When Pee Wee reached out to Jackie, all of us in the Negro League smiled and said it was the first time that a White guy had accepted us. "Pee Wee helped make my boyhood dream come true to play in the Majors, the World Series. Their rapport soon led shortstop Reese and second baseman Robinson to become one of the most effective defensive pairs in the sport's history.Īt Reese's funeral, Joe Black, another Major League Baseball black pioneer, said: Throughout that difficult first year in the major leagues, Reese helped keep Robinson's morale up amid all the abuse. This gesture is depicted in a bronze sculpture of Reese and Robinson, created by sculptor William Behrends, that was placed at KeySpan Park in Brooklyn, New York, and unveiled on November 1, 2005. The gesture was especially telling because Reese was born and raised near then-segregated Louisville, Kentucky. Reese, the captain of the team, went over to Robinson and put his arm around his shoulder in a gesture of support which silenced the crowd. When Robinson joined the Dodgers in 1947 and traveled with them during their first road trip, he was heckled by fans in Cincinnati, Ohio. He refused to sign a petition that threatened a boycott if Robinson joined the team. Reese was a strong supporter of the first black Major League Baseball player, Jackie Robinson. Reese was a ten-time All Star shortstop who contributed to seven league championships for Brooklyn. He passed away in Louisville, Kentucky on 14 August 1999, at the age of 81.Harold Henry "Pee Wee" Reese (JAugust 14, 1999) was a professional baseball player who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1940 to 1958. Pee Wee Reese was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. As Robinson was being heckled by fans in Cincinnati during the Dodgers’ first road trip, Reese went over to Robinson and put his arm around his shoulder in a gesture of inclusion and support.Īfter his playing career ended in 1958, Reese worked as a broadcaster with CBS, NBC and the Cincinnati Reds. Reese was instrumental in showing support for Jackie Robinson when he broke the color barrier in 1947. In early 1945 he was discharged from the Navy with the rank of Chief Petty Officer.īack with the Dodgers in mid 1946, Reese was named to the National League all-star team for nine consecutive seasons. He joined the Third Fleet team for the US Navy’s Pacific tour and was then assigned to Guam where he was shortstop and assistant coach for the 3rd Marine Division baseball team. In 1944, he was sent to Hawaii and played for the Aiea Hospital team. Reese was stationed at Norfolk Naval Air Station in 1943, where he regularly played baseball. 272, sharing the shortstop position with player-manager Leo Durocher.īy 1942, the 24 year-old was a National League all-star but that was to be his last season in the major leagues for the duration of the war. He played 84 games his rookie season and batted. Reese made his debut with Brooklyn on 23 April 1940. When the Pirates’ minor league agreement with the Colonels came to an end afer the 1938 season, Reese was obtained by the Boston Red Sox, who sold him to the Brooklyn Dodgers for $35,000 and four players. Harold “Pee Wee” Reese was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1938 and played with the Louisville Colonels in the American Association. Trivia: Do you know who Harold “Pee Wee” Reese was?!ĪNSWER: Pee Wee Reese was a Major League Baseball player and a Navy Chief!
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