Oscar Graham

Oscar Marion Graham (July 20, 1878 – October 15, 1931) was a professional baseball pitcher. In a 17-year career, he won four games in Major League Baseball and 272 games in the minor leagues. Graham was 6 feet tall and weighed 180 pounds.[1]

Oscar Graham
Pitcher
Born: (1878-07-20)July 20, 1878
Plattsmouth, Nebraska
Died: October 15, 1931(1931-10-15) (aged 53)
Moline, Illinois
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
MLB debut
April 13, 1907, for the Washington Senators
Last MLB appearance
August 5, 1907, for the Washington Senators
MLB statistics
Win–loss record4-9
Earned run average3.98
Strikeouts44
Teams

Professional career

Graham was born in Plattsmouth, Nebraska[2] in 1878. He started his professional baseball career in 1901. In 1902, he won 16 games in the class A Western League. Graham then went to the Pacific Coast League's Oakland Oaks, and he put up some big numbers in the long PCL seasons. In 1903, he went 28-29 with a 3.44 earned run average, pitching 504.2 innings in 61 games.[3] He led the league in games pitched, innings pitched, losses, and earned runs (193).[4] His 234 walks and 49 hit batters during that season are PCL records that have never been broken.[5] Graham was also a good hitter, as he had a batting average of .323 to finish sixth in the league in that category.[6]

In 1904, Graham had a slightly lesser workload, as he pitched 392.1 innings and went 19-23 with a 2.89 ERA.[3] Again, he hit well and finished ninth in the batting race at .305.[7] Graham had one of his better seasons in 1905. He pitched over 500 innings for the second time and tied his career-high in wins with 28. His ERA dropped to 2.37, and he led the league with 56 games started.[3][8] The following year, he tossed another 432 innings for Oakland and went 25-23.[3] He was purchased by the American League's Washington Senators in August of that year.[1]

Graham made his major league debut with the Senators on April 16, 1907. He ended up appearing in 20 games for them, including 14 starts, and he went 4-9 with a 3.98 ERA. His last MLB game was on August 5, and he then finished the season with the American Association's Minneapolis Millers.[1][3]

Graham started 1908 with Minneapolis. He had a win–loss record of 8-5 before leaving to play for another team in Virginia, Minnesota, where he was paid a "whopping" $350 each month.[3][9] Graham returned to the American Association in 1909, this time with the Indianapolis Indians. In 40 games, he went 15-15. He started off 1910 with them, as well, but was released in July for "failure to keep in winning condition."[3][10]

For the next few years, Graham bounced around the minor leagues. He had his fifth, and final, 20-win season in 1916, when he went 23-12 with a 2.31 ERA in the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League.[3] He tied for the league-lead in victories.[11]

After retirement

Graham retired from professional baseball after the 1917 season. He pitched a total of 17 years and won 276 games – 272 in the minor leagues and 4 in the major leagues.[1][3]

Graham lived in Rising Sun, Iowa, in the winters, and he worked as a corn husker and rabbit hunter during that time.[12] He died in Moline, Illinois, in 1931.[1]

Death

Graham died on October 15, 1931, in Moline, Illinois. He is interred at Riverside Cemetery in Moline.[13]

References
  1. "Oscar Graham Statistics and History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  2. "Oscar Graham". Baseball-Reference.Com. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  3. "Oscar Graham Minor League Statistics & History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  4. "1903 Pacific Coast League Pitching Leaders". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  5. Zingg, Paul J. and Medeiros, Mark D. (1994). Runs, Hits, and an Era: The Pacific Coast League, 1903-58. University of Illinois Press. pp. 20-21.
  6. "1903 Pacific Coast League Batting Leaders". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  7. "1904 Pacific Coast League Batting Leaders". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  8. "1905 Pacific Coast League Pitching Leaders". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  9. Peterson, Todd (2010). Early Black Baseball in Minnesota. McFarland. p. 83.
  10. "News Notes". Sporting Life. July 30, 1910. p. 17.
  11. "1916 Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League Pitching Leaders". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  12. Thornley, Stew (2006). Baseball in Minnesota. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 48.
  13. "Oscar Graham". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved October 19, 2012.


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