Build it and they will come.......

[deadballera]

6/29 marks the anniversary...

1905 With the Giants leading the Superbas, 11-1, Archibald ‘Moonlight’ Graham makes his major league debut in bottom of the eighth inning as a defensive replacement in right field at Brooklyn’s Washington Park. The career minor leaguer, who will not have a major league at-bat in his only appearance in the big leagues, will become immortalized by W.P. Kinsella’s book "Shoeless Joe" and the movie based on the author’s work, "Field of Dreams."



The 33 Richards card has to be part of father/son moment from the movie

[Matt]

I have not shared this before, but it seems like a good occasion:
This PC with "Moonlight" (back row 3rd from left) was sent from his manager Hank Ramsey (also in photo) to Bill McCabe. Ramsey & McCabe were founders of the Hudson River League and managed together in the Hudson River League from 1903-1906. In 1907 Ramsey left to coach Scranton and the league folded mid-season.

In 1903, one of the more prominent citizens of Poughkeepsie, New York, was William A. McCabe. McCabe, the Chief of Police and "tenement" investor, had been a professional baseball player with the 1886 Poughkeepsie team in the old Hudson River League, primarily at second base, and had sponsored semi-professional teams in Poughkeepsie since the mid-1890's. McCabe had been acquainted with J. H. Farrell, President of the New York State League and Secretary of the National Association, for many years. In mid-March, McCabe and Farrell called a meeting "for the purpose of forming a league."

Working closely with these men was Henry D. Ramsey, a long-time minor league player and manager, who had been retained by the Kingston stock company as its manager for 1903. On March25 and again on April 1, meetings were held which resulted in forming the Hudson River Baseball League for 1903. Franchises were taken up by Ossining, Newburgh, Hudson and Saugerties, as well as Kingston and Poughkeepsie. Elected President was McCabe, Secretary was Ramsay, and Treasurer was Col. H. D. Claflin of Saugerties. Application was made to the National Association for the Class C classification; admission was received on May 5.

Ramsey's place in baseball history is for a player with a slightly more accomplished career then Graham (source):

Ramsey was born in 1869 at Paterson and was a manager of various minor league teams during a long and successful baseball career.' It was Ramsey who aided Hans Wagner to attain baseball fame and many critics have credited him with being the real discoverer of the great Honus.
It was said that Hank, as he was familiarly known, gave Wagner's brother, Al. Wagner, a baseball job in Paterson, and he in turn asked for a chance for brother Hans, which was given.