Pee Wee Reese Biography Quotes 7 Report mistakes

Early Life and Path to Baseball
Harold Henry Reese, known everywhere as Pee Wee Reese, was born on July 23, 1918, in Ekron, Kentucky, and grew up in Louisville. Slight in stature but quick and agile, he earned his lifelong nickname as a boyhood marbles champion, where small shooter marbles were called pee wees. His natural ease with a ball in his hand, quick feet, strong arm, and sure sense of angles pointed him to the infield early, and by the time he was out of school he was a rising shortstop in a region steeped in the game.

From Red Sox Property to Brooklyn Shortstop
Reese began in professional baseball under the Boston Red Sox umbrella, but with future Hall of Famer Joe Cronin entrenched at shortstop and owner Tom Yawkey aiming to win in the moment, the club deemed the young Kentuckian expendable. In 1939, Brooklyn general manager Larry MacPhail acquired him, a franchise-shaping decision that delivered the Dodgers their shortstop of the next generation. Reese reached the majors in 1940 and immediately impressed with his range and instincts. Under manager Leo Durocher, he sharpened the blend of positioning, soft hands, and leadership that would define him.

Wartime Service and Return
When World War II intervened, Reese put his career on hold and served in the United States Navy from 1943 through 1945. Like many players of his era, he returned in 1946 older, steadier, and with a seasoned perspective. His 1946 season reestablished him as a premier shortstop, and it set the stage for one of the most consequential seasons in baseball history.

Integration and Leadership
In 1947, Jackie Robinson joined the Dodgers, breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier with backing from executive Branch Rickey. Reese, already the team's on-field compass, offered crucial support. He shared the middle infield with Robinson when Robinson played second base and anchored a clubhouse navigating hostility from opposing teams and fans. A widely remembered moment unfolded in Cincinnati, when Reese placed an arm around Robinson on the field amid jeers, a simple gesture that signaled solidarity and helped quiet the crowd. Whether in that instant or in countless private acts, his steadiness mattered. Managers Burt Shotton, then Chuck Dressen, relied on Reese's example; later, under Walt Alston, he became the long-tenured captain who set the Dodgers' tone.

The Boys of Summer
Reese was central to the celebrated "Boys of Summer" teams chronicled by writer Roger Kahn. With Duke Snider patrolling center, Roy Campanella catching, Gil Hodges at first, Carl Furillo in right, and pitchers like Don Newcombe, Carl Erskine, and Preacher Roe, the Dodgers repeatedly pushed deep into October. Reese and third baseman Billy Cox locked down the left side for years; later, Jim "Junior" Gilliam joined Reese to form another excellent keystone pair. Reese's strengths were balance and completeness: he worked counts, drew walks, ran the bases with awareness, bunted when strategy called for it, and transformed hard grounders into routine outs. He was a perennial All-Star and a fixture at the top of the order, a catalyst who scored runs at elite rates across a decade.

Pennants, the 1955 Title, and Move West
With Reese at shortstop, Brooklyn captured seven National League pennants, frequently meeting the New York Yankees in the World Series. Heartbreak was common in 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, and 1953, but in 1955 the Dodgers finally prevailed, defeating the Yankees for the franchise's first championship. Reese's veteran presence and reliability were essential, from turning double plays to reaching base in front of the sluggers. In 1956 the Yankees reclaimed the crown, but Reese's Dodgers remained the class of the league. When owner Walter O'Malley shifted the club to Los Angeles in 1958, Reese, nearing forty, played one final season before retiring as a Dodger lifer.

Style, Reputation, and Numbers
Though never a showy power hitter, Reese surpassed 2, 000 career hits, compiled a high on-base percentage for a shortstop, and routinely ranked among league leaders in runs scored. He was a double-digit All-Star selection and widely regarded as one of the best defensive shortstops of his time. Teammates credited him for calm guidance in tight games; opponents respected his anticipation and internal clock. He embodied the captain's role long before it was common to formalize it.

After Baseball
Reese moved naturally into public life around the game. He worked as a broadcaster and became nationally familiar alongside Dizzy Dean on televised "Game of the Week" coverage, explaining infield craft and reading situations with the same clarity he once showed at shortstop. He also stayed connected to the sport's institutions and to his Kentucky roots, a recognizable ambassador whose manner matched his playing style: understated, accurate, and generous.

Honors and Legacy
The Veterans Committee elected Reese to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984, an affirmation of a career that combined high-level play with historic significance. His jersey number 1, synonymous with Brooklyn's infield for nearly two decades, was retired by the Dodgers. Across baseball, he is remembered not only as a champion and a cornerstone of the Dodgers' golden era but as a leader whose decency helped ease the sport through its most important transformation. Jackie Robinson, Branch Rickey, Leo Durocher, and countless teammates shared in that story, but Reese's steadiness gave it daily life.

Final Years
Pee Wee Reese died on August 14, 1999, in Louisville, Kentucky. He left behind a legacy that bridged competitive excellence and moral clarity: a shortstop who turned difficult plays routine, a captain who kept teams aligned through repeated pennant races, and a teammate whose humanity mattered as much as any statistic. In the lore of Ebbets Field and beyond, his name still stands for quiet authority, reliability, and grace under pressure.

Our collection contains 7 quotes who is written by Pee, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Sports - Equality - Training & Practice - Teamwork.

Other people realated to Pee: Casey Stengel (Athlete), Dizzy Dean (Athlete), Duke Snider (Athlete), Phil Rizzuto (Celebrity), Gil Hodges (Athlete)