Editing Monte Irvin (section)

==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.