RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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A former St. John’s baseball player received some big-league recognition this past weekend.
After Tim Lahey broke camp with the Philadelphia Phillies for the first five games of the 2008 season, the relief pitcher never actually appeared in a Major League Baseball game.
But on Sunday, Lahey, along with three other “Phantom” (players who were placed on a Major League roster but never played in a game) Phillies were invited to throw out ceremonial first pitches before Philadelphia’s game at Citizens Bank Park.
The four former professional players received their “Moonlight” moment as a nod to the character Archibald “Moonlight” Graham from the famed 1989 baseball movie “Field of Dreams” featuring Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta and James Earl Jones.
Ahead of our upcoming MLB at Field of Dreams Game, Phillies alumni Tim Gradoville, Tim Lahey, Jeff Singer and Will Toffey threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Similar to the memorable Moonlight Graham storyline from the iconic film, the four reached the major leagues, wore a… pic.twitter.com/LN8eysEvXg
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 9, 2026 Lahey’s invite to toss out the ceremonial first pitch this past Sunday set the table for Thursday’s MLB Field of Dreams Game featuring the Phillies and Twins at the historic movie site and ballfield located in Dyersville, Iowa.
“It was a really nice, maybe, kind of final chapter in my time in baseball,” Lahey, a 2000 St. John’s grad, told the T&G.
After starring as a catcher and hitter at St. John’s High and then Princeton University, Lahey was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2004.
The next season, the Worcester native and current Shrewsbury resident converted to being a pitcher in the Twins’ organization and worked his way up to Triple-A Rochester by the end of 2007. After being selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the Rule 5 Draft and then immediately being traded to the Chicago Cubs, Lahey was eventually picked up by the Phillies with two days left in spring training.
The 6-foot-5 righty reliever opened the 2008 season on Philadelphia’s active roster and spent five games in the bullpen — but never threw an actual big-league pitch. He was designated for assignment and returned to the Twins organization as a Rule 5 Draft pick.
Following three seasons in Triple A, Lahey was released by the Twins at the end of the 2010 season.
“As the story goes, I never made it back to the big leagues,” said Lahey, who is now 44 and works in commercial real estate in Boston.
Roughly two months ago, Lahey received a call from the Phillies’ manager of alumni relations asking Lahey to come to Philadelphia to partake in the festivities during the club’s alumni weekend.
“When my phone rang, it came up as Philadelphia Phillies and I was certainly surprised. Probably shocked. I really had no idea what the nature of the call might be,” Lahey said. “With the nature of the invitation, there were some mixed feelings.
“Those mixed emotions went away very quickly,” Lahey added, “and it kind of transitioned into a wonderful celebration about my time in baseball.”
Wow. Congrats to former Red Wings pitcher Tim Lahey. He opened 2008 in MLB with the Phillies but didn’t get into a game. https://t.co/soJ1W5vG2Z
— Josh Whetzel (@JoshWhetzel) August 5, 2026 Lahey, along with his two kids and wife (and a few other family members), traveled to the City of Brotherly Love this past weekend to partake in the Phillies’ alumni weekend.
Then, on Sunday, the former St. John’s pitcher stepped out onto the big-league field and was recognized for his journey in baseball before throwing out a ceremonial first pitch as part of MLB’s Field of Dreams Game promotion.
This field, this game — it’s a part of our past. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again MLB at Field of Dreams is tonight at 7:30 pm ET on Netflix. Special coverage begins at 6:30 pm ET. pic.twitter.com/tks74yfDGF
— MLB (@MLB) August 13, 2026 “My days of playing baseball are long gone, and my kid’s journey in baseball and softball are really just beginning,” Lahey said. “So, for them to see me in that environment was by far the most rewarding part of that whole thing.
“To have them there to experience that and watch their dad on the field, I think that’s what meant the most to me.”
Tim Lahey got some big-league recognition on Sunday in Philadelphia. A fitting final chapter for time well served in professional baseball.
“I look back with perspective, and I look back with a ton of gratitude for the experience that I had,” he said. “The feelings of heartbreak kind of quickly went away, and it turned into a really nice weekend.”
—Contact Tommy Cassell at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Former St. John's baseball star honored ahead of Field of Dreams Game
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