In Field of Dreams, the character of Dr. Archibald "Moonlight" Graham is one of the people who is able to have their dream fulfilled at Ray Kinsella's field of dreams in Iowa. Although the movie takes a lot of liberties with his story, Moonlight Graham was a real person. In 1905 he played half an inning in right field for the New York Giants, but never got a chance to bat. In the movie, his dream is described through this exchange with Ray Kinsella...Graham: It was like coming this close to your dreams... and then watch them brush past you like strangers in a crowd. You know we just don't recognize the most significant moments of our lives while they're happening. Back then I thought, well, there'll be other days. I didn't realize that that was the only day.
Ray asks if Graham could have just one wish, what would it be.Graham: Well, you know I... I never got to bat in the major leagues. I would have liked to have had that chance. Just once. To stare down a big league pitcher. To stare him down, and just as he goes into his windup, wink. Make him think you know something he doesn't. That's what I wish for. Chance to squint at a sky so blue that it hurts your eyes just to look at it. To feel the tingling in your arm as you connect with the ball. To run the bases - stretch a double into a triple, and flop face-first into third, wrap your arms around the bag. That's my wish, Ray Kinsella. That's my wish. And is there enough magic out there in the moonlight to make this dream come true?
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Ray: Fifty years ago, for five minutes you came within... y-you came this close. It would KILL some men to get so close to their dream and not touch it. God, they'd consider it a tragedy.
Graham: Son, if I'd only gotten to be a doctor for five minutes... now that would have been a tragedy.
The Yankee organization has had four Moonlight Graham's - two played for the Yankees and two played for the Highlanders. I don't think there is enough magic in the world to get them an at bat, but here are their stories as best as I could piece them together.
Alex Burr appeared in a single Major League game for the Yankees at the Polo Grounds on April 21, 1914 against the Washington Senators. Yankee manager Frank Chance sent Burr in as a defensive replacement to play center field - he never fielded a ball and he did not have a plate appearance. The Yankees won the game 3-2. Burr would never appear in another Major League game.
It isn't clear that Burr was really even an outfielder. In 1914 Burr played AA ball for Jersey City Skeeters of the International League. He played in 7 games for the Skeeters, but none of them as an outfielder - all 7 appearances were as a pitcher. In 7 games, Burr pitched 19 innings - allowing 10 runs on 12 hits and 20 base on balls. Burr did manage 4 plate appearances while with the Skeeters but never reached base.
Burr eventually entered the military - serving in the US Army during World War I. Burr was a pilot for the US Army Air Service (forerunner of the Air Force) and had been serving in France since November of 1917. On October 12, 1918, just a few weeks before his 25th birthday, Burr was killed when his plane crashed into a lake in Cazaux, France - his body was never recovered. Burr was one of only five Major League players killed in World War I.
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Homer Thompson appeared in only one Major League game for the New York Highlanders on October 5, 1912 against the Washington Senators at Hilltop Park. On the last day of a dreadful season that would see the Highlanders finish in last place with a 50-102 record, manager Harry Wolverton sent the 21 year old Thompson into catch for a half inning. Thompson recorded one putout and made an error - he did not have a plate appearance. The Yankees won 8-6. Thompson would never appear in another Major League game.
In Field of Dreams, Doc Graham asks Ray "What's so interesting about half an inning that would make you come all the way from Iowa to talk to me about it 50 years after it happened?" Well, what is interesting about that half inning is that it was also the last Major League appearance of his brother - Tommy Thompson. Tommy pitched in 32 2/3 innings over 7 games for the 1912 Highlanders. In the top half of the 9th inning on the last game of the season, Homer Thompson caught his brother, Tommy Thompson - neither of them would ever appear in the Major Leagues again.
That half inning also has a link to Alex Burr. In 1914, Tommy Thompson and Alex Burr were teammates on the Jersey City Skeeters.
Homer began his professional career in 1909 - playing A ball for the Denver Grizzlies of the Western League. Homer appeared in 68 games for the Grizzlies - catching and playing third base. At age 18, Homer was also manager of the Grizzlies for part of the season - splitting time with Charlie Jones. After the 1909 season, Homer went to the University of Georgia where he played for the Bulldogs from 1910 - 1912. Homer doesn't have a minor league record in 1912 - it looks like he jumped right from the Bulldogs to the Highlanders for that one half inning on the last day of the 1912 season.
After his half inning for the Highlanders, Homer spent the next two years playing C ball for the Columbus Foxes of the South Atlantic League. His baseball career was over in 1914 at the age of 23.
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Frank Verdi made his only Major League appearance on May 10, 1953 against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. In the bottom of the 6th inning Casey Stengel sent Verdi in to play shortstop. In the top of the 7th, the Yankees loaded the bases with two outs against Red Sox pitcher Ellis Kinder. Red Sox manager Lou Boudreau called in Ken Holcombe from the bullpen and Stengel pinch hit for Verdi with Bill Renna. Verdi did not handle the ball while playing shortstop. He never appeared in another Major League game.
Phil Rizzuto was the Yankees starting shortstop in 1953, so it is curious that Verdi even got into the game. Although in this game, Stengel couldn't seem to make his mind about who he wanted at SS - 5 different players occupied the shortstop spot in the lineup (and people complain about Tony LaRussa).
In the top of the 6th, Stengel pinch hit for Rizzuto with Joe Collins. In the bottom of the 6th, Verdi comes is the defensive replacement for Collins. In the top of the 7th Renna is the pinch hitter for Verdi and then in the bottom of the 7th Jim Brideweser is the new shortstop.
While Verdi would never again appear in a Major League game, he did remain in baseball for another 40 years. From 1946 - 1963 Verdi played in 1,923 minor league games racking up 7220 plate appearances. In the minors Verdi had a specialty - he was a master of the hidden ball trick. In 1949, while playing second base for the A ball Binghamton Triplets, he executed the hidden ball trick seven times in 95 games.
Towards the end of his minor league playing career he was a player/manager. Verdi would end up managing 24 seasons of minor league ball mostly in the Yankee and Met organizations.
Verdi also survived a nearly tragic accident on July 25, 1959, when, as a player for the Rochester Red Wings, he was struck in the head by a stray bullet in Havana, Cuba. Verdi was standing in as the team's third base coach after the ejection of Rochester manager Cot Deal when shooting broke out in the stands. Verdi was still wearing the plastic lining in his baseball cap in lieu of a batting helmet and the lining deflected the bullet, which eventually caused a minor shoulder wound. A full account of the incident can be found here.
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Charlie Fallon played in one Major League game for the Highlanders on June 30, 1905. He played in the field but never batted. Fielding information for the game is unavailable, but based on his minor league career it is likely that Fallon played in the outfield. Fallon made his only Major League appearance on the same day that the Highlanders signed him.
Fallon played 6 seasons in the minor leagues from 1905 - 1910. Most of his minor league career was spent playing B league ball for Hartford of the Connecticut State League. In 1909 Fallon had brief stay in A ball with short stints for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Royals of the Eastern League.
