logo

Say thanks by supporting us!

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisement to our visitors. Please consider supporting to us by disabling your ad blocker.

Processing...

I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron. They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson.

- Monte Irvin
logo
Author:
Monte Irvin
Tags:
Players
Against
Were
Related Quote
Show all

My all-time heroes are Thurgood Marshall and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., two men who had to really work to achieve what they did. And I had the privilege of meeting them both.

Many of the greatest black athletes of all time played baseball for no money and no recognition. I'm just sorry many major league fans never got to see them play, because many of them were awesome.

My mother was a Bible student, and when I was a youngster, both my mother and father would say, 'If people would only live by the Golden Rule, there wouldn't be the problems that there are.' In other words, 'treat people the way you want to be treated.' If somebody mistreats you, two wrongs won't make a right.

Early in life I learned, just through observation, that right always wins out over wrong. If a person has good intentions in his heart and wants to do the right thing, then there are certain ways that any obstacle can be overcome.

Leo Durocher was our manager and he brought Willie up to me and said, 'This is Willie Mays and he's your new roommate.' You could see right away that this young man was a natural. He had those real big hands, great power and speed and would catch everything hit in his direction. He's the best center fielder that ever lived, no question.

Everyone says we have our first African American president. Has there ever been a Jewish president? An Italian president? They don't say a damn thing about that. You think we're still fighting the Civil War or something. If you want to mention it in passing, OK. But don't dwell on it.

I played in three countries. I played in two World Series. But I never found anything to match the joy and the laughter those years with the Eagles brought me. The city and county loved us.

Oscar Charleston was the Willie Mays of his day. Nobody ever played center field better than Willie Mays. Suppose they had never given Willie a chance, and we said that, would anybody believe there was a kid in Alabama who was that good? Or there was a black guy in Atlanta who might break Babe Ruth's home run record? No.

I was all-state in four sports in New Jersey, but sometimes I couldn't get served at a restaurant two blocks from my high school. There were no job opportunities then... the only thing a black youth could aspire to be was a bellboy or a pullman or an elevator operator, or, maybe, a teacher. There was a time when all we had was black baseball.

Showcase
Show all

I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron. They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson.

I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron. They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson.

I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron. They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson.

I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron. They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson.

I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron. They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson.

I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron. They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson.

I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron. They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson.

I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron. They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson.

I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron. They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson.

I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron. They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson.

I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron. They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson.

I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron. They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson.

I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron. They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson.

I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron. They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson.

I played with Willie Mays and against Hank Aaron. They were tremendous players, but they were no Josh Gibson.