Moonlight Graham: "If I had not become a doctor,
now that would have been a tragedy."
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Sunday, July 21, 2019:
I visited the final resting place of Archibald “Moonlight” Graham and his beloved wife Alecia. We all know the story of Graham from “Field of Dreams,” which accurately accounted how Moonlight played one game but never batted in the majors. It also accurately portrayed his later career as a doctor in Chisholm, Minnesota.
I had no idea that Doc Graham made the trip many times to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to advance his research into the care of children. The photo (above right) is from Mayo's historical archives. He spent all four decades of his working life as the school doctor caring for school children through outbreaks of the flu, tuberculosis and more.
Baseball and “Field of Dreams” were central to my thoughts about Dad in my comments at his funeral in December 2017. All of these spiritual threads were woven together as I entered the door at Mayo for the first time. I made an immediate right turn into the museum and heard narrator Tom Brokaw’s voice in the middle of a video speaking of Doc “Moonlight” Graham and his connection to Mayo.
I visited the final resting place of Archibald “Moonlight” Graham and his beloved wife Alecia. We all know the story of Graham from “Field of Dreams,” which accurately accounted how Moonlight played one game but never batted in the majors. It also accurately portrayed his later career as a doctor in Chisholm, Minnesota.
I had no idea that Doc Graham made the trip many times to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to advance his research into the care of children. The photo (above right) is from Mayo's historical archives. He spent all four decades of his working life as the school doctor caring for school children through outbreaks of the flu, tuberculosis and more.
Baseball and “Field of Dreams” were central to my thoughts about Dad in my comments at his funeral in December 2017. All of these spiritual threads were woven together as I entered the door at Mayo for the first time. I made an immediate right turn into the museum and heard narrator Tom Brokaw’s voice in the middle of a video speaking of Doc “Moonlight” Graham and his connection to Mayo.
I felt connected to Dad in that moment, erasing the fear of what might be found during my time with doctors here.
Back at the hotel, I learned Doc and his wife are buried just over a mile from the clinic and the Kahler Grand Hotel. It was an 8-minute city bus ride to Calvary Cemetery, 11th Avenue NE and 5th St. NE (Section 9, Lot 4, 1E).
I had trouble finding the grave, and Donna and Tony were on the phone looking online for a locator map. After 20 minutes of fruitless searching, I approached an elderly woman at the grave of a family member. She immediately knew where Moonlight Graham was buried and was going to walk me there, quite some distance.
Back at the hotel, I learned Doc and his wife are buried just over a mile from the clinic and the Kahler Grand Hotel. It was an 8-minute city bus ride to Calvary Cemetery, 11th Avenue NE and 5th St. NE (Section 9, Lot 4, 1E).
I had trouble finding the grave, and Donna and Tony were on the phone looking online for a locator map. After 20 minutes of fruitless searching, I approached an elderly woman at the grave of a family member. She immediately knew where Moonlight Graham was buried and was going to walk me there, quite some distance.
But I saw two young brothers in Minnesota Twins’ shirts and knew where they were headed. One of the brothers, Chris Gort, (far left) got this photo of us by propping his phone on a tall headstone.
We rattled off our favorite lines from the movie, as one of the Gorts put a coin on the gravestone. The real Doc Graham always carried change to give to children.
We rattled off our favorite lines from the movie, as one of the Gorts put a coin on the gravestone. The real Doc Graham always carried change to give to children.
Three brand new baseballs rested on the modest marker.
A young man, Cameron Stout, signed one ball in an obviously shaky and childlike hand, writing, “Hope your (sic) still playing baseball.”
Back at the hotel, a few hours after standing on hallowed ground, I watched “Field of Dreams” for yet another time.
The movie teaches the gospel better than any sermon.
-- Faith. "If you build it, he will come."
-- Follow the Spirit and childlike obedience. "This might be the craziest thing I've ever done (plowing under the corn)."
-- Endure until the end. "Go the distance."
-- Repentance: "Ease his pain" and "No, Ray, it was you." (He needed to build this heavenly ballpark in a cornfield after suffering years of regret for teenage rebellion which included refusing to play catch with a dad whose hero was a criminal, Shoeless Joe Jackson).
-- Forgiveness. "Dad, do you want to have a catch?" His dad answers: "I would love that very much."
-- Sacrifice: Doc Graham's dream is finally realized to get to bat on the “Field of Dreams.” He does not get a flashy and dramatic hit. It is a sacrifice fly that scores a run. Sacrifice. "Hey, rookie. You were good."
-- Heaven: At first, Ray Kinsella says Iowa is not heaven. But when his dad, in youthful form, is standing before him, Ray asks, “Is there a heaven?” “Oh, yes. It is a place where dreams come true.” Ray glances at the front porch where his wife and daughter are together and reconsiders. “Maybe this is heaven.”
A young man, Cameron Stout, signed one ball in an obviously shaky and childlike hand, writing, “Hope your (sic) still playing baseball.”
Back at the hotel, a few hours after standing on hallowed ground, I watched “Field of Dreams” for yet another time.
The movie teaches the gospel better than any sermon.
-- Faith. "If you build it, he will come."
-- Follow the Spirit and childlike obedience. "This might be the craziest thing I've ever done (plowing under the corn)."
-- Endure until the end. "Go the distance."
-- Repentance: "Ease his pain" and "No, Ray, it was you." (He needed to build this heavenly ballpark in a cornfield after suffering years of regret for teenage rebellion which included refusing to play catch with a dad whose hero was a criminal, Shoeless Joe Jackson).
-- Forgiveness. "Dad, do you want to have a catch?" His dad answers: "I would love that very much."
-- Sacrifice: Doc Graham's dream is finally realized to get to bat on the “Field of Dreams.” He does not get a flashy and dramatic hit. It is a sacrifice fly that scores a run. Sacrifice. "Hey, rookie. You were good."
-- Heaven: At first, Ray Kinsella says Iowa is not heaven. But when his dad, in youthful form, is standing before him, Ray asks, “Is there a heaven?” “Oh, yes. It is a place where dreams come true.” Ray glances at the front porch where his wife and daughter are together and reconsiders. “Maybe this is heaven.”