and [[Negro League World Series]] championship.
|-
|}

Source:<ref>Hogan, pp. 390–391.</ref>

===Mexican League===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|- 
! Year
! Team
! [[Games played|G]]
! [[At bat|AB]]
! [[Run (baseball)|R]]
! [[Hit (baseball)|H]]
! [[Double (baseball)|2B]]
! [[Triple (baseball)|3B]] 
! [[Home run|HR]]
! [[Run batted in|RBI]]
! [[Stolen base|SB]]
! [[Base on balls|BB]]
! [[Batting average (baseball)|BA]]
! [[Slugging percentage|SLG]]
|-
| 1942
| Veracruz
| 63
| 237
| 74
| 94
| 17
| 6
| 20<span style="color:red;">*</span>
| 79
| 11
| 50
| .397<span style="color:red;">*</span>
| .772
|- style="background-color:silver;"
|colspan="14"|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color:red;">*</span> – led league.
|-
|}

Source:<ref>Treto Cisneros, p. 27, 31, 293.</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Baseball}}
*[[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]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
*{{citation | last1=Clark | first1=Dick | last2=Lester | first2=Larry | title=The Negro Leagues Book | place=Cleveland, Ohio | publisher=Society for American Baseball Research | year=1994 }}
*{{citation | last=Hogan | first=Lawrence D. | year=2006 | title=Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African-American Baseball | place=Washington, D.C. | publisher=National Geographic | isbn=0-7922-5306-X | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/shadesofgloryneg00hoga }}
*{{citation | last=Holway | first=John B. | year=2001 | title=The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues: The Other Half of Baseball History | place=Fern Park, Florida | publisher=Hastings House Publishers | isbn=0-8038-2007-0}}
*{{citation | last=Riley | first=James A. | title=The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues | place=New York | publisher=Carroll & Graf | year=1994 | isbn=0-7867-0959-6 }}
*{{citation | last=Treto Cisneros | first=Pedro | title=The Mexican League: Comprehensive Player Statistics, 1937–2001 | place=Jefferson, North Carolina | publisher=McFarland & Company | year=2002 | isbn=0-7864-1378-6}}

==Further reading==
===Articles===
*United Press. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jXwbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jE0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4725%2C1240433 "Irvin's Injury Dims Giant Hopes; Star Breaks Ankle, May Be Sidelined for Rest of Season"]. ''The Pittsburgh Press''. April 3, 1952.
*Fraley, Oscar. [https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=MT19530814.2.52&srpos=10&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN-%22Ankle+Injured+Monte+Irvin%22-------1 "Ankle Injured, Monte Irvin Has Plentitude Of Troubles But Still Hopes For Batting Crown"]. ''Madeira Daily News-Tribune''. August 14, 1953.
*"'That Boy's So Full of Play'; Two close friends of Willie Mays talk about frisky personality of newly legendary Giant". ''Life''. September 13, 1954. pp.&nbsp;133–134, [https://books.google.com/books?id=_1MEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA137 137-138], [https://books.google.com/books?id=_1MEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA141 141].
* Trimble, Joe. [http://www.mediafire.com/view/0s544j2pcfn1ewh/.png Irvin Makes Long Road to Hall of Fame"]. ''Daily News''. February 8, 1973. 
* Richman, Milton (UPI). [https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19730208.2.98&srpos=1&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN-%22monte+couldn't+fool+his+wife%22-------1 "Monte Couldn't Fool His Wife"]. ''The Desert Sun''. February 8, 1973.

===Books===
*Irvin, Monte; Riley, James A. (1996). ''Monte Irvin: Nice Guys Finish First''. {{ISBN|9780786702541}}
*Irvin, Monte; Pepe, Phil (2007). [https://archive.org/details/fewchosendefinin00irvi <!-- quote="monte irvin". --> ''Few and Chosen: Defining Negro League Greatness'']. Chicago, IL: Triumph Books. {{ISBN|9781572438552}}.
*Anton, Todd; Nowlin, Bill, ed. (2008). ''When Baseball Went to War''. Chicago, IL: Triumph Books. [https://books.google.com/books?id=OYMvAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA117 pp. 117-180]. {{ISBN|9781600781261}}.

==External links==
*{{bbhof|irvin-monte}}
*{{baseballstats|mlb=116403|espn=|br=i/irvinmo01|fangraphs=1006275|brm=irvin-001mon}} and [https://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/player.php?playerID=irvin01mon Seamheads]
*[http://www.cmgww.com/baseball/irvin/ cmgww.com] – Official website

{{Newark Eagles}}
{{1946 Newark Eagles}}
{{1954 New York Giants}}
{{Negro league baseball batting champions}}
{{NL RBI champions}}
{{San Francisco Giants retired numbers}}
{{San Francisco Giants}}
{{1973 Baseball HOF}}
{{Baseball Hall of Fame members}}
{{San Francisco Giants HOF}}
{{Mexican League batting title}}
{{Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame members}}
{{Authority control}}

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