Jack Graham/pagetext
From SABR Encyclopedia
Contents |
Profile
Personal
- Son of Peaches Graham.[1]
- Resided in Long Beach, California in 1952 and 1954.
- Was an expert on flying, having a pilot's license.
- Says his greatest thrill in baseball was winning the 1947 International League championship on the final day of the season playing for Jersey City.
- Graduated from Wilson High School in Long Beach in 1936.
Pre-professional career
- Was captain of the baseball team one year in high school.
- Played American Legion ball before turning professional.
Achievements
- Was beaned by Red Adams and was out of action for a month in 1948 but still hit 48 home runs.
- Led the 1939 Eastern League in runs batted in with 94, home runs with 29 and triples with 16.
- Led the 1940 Eastern League in home runs with 20.
- Voted the Most Valuable Player in the 1948 Pacific Coast League.
Outside of baseball
- 1952 Pacific Coast League Thumbnail Sketches showed him as having been in the Air Force for part of 1943 and all of 1944 and 1945.
- Served a total of 31 months in the Air Corps.
Contract signing
- Was signed to his first contract by the late Bill Essick of the New York Yankees.
- Was obtained by San Francisco along with pitcher Bob Savage for Jack Tobinand Don White in December, 1950.
Sources
- 1952 Pacific Coast League Thumbnail Sketches.
- 1954 California League Gold Book (Sixth Edition).