"Moonlighting"

It was a dream come true for the 25 year old ballplayer from North Carolina, Archibald Wright "Moonlight" Graham. He was called up after three years in the minor leagues to join the major league New York Giants on May 23, 1905. He sat on the bench in the major leagues for over a month before he was inserted into a game on June 29 against the Brooklyn Superbas. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Graham was sent in to play right field, replacing George Brown. In the top of the ninth, Graham was on deck when his teammate Claude Elliott flied out resulting in the third and final out. Graham played the bottom of the ninth in right field but never came to bat.

That turned out to be "Moonlight" Graham's only appearance in the major leagues. His is not an isolated story, of the more than 16,000 players in major league history, they're also are 900-plus guys in the Elias Sports Bureau Registry who got only into only one game.

"Moonlight" Graham stands out because W.P. Kinsella, chose him from the "The Baseball Encyclopedia" to be a character in his novel, "Shoeless Joe," and the subsequent film, "Field of Dreams." While reading "The Baseball Encyclopedia," he had received as a gift, he noted the colorful nickname and the very abbreviated career. This writer of fiction researched Graham's life following his one game major league career. Graham played a few more years of minor league baseball while he pursued his medical degree. He obtained his license to practice medicine and went on to serve the people of Chisolm, Minnesota from 1915-1959 as a doctor.

Moonlight Graham's story could have been different. He could have stepped up to the plate and hit the game winning homerun, which could have launched a Hall of Fame career. If, that had happened thousands of people in Chisolm, Minnesota would never known the healing of touch of their beloved "Doc" Graham.

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." (Proverbs 16:9)

Sometimes our lives don't turn out as we planned. Yet, when you trust your life into God's hands, it will turn out better than you ever dreamed.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all you ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Sources: Wikipedia, Moonlight Graham
Pittsburg Post-Gazette. June 25, 2005 by Ben Walker, The Associated Press