You should have seen Willie Wells play shortstop: as good as Ozzie Smith and a better hitter. How I wish people could have seen Ray Dandridge play th…

- Monte Irvin

I'm a forgiver. I might not forget, but I forgive. My mother, father and older brother always told me: 'Don't hold grudges. If you do that, you don't…

- Monte Irvin

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 …

- Monte Irvin

It was in 1942 and I flew from St. Louis to Mexico City. I had just gotten married and we were on our honeymoon. I hit .397 and led the Mexican Leagu…

- Monte Irvin

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 s…

- Monte Irvin

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 priv…

- Monte Irvin

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…

- Monte Irvin

I think anybody who saw him will tell you that Willie Mays was the greatest player who ever lived.

- Monte Irvin

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

- Monte Irvin