Reese, "Pee Wee" (Harold H.)
Baseball
b. July 23, 1919, Ekron, KY
d. Aug. 14, 1999
The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Reese became the starting shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers during the 1940 season and was soon acknowledged as a team leader. He wasn't named the team's captain until 1950, but players accepted him as the unofficial captain well before that.
An excellent leadoff man, Reese lost three seasons to military service during World War II, returning to the Dodgers in 1946. He led the league with 104 walks in 1947, with 132 runs scored in 1949, and with 30 stolen bases in 1952.
Having grown up in Kentucky, Reese was uneasy when Jackie Robinson joined the Dodgers in 1947 as the major leagues' first black player of the twentieth century. However, he quickly recognized his new teammate's skills and, when he very conspicuously walked over to Robinson and put an arm around his shoulders before an early-season game, the gesture marked Robinson's acceptance by the entire team.
Reese hit over .300 only once, with a .309 average in 1954, but he excelled defensively, leading NL shortstops in putouts four times. He retired after playing just 59 games for the Dodgers in 1958, their first year in Los Angeles, then spent one season with them as a coach before becoming a representative for Hillerich-Bradsby, the manufacturer of Louisville Slugger bats.
In 2,166 games, Reese had 2,170 hits, including 330 doubles, 80 triples, and 126 home runs. He stole 232 bases, scored 1,338 runs, and had 885 RBI.