Manufacturer: Bowman
Set: 1951 Bowman Baseball ➡️
Player Name: Monte Irvin
Position/Team: 1st Base for Giants
Card #: 198
Card Size: 2-1/16” x 3-1/8”
Card Values: See Pricing Table Below
Monford Merrill “Monte” Irvin (1919–2016) was a true all-around baseball superstar whose career spanned the Negro Leagues, the Mexican League, and Major League Baseball. Many believed he was the most talented player ready to break the color barrier after Jackie Robinson.
Irvin was celebrated for his rare combination of power, high batting average, speed, and defensive ability, playing multiple positions (shortstop, third base, and outfield). He was a three-time NNL Batting Champion (1940, 1941, 1946) and a four-time NNL All-Star. He led the Eagles to the 1946 Negro World Series title, batting a phenomenal .462 in the series. In 1942, he jumped to the Mexican League where he won the Triple Crown (batting average, home runs, and RBIs). His career was interrupted for three years (1943–1945) while he served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army during World War II, including deployment in the Battle of the Bulge.
He was a key figure in the Giants’ integration, and manager Leo Durocher specifically asked Irvin to mentor rookie Willie Mays when Mays joined the team in 1951. Irvin, Hank Thompson, and Mays later formed the first all-black outfield in MLB history. He was a member of the World Series Champion Giants team that swept the Cleveland Indians.
After retiring, Irvin worked for Major League Baseball’s Commissioner’s office from 1968 to 1984, becoming the first African-American executive in MLB history. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973 by the Negro Leagues Committee. The San Francisco Giants retired his jersey number 20.
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Pricing Data For This Rookie Card
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