It doesn’t matter whether the setting of goals came during in his playing days when the farthest he could advance up the minor league ladder was 36 games at Triple-A in 2007. A second goal as a player was trying to help Team Australia to the second round of the first two World Baseball Classics in 2006 and 2009, while a third was learning to become a manager at short-season Connecticut the last three years.

In each case, Graham said he’s tried to set lofty standards and then live up to them.

Which is why he’s been thrilled this summer with a West Michigan Whitecaps club that could win both halves of the Midwest League schedule for the first time since 2006.

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