I is for Irvin

Cubs Home run hitters from Aramis to Zimmerman

I is for Irvin

Monte Irvin (HOF)

1919 -2016

Giants, Cubs

The first paragraph of Monte Irvin's page at the baseball hall of fame website reads as follows

Monte Irvin was not the first African-American player in the modern major leagues, but of all the talented players who made the perilous trip from the Negro leagues to the big leagues in the late 1940s, Irvin may have been the best.

Irvin played with the Newark Eagles of the Negro League and came to the major leagues with the New York Giants in 1949 and played seven season there.  In 1956 he finished his career with the Cubs and hit 15  of his 99 major league homers in his farewell season.  Irving was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973.

Irvin passed a way in January of this year 6 week prior to his 97th birthday.

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I is for Ishmael United - If you can't shout saved

You Tube A TO Z

I is for Ishmael United

In 1985 I discovered a group called Ishmael United in the bargain basket of my local Christian book store. I loved the cassette and told anybody I met about it. I lent it it to a friend who lent it  to someone in his youth group who lent it  to her boyfriend. Then in perfect sitcom fashion, he broke up with her, she stopped going to youth group and I never saw the cassette again. At about the same time the cassette went out of print. Enter Youtube ,someone takes a video of one of the songs playing and it's 1985 all over again


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H is for Hank Sauer

Cubs Home run hitters from Aramis to Zimmerman

H is for Hank

Hank Sauer

1917 - 2001

Hank Sauer , a 2 time all star and NL MVP of 1952 was a Cubs outfielder from 1950 to 1955.   He hit 288 homers in his 15 major league seasons.  His 7 seasons with the Cubbies yielded 198 of those round trippers which puts him 9th all time for the club.

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H is for How it Should Have Ended