Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 14, 1994 TAG: 9408050029
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The California Angels, who employed Reese, did not announce a cause of death.
Reese, who served as the Angels' conditioning coach since 1972 and was known as the most prolific fungo hitter in baseball, was hospitalized for about three weeks before his death, the Angels said in a release.
During his tenure with the Angels, Reese became very close with several players, including pitcher Nolan Ryan, who named one of his sons after Reese. Two other players who were very close to Reese were Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson and pitcher Jim Abbott, who now plays for the New York Yankees.
Reese threw out the ceremonial first ball at the 60th All-Star Game, played at Anaheim Stadium in 1989, and was the honorary captain of the American League All-Star team in 1992.
``He is a tremendous loss to the game of baseball,'' said Gene Autry, the Angels' chairman of the board. ``He loved the game for its purity, its honesty and for the joy it brought to millions of children throughout the United States and around the world.
``Jimmie was a kind, generous, decent man. He touched many lives throughout baseball and will always continue to do so.''
Born as James Harrison Reese on Oct.1, 1901, in New York, he began his baseball career in 1917 as batboy for the Los Angeles Angels of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League.
He started his playing career in 1924 as a second baseman with the Oakland Oaks of the PCL and six years later, he was purchased by the Yankees with Lyn Lary for the record-setting price of $125,000.
Reese played for the Yankees in 1930-31 and with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1932. In 232 big-league games, he hit .278 with eight homers and 70 RBI. In a reserve role with the Yankees in 1930, he hit .345. As a big-leaguer, he had 15 pinch hits in 33 at-bats.
Reese played in the PCL for 13 seasons - from 1924-29 with Oakland; from 1933-36 with Los Angeles, and in 1937-38 with San Diego. He has been honored as the second baseman on the all-time PCL team.
After his playing career ended, Reese served as a coach for San Diego from 1948-60, for Hawaii in 1963-64, for Seattle from 1965-68 and for Hawaii again in 1969. He managed Bellingham of the Western International League in 1939 and San Diego, then of the PCL, in 1960-61.
by CNB