Pee Wee Reese

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Lore & Background

Reese is well known for his support of his teammate Jackie Robinson, the first Black player in the major leagues' modern era, who faced widespread racist backlash upon being promoted from the Negro leagues to the major leagues. This support is commonly exemplified with a story of Reese's response to escalating harassment of Robinson that had been taking place during a pre-game warmup in 1947. In this story, Reese walked from his standard position on the field to Robinson's position in the infield and put his arm around Robinson's shoulder. While the details of the incident are possibly apocryphal, it is considered representative of Reese's pattern of public acts of camaraderie towards Robinson, which gestured inclusion and acceptance of his teammate within a prejudiced societal context. (According to a 2013 article on ESPN, Brian Cronin argues that the incident actually occurred in 1948 in Boston.)

In Their Own Story

In 1947, as Jackie Robinson faced abuse from crowds and opposing pitchers who threw directly at his head, Reese became one of the few teammates to offer open support. Sportswriter Jimmy Cannon noted that Robinson appeared to be "the loneliest man I have ever seen in sports," yet Reese remained a constant source of morale. When teammate Pete Reiser remarked on equality, Reese countered that they should do something to make it more equal since Robinson was catching special hell. Reese used humor to alleviate tension, once telling Robinson, "You know Jack, some of these guys are throwing at you because you're Black. But others are doing it just because they plain don't like you." This bond formed one of the most effective defensive pairs in history between shortstop and second base. The solidarity reportedly sparked a decline in vile fan behavior by 1948, with journalist Lester Rodney noting that racists realized they were in the minority and fell silent. Reese's father had reportedly taken him to a tree where a lynching occurred to teach him about racism early on. When Robinson died in 1972, Reese served as one of his pallbearers.

Reader's Guide

Reese's nickname originated in his childhood, as he was a champion marbles player (a "pee wee" is a small marble). Reese was born in Ekron, Meade County, Kentucky, and raised there until he was nearly eight years old, when his family moved to Louisville. In high school, Reese was so small that he did not play baseball until his senior year, at which time he weighed only 120 pounds and played just six games as a second baseman. He graduated from duPont Manual High School in 1935, where he played for a legendary coach, Ralph Kimmel. He worked as a cable splicer for the Louisville phone company, only playing amateur baseball in a church league. When Reese's team reached the league championship, the minor league Louisville Colonels allowed them to play the championship game on their field. Reese impressed Colonels owner Cap Neal, who signed him to a contract for a $200 bonus. While playing for the Colonels, he was affectionately referred to by his teammates as "The Little Colonel." By 1938, Reese was the Colonels' regular shortstop and one of the top prospects in the minors; Boston Red Sox farm director Billy Evans was so impressed by Reese that he recommended the Red Sox buy the team. Evans and owner Tom Yawkey both knew that Boston's regular shortstop, Joe Cronin, was nearing the end of his career. However, Cronin was also the team's manager, and still thought of himself as a regular shortstop. When Yawkey sent Cronin to Louisville to scout Reese, Cronin realized that he was scouting his own replacement. Cronin deliberately downplayed Reese's talent and suggested Reese be traded. It took a while to find a buyer, since the other teams assumed something had to be wrong with Reese if the Red Sox wanted to get rid of him. However, on July 18, 1939, Reese was sent to Brooklyn for $35,000 and four players to be named later. This trade is now considered one of the most lopsided deals in baseball history. As it turned out, Cronin was only a part-time player after 1941. Reese stayed in Louisville for the rest of the 1939 season, and was called up to Brooklyn in time for the 1940 season. In an ironic twist, he walked into a situation where his manager was also the regular shortstop—in this case, Leo Durocher. Unlike Cronin, however, Durocher was willing to give up his spot in the lineup to Reese. Reese's rookie season in 1940 was curtailed by a broken heel bone that lim

Did You Know?

• Reese's nickname originated from his childhood skill at marbles—a 'pee wee' is a small marble.
• Reese was signed by the Louisville Colonels for a $200 bonus after playing a championship game on their field.
• The trade that sent Reese to Brooklyn in 1939 is considered one of the most lopsided deals in baseball history.
• Reese missed three seasons due to military service in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
• Reese refused to sign a petition against Jackie Robinson joining the Dodgers, saying, 'If he can take my job, he's entitled to it.'