Pee Wee Reese
Harold Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an influential Major League Baseball shortstop, born on July 23, 1918, in Ekron, Kentucky. He began his professional career with the Louisville Colonels, showcasing impressive skills that led to his signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1939. Despite facing challenges early in his career, including a struggle in the 1941 season and a temporary suspension due to World War II military service, Reese emerged as a key player for the Dodgers, known for his leadership and strong defensive capabilities. Notably, he played a significant role in facilitating Jackie Robinson's integration into Major League Baseball in 1947, standing by him during a challenging time of racial tension.
Reese's career was marked by numerous achievements, including being named an All-Star multiple times and contributing to the Dodgers' first World Series title in 1955. He finished his career with a batting average of .269, accumulating over 2,170 hits and leading the Dodgers in various statistical categories. After retiring as a player, he transitioned to coaching and remained involved in baseball through commentary and representation. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984, Pee Wee Reese is remembered as a vital figure in baseball history, celebrated for his athletic prowess and commitment to sportsmanship.
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Subject Terms
Pee Wee Reese
Baseball Player
- Born: July 23, 1918
- Birthplace: Ekron, Kentucky
- Died: August 14, 1999
- Place of death: Louisville, Kentucky
Sport: Baseball
Early Life
Harold Henry “Pee Wee” Reese was born in Ekron, Kentucky, near Louisville, on July 23, 1918, during the last summer of World War I. Carl Reese, Pee Wee’s father, farmed to support his wife, Emma, and six children. In 1921, when agricultural conditions worsened, Carl moved his family to Louisville and worked as a detective for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Pee Wee loved to shoot marbles and got his moniker from using a small type of marble. He was well coordinated and succeeded at state and national marble tournaments. Pee Wee did not play for his DuPont Manual High School baseball team until his senior year in 1937. That season, he played second base. His slight, 110-pound frame, however, made him a questionable baseball prospect. After working for furniture and box companies, he spliced cables for the Kentucky Telephone Company for eighteen dollars a week and played shortstop on weekends for the New Covenant Presbyterian Church.
The Road to Excellence
The Louisville Colonels of the AAA American Association signed Pee Wee in 1938. He batted .277 that season, exhibiting considerable mobility, good hands, and excellent baserunning ability. The Boston Red Sox purchased the Louisville franchise for $195,000 following the 1938 season. In 1939, Pee Wee led the American Association with 18 triples and 35 stolen bases, helping the Colonels capture the pennant. Boston hoped to make Pee Wee its starting shortstop, but Joe Cronin refused to surrender that job. In July, 1939, Pee Wee was sold to the Brooklyn Dodgers for $75,000.
In 1940, Pee Wee, at 5 feet 10 inches and 140 pounds, replaced Leo Durocher as the Dodgers’ shortstop. During his rookie season, Pee Wee broke a bone in his heel while sliding into second base. In 1941, Brooklyn captured its first National League (NL) pennant in more than two decades, but Pee Wee struggled offensively and paced NL shortstops with 47 errors. The Dodgers lost the 1941 World Series to the New York Yankees, as Pee Wee hit only .200 and committed 3 errors. In 1942, Pee Wee earned his first NL all-star selection and led shortstops in both putouts and assists. His baseball career was temporarily suspended during the latter part of World War II while he served three years in the U.S. Navy.
The Emerging Champion
Upon rejoining the Dodgers in 1946, Pee Wee batted .284 and established a franchise record for shortstops with a .966 fielding percentage. His leadership smoothed the path for Jackie Robinson to integrate Major League Baseball in 1947. Pee Wee supported Robinson when he was taunted by teammates, opponents, and fans and assured Robinson that he, a Caucasian southerner, considered the African American rookie his friend. The two players formed an effective double-play combination when Robinson moved to second base in 1948.
Pee Wee batted second in the order and performed well. In 1947, he hit .284 and shared the league lead with 104 walks. Although Brooklyn lost the 1947 World Series to the New York Yankees, Pee Wee batted .304 with 4 RBI and 3 stolen bases. He contributed an important single in game three and doubled and singled twice in game six. Two years later, Pee Wee batted .279 and led the National League with 132 runs scored and shortstops with a .977 fielding percentage and 316 putouts. He batted .316 in the 1949 World Series loss to the Yankees.
The Dodgers designated Pee Wee team captain in 1950. Pee Wee, whose worth far surpassed his statistics, provided astute leadership and united the star-filled aggregate. The “Boys of Summer,” as the team was called, featured Robinson, Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, and Don Newcombe. Pee Wee counseled teammates, calmed tempers, and soothed bruised egos. In 1952, he paced the senior circuit, the National League, with 30 stolen bases and batted .345 with 10 hits in another World Series defeat by the Yankees. Pee Wee helped Brooklyn to another World Series with a .271 batting average in 1953 and hit a career-high .309 in 1954.
Continuing the Story
In 1955, Pee Wee helped the Brooklyn Dodgers take the National League pennant by thirteen and one-half games and batted .296 with 5 runs scored in the team’s only World Series title over the Yankees. He drove in 2 runs in the second inning of game three and scored, after singling, in the sixth inning to give Brooklyn a 2-0 lead in the decisive game seven. In that same inning, his relay throw to first base completed a double play, after Sandy Amoros had made a sensational catch of a line drive by Yogi Berra. Pee Wee’s offensive production declined in 1956, when the Dodgers lost another World Series to the Yankees.
With Brooklyn, Pee Wee provided offensive and defensive leadership. A “clutch” hitter with outstanding bat control, he could bunt, hit-and-run, hit behind the runner, swing away, and supply power when necessary. Defensively, he led NL shortstops in fielding and assists once, double plays twice, total chances three times, and putouts four times. He positioned outfielders and cajoled pitchers.
Pee Wee played sparingly after the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958 and became a coach with the team in 1959. He handled commentary on the NBC Baseball Game of the Week with Dizzy Dean and announced one year for the Cincinnati Reds. Pee Wee was a manufacturing representative with the Hillerich and Bradsby Corporation, maker of Louisville Slugger bats, and served on the Veterans Committee of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Summary
Pee Wee Reese batted .269 over his career and had 2,170 hits and 885 RBI. He led all Brooklyn Dodgers in career stolen bases, 231, and runs scored, 1,317; ranked second in games played, 2,107, hits, 2,137, doubles, 323, singles, 1,612, and at bats, 7,911; and placed fifth in triples, 78, and RBI, 868. He finished among the top ten in the most valuable player voting eight times and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. A catalyst for racial integration, he blended an intense drive to win with class and civility.
Bibliography
Goldstein, Richard. Superstars and Screwballs: One Hundred Years of Brooklyn Baseball. New York: Penguin Books, 1991.
Golenbock, Peter. Bums: An Oral History of the Brooklyn Dodgers. New York: Putnam, 1984.
Honig, Donald. The Greatest Shortstops of All Time. Dubuque, Iowa: William C. Brown, 1992.
Kahn, Roger. The Boys of Summer. New York: Harper & Row, 1972.
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. The Era, 1947-1957: When the Yankees, the Giants, and the Dodgers Ruled the World. New York: Ticknor & Fields, 1993.
Mayer, Robert. The Grace of Shortstops. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1984.