Pee Wee Reese
About Pee Wee Reese
- Biography
- Fast Facts
- Quotes
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.”
The long career of Pee Wee Reese began in Brooklyn, was interrupted by military service in World War II, and ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a 10-time All-Star and captain of the “Boys of Summer.” He received MVP votes for 11 straight seasons from 1946 to 1956.
Pee Wee, who was from Louisville and the deep South, was one of the first Dodgers to welcome Jackie Robinson and try to make him feel part of the team, famously putting his arm around him in front of hostile fans before a game.
At Reese's funeral in 1999, teammate Joe Black, who was one of the first black pitchers in the major leagues 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.”
James Dean once said, "I came to Hollywood to act, not to charm society."
"Only the gentle are really strong."
"If a man can bridge the gap between life and death, if he can live on after he's dead, then maybe he was a great man."
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today."
Interested in continuing the legacy of Pee Wee Reese?
Reach out to us today to learn about how CMG can help you.