*He was one of the biggest stars of the Negro Leagues, where he played throughout his 20s.

*In 1949, when he made his MLB debut with the New York Giants, he was already 30 years old.

*He only hit 99 homers in the big leagues, but he did have several great seasons. In 1951, he led the Giants to the NL Pennant and finished 3rd in the MVP voting. And in 1954, he led them to the World Series championship.

*When the Cubs got him in 1956, he was 37. His power stroke was diminished, but he was still the best left fielder in the league, finishing the season first in range and fielding percentage.

*He was inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame in 1973 by the Negro League Committee. His race and heritage was always very important to Monte Irvin. You can get a feel for that by watching him speak about meeting Martin Luther King, Jr.

Because his best MLB seasons were with the Giants, he is NOT wearing a Cubs hat in the Hall of Fame.