The Captain : A Short Bio
Harold Henry Reese earned himself many nicknames throughout his life. He was mostly known as "Pee Wee"--a name he was given as a young champion marble shooter. While playing for the Louisville Colonels his teammates often called him "The Little Colonel" and as the captain of the Dodgers he was simply referred to as "The Captain."
Orignally signed by the Boston Red Sox, he was sold to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1940. Pee Wee played shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers, who later became the Los Angeles Dodgers. He led the team to seven National League Pennants during the 1940s and 1950s and one World Series Title to the hated New York Yankees in 1955. Reese was named to the National League All-Star team each year from 1947-1954. He led the National League in walks with 104 in 1947 and runs scored in 1949, and had a league record of 30 stolen bases in 1952.
Orignally signed by the Boston Red Sox, he was sold to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1940. Pee Wee played shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers, who later became the Los Angeles Dodgers. He led the team to seven National League Pennants during the 1940s and 1950s and one World Series Title to the hated New York Yankees in 1955. Reese was named to the National League All-Star team each year from 1947-1954. He led the National League in walks with 104 in 1947 and runs scored in 1949, and had a league record of 30 stolen bases in 1952.
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Reese Quote
on the performance of his teammate, Jackie Robinson
"Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ballplayer who could have done what he did. To be able to hit with everybody yelling at him. He had to block all that out, block out everything but this ball that is coming in at a hundred miles an hour. To do what he did has got to be the most tremendous thing I've ever seen in sports."
Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson
One of the things Reese is most famous for was his ardent support for his teammate Jackie Robinson, the first modern African American player in the major leagues, especially in the rookie's difficult first years.Reese refused to sign a petition that threatened a boycott if Robinson joined the team. When Robinson joined the Dodgers in 1947 and traveled with them during their first road trip, he was heckled by fans in Cincinnati, Ohio. During pre-game infield practice, Reese, the captain of the team, went over to Robinson, engaged him in conversation, and put
his arm around his shoulder in a gesture of support
which silenced the crowd. 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.Throughout that difficult first year in the major leagues, Reese helped keep Robinson's morale up amid all the abuse. Their rapport soon led shortstop Reese and second baseman Robinson to become one of the most effective defensive pairs in the sport's history.
The friendship between Reese and Robinson is the subject of a popular 1990 children's book called Teammates, written by Peter Golenbock and with illustrations by Paul Bacon.
At Reese's funeral, Joe Black, another Major League Baseball black pioneer, said:
"Pee Wee helped make my boyhood dream come true to play in the Majors, the World Series. 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. When I finally got up to Brooklyn, I went to Pee Wee and said, 'Black people love you. When you touched Jackie, you touched all of us.' With Pee Wee, it was No. 1 on his uniform and No. 1 in our hearts."
Great Pee Wee Reese stuff from Amazon
Reese Quote
"If I had my career to play over, one thing I'd do differently is swing more. Those 1,200 walks I got... nobody remembers them."
Framed Picture
Jackie Robinson - First Day, with Spider Jorgenson, Pee Wee Reese, Ed Stankey
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Fun Facts
Birth name: Harold Henry ReeseNickname: Pee Wee, The Little Colonel, The Captain
Birth date: July 23, 1918
Birth place: Ekron, Kentucky
Death date: August 14, 1999
Death place: Louisville, Kentucky
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 160 lbs
Wife: Dorothy Walton
Children: Mark and Barbara
Positions: Shortstop and Third Base
Teams: Brooklyn Dodgers (1940-1942 and 1946-1957), Los Angeles Dodgers (1958)
Uniform Number: 1 (Retired by the Dodgers.)
Threw: Right
Batted: Right
Did You Know?
Pee Wee Reese was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984.
Contrary to popular belief, the nickname "Pee Wee" was given to him during his marble playing days, not due to his small stature.
Pee Wee was a Louisville city marbles champion at age 12.
Pee Wee spent three years in the Navy during World War II (1943-1945).
Reese finished in the top-10 in MVP balloting eight times (1946-1949, 1952, 1954-1956).
After his playing days, Reese became a broadcaster with CBS, NBC and the Cincinnati Reds, and later worked for Hillerich & Bradsby (makers of Louisville Slugger baseball bats).
Vote for your favorite Pee Wee Reese stuff
Pee Wee Reese "Batting" Double Matted 8" X 10" Photograph (Unframed)
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Quiet Ambassador: Pee Wee Reese Story
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2005 Upper Deck Legendary Cuts # 61 Pee Wee Reese Brooklyn Dodgers Baseball Card
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Pee Wee Reese Fielding Pose 16X20 Photo (JSA)
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- [...] things because of the support of a lot of Caucasians. Reese was a Kentucky guy, reared in segr...
- Joba and Phil: ‘Starters that can relieve’
- [...] 10:10 pm “He said no team had SINCE PEE WEE REESE in the 50s” one thing i miss about about...
- Joba and Phil: ‘Starters that can relieve’
- "He said no team had SINCE PEE WEE REESE in the 50s" one thing i miss about about the good old days...
- Joba and Phil: ‘Starters that can relieve’
- McCarver never said no team had never won a WS with a 35 yr old SS – He said no team had SINCE...
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Links
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Fan site about the L.A. Dodgers
- Jackie Robinson
- Fan site about Jackie Robinson
- L.A. Dodgers Store
- Get your dodgers gear here!
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- WorldTravelers916 WorldTravelers916 Sep 8, 2008 @ 5:11 pm
- what a great player, and great nickname like Wee Wille Keeler.
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Lastly
"He loved the Dodgers, he always respected the Dodgers and the people who owned the Dodgers."
-- Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe
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