More than a Name

Name: Pokey Reese

Card Company: Upper Deck

Year: 2001

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Bats/Throws: R

Ht: 5'11

Pokey Reese is another one of those players that not many people remember or know about. And chances are if you do remember him it’s because his name was Pokey. However, buried underneath this amusing name is a 2x Gold Glove winner and a World Series champion. So, without further to do, let’s get started on the career of Pokey Reese.

Pokey Reese joined the Cincinnati Reds in 1991, and started his career as a member of their rookie-level team the Princeton Reds. The next year he would progress from rookie ball to the Reds Single-A affiliate the Charleston Wheelers of the South Atlantic League. He would go on to spend four more years in the minors before he made his debut with the Reds in 1997.

Pokey Reese would go on to play 5 years with the Reds becoming a defensive anchor at 2B. His defensive prowess led him to two God Gloves in 1999 and 2000. The main issue with Pokey Reese’s game was his lack of ability to perform consistently as an offensive player. He had a career batting average of .248, meaning that he always batted near the bottom of the batting order. Now this wouldn’t be as big of an issue had he gotten on base more. However, Reese struck out far more than he walked which allowed opposing pitchers to be more relaxed when the pitched to him. And eventually his offensive decline would see the Reds trade Pokey Reese following the 2001 season.

The interesting part about this trade is that he never played for the team he was traded to. Originally, he was traded to the Rockies, but the following day he was traded to the Red Sox for 1B Scott Hatteberg, before being released 2 days later. He would eventually sign on with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2002 finally bringing an end to this episode. Reese would go on to play two years with the Pirates, before eventually signing on with Boston Red Sox the following year.

In Boston, he would split time at SS with Orlando Cabrera, meaning that during the 2004 season Boston had a platoon of two Gold Glove winners at SS. This pair would help Boston break the Curse of the Bambino by winning the World Series for the first time since 1918. If you don’t know what the Curse of the Bambino is let me break it down for you. The Curse of the Bambino was believed to be caused when the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth (yes that Babe Ruth) to the Yankees, which resulted in an 86-year title drought. However, much like the Curse of the Billy Goat all curses eventually come to an end and players like Pokey Reese end up becoming World Series champions.

He would try and fail to make it back to the MLB after the 2004 season, eventually retiring from baseball in 2008. At his peak Pokey Reese was one of the best fielding middle-infielders in the MLB. Possessing outstanding range, soft hands and a strong accurate throwing arm that made him a promising prospect. In-short Pokey Reese turned a limited skill set into an 8-year career, and there are a ton of players who can’t say the same.

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