Inside Pitch





Remembering Pee Wee Reese


This collage includes artifacts pertaining to Brooklyn's only
World Series title team, the 1955 squad, captained by shortstop Pee Wee Reese.

Asked to describe his friend and teammate Pee Wee Reese, Jackie
Robinson said: "What a decent human being. How much he helped me. But he refuses
to take the credit."

Harold Reese, the son of a railroad detective, was born July 23,
1918, in the small town of Ekron, Kentucky, but grew up in nearby Louisville.
His nickname "Pee Wee" came from his marble playing abilities, not due to his
small stature. Reese was a Louisville city marbles champion at age 12.

An agile infielder, Reese was first signed by the Louisville
Colonels of the American Association in 1937 and carried the nickname "The
Little Colonel'' from then on.

In one of their smartest moves, in 1940, the Brooklyn Dodgers
purchased Pee Wee's contract from the Red Sox organization, and in short order,
Reese earned a starting job in the big leagues.

After his first two seasons with Brooklyn, Reese served in the U.S.
Navy in the Pacific. Much of his time was spent playing ball on the same
military team as Yankee shortstop Phil Rizzuto. Reese earned the shortstop
position, pushing Rizzuto to third base. While preparing for the invasion of
Japan in 1945, Reese was sent home with thousands of other soldiers after the
atomic bombs ended the war.

One of the premiere shortstops of his era, Reese's career spanned 16
Dodger seasons, included 10 All-star appearances, seven pennants, and Brooklyn's
only World Series Championship - in 1955.

A leader on the field and in the clubhouse, Reese was captain of the
great Dodger teams of the 1940s and 1950s. He rose above his background in the
segregated South to accept Jackie Robinson as a teammate and friend, setting an
example not only for his teammates and those in baseball, but also for the
entire country.

Reese retired after the 1958 season and returned to his beloved
Kentucky to work for the Louisville Slugger bat company, Hillerich & Bradsby. He
also broadcast for the Cincinnati Reds and the national "Game of the Week,"
teaming with Dizzy Dean.

Reese was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984, and died in 1999 in
Louisville, survived by his wife of more than 60 years.


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Trivia Question
In his 16-year career, how many times did Pee Wee Reese finish in
the top ten in National League Most Valuable Player voting? Answer at bottom of
newsletter.

Connecting Generations Trivia Event Highlights Fun-Filled Hall of
Fame Weekend Saturday
Amidst an exciting Hall of Fame Induction Weekend that is culminated
by the ceremony on Sunday to induct Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg, several other
events are planned for visitors to Cooperstown, America's perfect village.

On Saturday at 3 PM at the Clark Sports Center, join Hall of Famers
Ferguson Jenkins, Ralph Kiner, Paul Molitor, Kirby Puckett, and Robin Yount for
a fun and interactive trivia game, Connecting Generations. Featuring an all new
format for 2005, the game will be followed by a question and answer session with
the Hall of Famers.

Tickets are available by contacting the Membership Department, at
607-547-0397.

At the Museum on Saturday at 11 AM, television personality Maury
Povich and George Solomon, former sports editor at the Washington Post, present
All Those Mornings.at the Post, the collected columns of renowned sports writer
Shirley Povich. Povich wrote for the Post from 1924-1998 and was honored with
the Hall of Fame's J.G. Taylor Spink Award for baseball writers in 1975. The
presentation will be immediately followed by a book signing. Admission is free
with Museum admission.

At 1:30 PM, Hall of Famer Don Sutton will be in the Museum to sign
copies of the Hall of Fame's critically-acclaimed book, Baseball As America.

Also on Saturday, the New York/Penn League Game will be played at
historic Doubleday Field in Cooperstown at 1 PM. The game features the Oneonta
Tigers vs. the Tri-City Valley Cats, and is free of charge.

For complete Hall of Fame Weekend coverage, visit
baseballhalloffame.org.


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Special Offers from
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2005 Induction Logo Pin

2005 Inductees Caps


Friends of the Hall of Fame Membership
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Reserve your roster spot
at the
Hall of Fame Fantasy Camp

Featuring George Brett, Lou Brock, Phil Niekro, Duke Snider
and others in Cooperstown this
October 5-9!

The Hall of Fame
Fantasy Camp is a dream
come true for baseball fans!


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Answer to Trivia Quiz: Eight


©2005 National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc.



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