Moonlight Graham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Moonlight" Graham |
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Graham in 1905
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| Right fielder | |||
| Born: November 12, 1876 Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| Died: August 25, 1965 (aged 88) Chisholm, Minnesota, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 29, 1905, for the New York Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 29, 1905, for the New York Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Games played | 1 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Archibald Wright "Moonlight" Graham was a unique American. He was a professional baseball player and also a medical doctor. He played in just one major league game. This happened on June 29, 1905, for the New York Giants.
His life story became famous much later. It was featured in the novel Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella. Then, it became even more popular in the 1989 movie Field of Dreams. In the movie, Burt Lancaster and Frank Whaley played Graham.
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About Moonlight Graham
Graham was born on November 12, 1876, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He was one of ten children in his family. His brother, Frank Porter Graham, became famous too. He was the president of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Later, he became a U.S. Senator. A Senator helps make laws for the country. All of Graham's brothers and sisters went to college.
Graham played baseball when he was a student at the University of North Carolina. He was also part of a debating club there.
His Baseball Career
After college, Graham played baseball in the minor leagues for seven years. He started with the Charlotte Hornets in 1902. He played for several teams, including those in Nashua, New Hampshire, Lowell, Massachusetts, and Manchester, New Hampshire. In 1904, he played a full season with Manchester.
In 1905, Graham started with the Binghamton Bingoes. Then, the New York Giants bought his contract. The Giants were a very good team. On June 29, 1905, Graham got his chance. The Giants were playing against the Brooklyn Superbas.
In the eighth inning, Graham went into the game. He replaced the right fielder, George Browne. In the top of the ninth inning, Graham was waiting to bat. But the player before him made the third out. So, Graham never got to bat. He played the bottom of the ninth inning in right field. He didn't catch any balls or make any plays. This was his only game in the major leagues.
After that one game, Graham went back to the minor leagues. He played for the Scranton Miners for the rest of 1905 and in 1906. In 1906, he had his best hitting year. He hit .329, which is very good! He played for Scranton and the Memphis Egyptians. He continued playing for Scranton in 1907 and 1908.
His Medical Career
While playing baseball, Graham was also studying to be a doctor. He earned his medical degree in 1905 from the University of Maryland. He even played baseball and football for the university's teams.
In 1906, he became a licensed doctor. He then moved to Chisholm, Minnesota, and started his medical practice. People in Chisholm called him "Doc" Graham. He served the community for fifty years. From 1909 to 1959, he was the doctor for the Chisholm schools.
"Doc" Graham was very kind. He would get used eyeglasses sent to his office. On Saturdays, children from mining families would visit him. He would check their eyes and give them glasses. He did all of this for free.
His Later Life and Legacy
Graham passed away in Chisholm in 1965. He is buried in Rochester, Minnesota. To honor him, the Graham Scholarship Fund was created. This fund helps two students from Chisholm High School each year. It gives $500 to one boy and one girl.
A book about Graham's life was written in 2009. It's called Chasing Moonlight: The True Story of Field of Dreams' Doc Graham.
Moonlight Graham in Stories
In 1975, a writer named W. P. Kinsella found Graham's name in a baseball book. He was interested in Graham's unusual career. So, he made Graham a character in his 1982 novel Shoeless Joe. The movie Field of Dreams was based on this book. Kinsella learned a lot about Graham from people in Chisholm.
In the book, Graham's baseball game and death dates are real. The main character, Ray Kinsella, meets Graham in 1955. This is ten years before Graham really died.
The movie changed some details. In the movie, Graham's game happened in 1922. A woman in Chisholm tells Ray Kinsella that Graham died in 1972. Also, in the movie, Graham doesn't play baseball after his one major league game. But in real life, he played three more years in the minor leagues. Another difference is that in the movie, Graham bats right-handed. In real life, he batted left-handed.
