Hall of Famer Monte Irvin dies at 96

Baseball Hall of Famer Monte Irvin, a star for the New York Giants during the 1950s who arrived in the major leagues two years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, died Monday at age 96 of natural causes at his home in Houston.

Irvin didn't play in the big leagues until 1949, when he was 30 years old, because baseball excluded black players while he was in his 20s until Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

Before Irvin reached the big leagues, he played in the Negro, Mexican and Puerto Rican leagues. But once Irvin made it to the Giants, he had great success.

The power-hitting Irvin spent seven years with the Giants (1949-1955) and one year with the Chicago Cubs in 1956. The Alabama native finished with a .293 career batting average, 99 home runs and 443 RBIs.

Irvin produced 121 RBIs in 1951. That year, the Giants defeated the Dodgers in a playoff to win the National League title. Then in the World Series against the New York Yankees, Irvin batted. 458 with 11 hits.

After retiring from playing, Irvin later worked as a scout for the New York Mets and in public relations for the commissioner's office.

In 1973, Irvin was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Committee on Negro Baseball Leagues. He was the second-oldest living Hall of Fame member behind Bobby Doerr and the eighth-oldest former major leaguer.

"Monte Irvin's affable demeanor, strong constitution and coolness under pressure helped guide baseball through desegregation and set a standard for American culture," Baseball Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson said. "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 Leagues stars to the Hall of Fame, something for which the Museum will always be grateful."

Funeral and memorial services are pending.