On July 18, 1939, the Brooklyn Dodgers acquired Harold Pee Wee Reese from the Boston Red Sox for $35,000 and players to be named later. The Dodgers eventually traded Red Evans (September 1, 1939) and Art Parks (February 24, 1940) to Red Sox to complete the Reese deal.
Reese to that point in his career had only played two seasons with Double-A Louisville. However it wound up being a notable trade in Dodgers history and the start of the 1940 season marked the beginning of a Hall of Fame career.
Reese became Brooklyn’s everyday shortstop in 1941 and played a pivotal role in helping them secure their first National League pennant in 21 years. He went on to play 16 seasons in the Majors, all with the Dodgers.
From 1947 to 1956, Reese appeared in no fewer than 140 games and was one of the pillars of the franchise. Reese wasn’t an MVP-level player, but he was what embodied that caliber teammate and role model.
Reese enlisted in the Navy following the 1942 season, and then returned to the team in 1946. He was part of seven pennants and one World Series title in his career, but as impactful as Reese was while in a Dodgers uniform, his actions and relationships with his teammates, namely Jackie Robinson, are what made him so special.
During his career, Reese batted .269/.366/.377 with 330 doubles, 80 triples, 126 home runs, 885 RBI and 232 stolen bases in 9,470 plate appearances across 2,166 games.
Reese was a 10-time National League All-Star and received MVP votes in 13 different seasons. His 2,014 games at shortstop are the most in Dodgers history, and he additionally holds franchise records in runs scored (1,338) and walks (1,210).
Reese’s final season with the Dodgers was in 1958, their first in Los Angeles after moving from Brooklyn. However, he appeared in just 59 games. Reese was voted into the Hall of Fame on March 4, 1984.
Dodgers retire Pee Wee Reese’s jersey
As part of Oldtimers Day at Dodger Stadium during the 1984 season, the Dodgers retired the uniform numbers for Reese (1) and Don Drysdale (53).
They remain affixed in the Dodger Stadium ring of honor and retired numbers plaza.
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