Hall of Famer Monte Irvin dies, and Twitter reacts
Baseball Hall of Famer Monte Irvin, a power-hitting outfielder who starred for the New York Giants in the 1950s in a career abbreviated by major league baseball’s exclusion of black players, has died. He was 96.
The Hall of Fame said Irvin died Monday night of natural causes at his Houston home.
Irvin was 30 when he joined the Giants in 1949, two years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. Irvin spent seven of his eight big league seasons with the Giants and one year with the Chicago Cubs in 1956. A native of Haleburg, Ala., Irvin played in the Negro, Mexican and Puerto Rican leagues during his 20s.
The Associated Press
Social media was nonexistent throughout Irvin’s career, but Twitter responded with warm recollections of the Hall of Famer when the news of his death was made public Tuesday. Here is a sampling:
Hall of Fame outfielder Monte Irvin has died at age 96: https://t.co/CBsOMi6TJh pic.twitter.com/KjvCxkbSUN
— MLB (@MLB) January 12, 2016Monte Irvin's #20 was retired at @ATTParkSF in 2010, even though he never played in SF. #RIPMonte #ForeverGiant https://t.co/yXcQCK7uw8
— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) January 12, 2016MLB Network remembers Hall of Famer Monte Irvin. https://t.co/fvFS3pJax3
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 12, 2016Once he reached the majors at age 30, Monte Irvin made up for lost time. Our video tribute: https://t.co/iabiIWBsuD #RIPMonte
— Baseball Hall (@BaseballHall) January 12, 2016RIP Monte Irvin. You were a great one. #NegroLeagues #HallOfFame pic.twitter.com/CEWrUeMAYg
— Nat'l Pastime Museum (@TNPMuseum) January 12, 2016Look at these sharp-dressed men. RIP Monte Irvin. Say hey to both my Gramps! #RIPMonte #OrangeHigh #Giants #Yankees pic.twitter.com/TTxlwczhoP
— Lindsay Berra (@lindsayberra) January 12, 2016When he died Monte Irvin was the oldest surviving player from a World Series winning club. Here, from 1954: pic.twitter.com/jUDy7uAJMn
— John Thorn (@thorn_john) January 12, 2016Compiled by Jeff Caraska
This story was originally published January 12, 2016 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Hall of Famer Monte Irvin dies, and Twitter reacts."