Hall of Fame outfielder Monte Irvin died Monday at the age of 96:
“Monte Irvin’s affable demeanor, strong constitution and coolness under pressure helped guide baseball through desegregation and set a standard for American culture,” said Jeff Idelson, president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “His abilities on the field as the consummate teammate are undeniable, as evidenced by World Series titles he contributed to in both the Negro and Major leagues, and a richly deserved plaque in Cooperstown. He was on the original committee that elected Negro League stars to the Hall of Fame, something for which the Museum will always be grateful.”
My thoughts go out to his family and friends.
One of the impressive things about his too short major league career was his ratio of walks to strikeouts. In 2892 plate appearances he walked 351 times while striking out just 220 times. That made his batting average close to his BABIP, and the high number of walks gave him a great .383 OBP.
He stayed involved in baseball, scouting and working in the commissioner’s office. He touched many lives in baseball through the years.
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There are now only 13 living major league players older than my dad.
from baseballmusings.com http://ift.tt/1RKoOan
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