2013 Male Player: L.T. Graham
/L.T. Graham
The initials L. T. must stand for “Long Time,” as longevity best describes L. T. Graham’s 45 years of softball participation. He began playing softball at the age of 22 for Deacon Davis at Booker Washington Center and everything has flourished for him since then.
With tremendous speed, he roamed the outfield for the 1976 Class B World Championship Forrest Hills team, which propelled him to individual notoriety. L.T. over the years has posted a lifetime .650+ batting average, while hitting over 800 homeruns.
In 1973 he earned MVP honors in the City Championship, which started a string of numerousAll-Tournament Team selections.
According to New Milford Tap manager Jerry Fiordelisi, “I had the honor to be his manager, as it was a pleasure to watch him chase down fly balls and surprise opponents with his power.”
“Softball is the greatest game of summer. It brings out sportsmanship between teammates and teams, while bringing out competitive spirit. It has allowed me to travel to many different venues and has allowed me to age gracefully, despite the numerous muscle pulls, sprains, and scrapes.”
2001 Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Steger reflected on L.T.’s abilities by saying, “I have had the privilege to play against and with him for the past 30 years. In recent years, we have participated in the Senior Olympics in Springfield together. He is a man of great work ethic and is a man of great character and a role model to all of us.”
When L.T. was asked to describe his years of participation he said, “Softball is the greatest game of summer. It brings out sportsmanship between teammates and teams, while bringing out competitive spirit. It has allowed me to travel to many different venues and has allowed me to age gracefully, despite the numerous muscle pulls, sprains, and scrapes.”
L. T. Graham’s initials L. T. G. comes to light again, as he states, “Isn’t softball great, I just (Love The Game.)”