Pete Reiser- All Out

 

I was an ardent fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers during the 1940's and 1950's

living in Flatbush, and the Dodger stadium was a short subway ride away

I attended Dodger games on numerous occasions, and listened to radio broadcasts

And can vividly recall the exploits of several of my favorite players to this day 

One of my favorite players was Pete Reiser

In 1941 he won the National League batting crown

He also lead the League in doubles, triples and runs scored

A record any ball player would be proud to own 

In addition to his excellent batting record

He was twice the National League leader in stolen bases

He stole home a record seven times in the 1946 season

Ranking him high among base stealing aces 

But it is not because of his excellent batting

Or his ability to catch fly balls

That comes to my mind when I think of Reiser

It was the frequency with which he crashed into outfield walls 

He fractured his skull on one occasion

Was temporarily paralyzed another time

And was taken off the field on a  stretcher eleven times

Playing it safe was never on his mind 

Reiser knew only one style of play

Which meant he went all out on all plays

The risk of injury never deterred him

And undoubtedly shortened his playing days 

When asked by a writer after he retired

If it would have been better to keep safety on his mind

And thus probably been able to prolong his career

Reiser replied he only knew how to play all out all of the time