Moonlight graham biography

On Thursday, June 29, , New York Giants rookie outfielder Archie Graham made his major league debut, playing the last two innings of a one-sided victory over the Brooklyn Superbas. The twenty-five-year-old was the next to bat when the last out was recorded in the top of the ninth inning. After playing right field for the final three outs, he headed into the visitors’ clubhouse, not realizing that it would be his only appearance in a major league baseball game.

A few days later, Archie was sent down to the minors, where he continued with his professional baseball career for the next few seasons. During this time, sports writers of the day generally referred to Archie as “Doc” Graham, but a few used the name “Moonlight.” The true origins of Graham’s nickname have yet to be discovered. One plausible explanation is that he earned the name because of his flashing speed. Another reason for the lunar reference may have been because he moonlighted at a second job (medical career) in the off-season.

Graham retired from professional baseball at the conclusion of the season, eventually moving out west due to chronic respiratory problems.

The young doctor settled in Chisholm, Minnesota, practicing medicine while researching and publishing new studies on children’s health. Graham became the chief physician for the Chisholm public schools, a position he held until shortly before his death in  

During that time, Graham’s two innings in the bigs were a mere footnote in the long history of major league baseball. However, fate stepped in when author W.P. Kinsella ran across Doc Graham’s name and statistical information in the Baseball Encyclopedia. Kinsella decided to use Graham’s story for a character in his novel about Chicago White Sox outfielder Joe Jackson. The novel, which later became the book Shoeless Joe, turned out to be a big success, and in the story was made into the movie Field of Dreams. Thanks to the notoriety Doc Graham received from

Immortalized by the movie "Field of Dreams. "

He played one inning of major league baseball without an at bat for the New York Giants in

Major League Baseball player, physician ()

Baseball player

Archibald Wright "Moonlight" Graham (November 12, &#;– August 25, ) was an American professional baseball player and physician who appeared as a right fielder in a single major league game for the New York Giants on June 29, His story was popularized by Shoeless Joe, a novel by W. P. Kinsella, and the subsequent film Field of Dreams, starring Kevin Costner, and featuring Burt Lancaster and Frank Whaley, respectively, as older and younger incarnations of Graham.

Biography

Graham was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the second of ten children born to Alexander (September 12, &#;– November 2, ) and Katherine B. Sloan Graham (March 8, &#;– January 1, ). His brother, Frank Porter Graham, was president of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was later a U. S. Senator. Every one of Graham's siblings also finished college. He played baseball at UNC, where he was also a member of the Dialectic Society, a debating organization.

Professional baseball career

Graham went on to play baseball in the minor leagues for seven seasons, starting with the Charlotte Hornets in the Class C North Carolina League in The following year, he played with Nashua, New Hampshire's team in the Class B New England League. Graham also played for the Lowell, Massachusetts and Manchester, New Hampshire teams that season, eventually batting in 89 games with seven triples. In , he spent the entire season with Manchester, hitting in games.

Graham started the season with the Binghamton Bingoes in the Class B New York State League.

Moonlight Graham Baseball Stats | Baseball Almanac