Caption: Monte Irvin

Posted: 12/10/2006 10:34pm

Category: Baseball

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Baseball great Monte Irvin was initially tapped to be the first black player to break the color barrier.

He played most of his Hall of Fame career in the Negro Leagues before signing with the New York Giants -- a team he led to two pennants.

He explained to Growing Bolder how Jackie Robinson was instead chosen as the first black player to take the field in the Major Leagues.