Milt Graff

Milton Edward Graff was a Major League Baseball second baseman. He was born on Tuesday, December 30, 1930 in Jefferson Center, Pennsylvania. He was listed at a height of 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) and a weight of 158 pounds. Graff attended Butler Senior High School and then attended Pennsylvania State University and Lycoming College. At Lycoming, he got a degree in accounting. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.

Playing career

Around 1949, Graff was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent. Around eight years later, during which his baseball career was interrupted when he enlisted in the Army to fight in the Korean War, Graff made his major league debut on April 16, 1957 at the age of 26 with the Kansas City Athletics (he was sent to the Athletics from the New York Yankees, by whom he'd been drafted in 1955). He wore the number 4.

In 61 major league games, Graff batted .179 with 4 doubles, 3 triples and 0 home runs. He showed a good eye at the plate by walking 15 times and striking out only 10 times. In the field, Graff committed 3 errors for a .988 fielding percentage. He also was involved in 36 double plays.

Graff played his final game on September 21, 1958.

Blockbuster transaction

• On February 19, 1957, the New York Yankees sent Graff, Rip Coleman, Billy Hunter, Mickey McDermott, Tom Morgan and Irv Noren to the Kansas City Athletics for Art Ditmar, Bobby Shantz, Jack McMahan and Wayne Belardi. As players to be named, the Yankees sent Jack Urban to the Athletics and the Athletics sent Curt Roberts and Clete Boyer to the Yankees to complete the trade.

Life after baseball

After baseball, Graff held several jobs in the field of accounting and was involved in baseball as scouting director and infield coach for the Pirates and director of stadium operations for Three Rivers Stadium. He was involved in the building of Three Rivers Stadium. He also was a scout for the Pirates, San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds. He also held multiple front office jobs.

In 1987, Lycoming honored Graff with a distinguished alumni award.

On August 2, 2005, Graff died in Rockdale, Texas of complications from Alzheimers. He chose to be cremated.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference