Editing Monte Irvin (section)

{{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.