Baseball

The old-timer

Opening day means twice as much to Hall of Famer Monte Irvin, who vividly recalls breaking in first in the Negro Leagues, then with the NL's New York Giants 10 years later.

By KEITH NIEBUHR, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 31, 2003

HOMOSASSA -- He remembers the town.

The stadium.

The opponent.

The smell in the air. The feeling in his stomach.

The skills that made Monte Irvin a legend have long since faded, but the man's memory has not. His images are vivid. And his description of opening day in 1939 is so precise, it's easy to visualize Irvin taking a bat, walking to the plate and digging in.

"My first day was in Newark (N.J.)," Irvin, 84, said last week from his home in Sugarmill Woods. "I was very excited because I was now playing with fellows I used to watch. And I was thinking, 'Here I am playing with all these great stars like Ray Dandridge and Willie Wells.' "

Irvin was 20 when he made his Negro Leagues debut. At least, that's how the record books tell it.

In reality, he began playing pro ball when he was 17 under the alias Jimmy Nelson to protect his amateur status. He needed the money, and that was the best way to get it, he figured. Finally, in 1939, Irvin's name appeared on a Newark Eagles lineup card opening day.

"We played the Homestead Grays," Irvin said. "They had Buck Leonard and Josh Gibson. I got a hit, I remember. Think I was 1-for-4."

Irvin batted .422 the next year and in 1941 earned a trip to the Negro Leagues All-Star Game. He established himself as one of the game's great defensive players, too, starring at shortstop, third base and in the outfield. Irvin carried a .373 lifetime average in the Negro Leagues.

He was 6 feet 2, 210 pounds in his prime, huge for that era. He hit with power and average. He could run, and his arm strength was legendary. A versatile athlete, he played infield and outfield.

One Web site devoted to the Negro Leagues (www.theforgottenleagues.com) quotes Newark Eagles owner Effa Manley as saying, "Monte was the choice of all Negro National and American League club owners to serve as the No. 1 player to join a white major-league team. We all agreed, in meetings, he was the best qualified by temperament, character, ability, sense of loyalty, morals, age, experience and physique."

It didn't happen that way.

Irvin was drafted during the war. He returned with an inner-ear problem and slightly diminished skills. Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in 1947.

"I would have loved to have been the first, but it didn't happen," Irvin said. "I was a little envious of Jackie, but a lot of guys were."

Two years later, Irvin got his shot with the New York Giants.

His first action came in early July at the famed Polo Grounds in New York.

"I sat on the bench a couple of days, then I got called in to pinch hit one day. I was all right in the batting circle. But when I got up to the plate my left leg started to twitch."

Irvin called time to compose himself.

"I said to myself, 'Now wait a minute, you're a pro. You've been in baseball for years and shouldn't be feeling this way.' I remember the count went to 3-2. I can't remember his name, but he was a fastball pitcher and I was ready for the fastball. But he threw me a curve that was too low and I walked. I was relieved it wasn't a strike. From then on, I was okay."

In eight seasons, during which he often battled injuries, Irvin hit .293, had 99 homers and drove in 443 runs. His best season came in 1951, when he helped lead the Giants to the National League pennant by hitting .312 with 24 home runs and a league-leading 121 RBIs.

He retired in 1956 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame 17 years later.

Irvin and his wife of 60 years, Dee, moved here in 1984. Golf became his passion, but bad knees took him off the course. Today, he walks with the help of a cane. He spends much of his time playing cards and visiting with friends. He also donates items and signs autographs to help benefit a local service that helps the developmentally disabled.

Irvin enjoys life, he says, but adds, "I miss the money, even though I wasn't making that much. You think back a lot. At that time, baseball was king."

He will be in front of the TV opening day. More than 60 years after his debut, he plans to watch his favorite team, the Devil Rays, and manager, Lou Piniella, from the comfort of his living room.

"They say a lot of pennants are won on opening day," Irvin said. "For rookies it's very exciting. And it still is when you're older. You want to make an impression on the fans, start off well. There's always a certain amount of excitement."

Men leave the game, but the game never leaves their blood.

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