Our boy Pokey walks away from Baseball

[riverside sluggers]

Thanks for the memories, I cant remember all the thrills you had given us and the other teams you had played for .

 

Reese simply lost passion for game

Ken Rosenthal / FOXSports.com

 

Second baseman Pokey Reese's brief stay with the Marlins ended with an unexplained disappearance, but the reason for his retirement is anything but a mystery. Reese, 32, simply lost his passion for baseball, his agent, Mike Nicotera, said Tuesday night in an interview with FOXSports.com. While Nicotera did not completely rule out a comeback, he said that Reese, a nine-year veteran, does not plan to play again. "As Pokey said to me, ‘I think it's time to go home and be with my family. When I no longer have the love for the game, then maybe it's time to move on,'" Nicotera said.

 

Thus, new Marlins manager Joe Girardi had it right last weekend when he said that if Reese was trying to determine his future, "maybe he doesn't want any outside influences." Reese bolted the Marlins last Thursday and ended communication with club officials because he was contemplating the end of his career, Nicotera said. The Marlins terminated Reese's one-year, $800,000 contract on Sunday, but the move was of little practical consequence; Reese no longer intended to play, anyway.

 

After leaving the Marlins, Reese drove home to Columbia, S.C., to discuss his future with his mother and grandmother, according to Nicotera. He isolated himself because, as Girardi suggested, "he wanted to see what was in his heart," Nicotera said. Two days after Reese left camp, Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest told the team's beat reporters that he was "extremely disappointed" by Reese's lack of communication. The next day, Beinfest terminated Reese's contract.

 

Reese, knowing he frustrated club officials with his abrupt departure, plans to contact Girardi and Marlins assistant G.M. Michael Hill, the team executive with whom he had the most contact, Nicotera said. But as of Tuesday night, Hill said he had yet to hear from the player. Injuries helped lead to Reese's decision; he missed all of last season with the Mariners after undergoing two operations on his right shoulder. He also missed seven weeks with the World Series champion Red Sox in 2004 due to a pulled ribcage muscle, returning in September as a reserve. Before getting injured, Reese had become a cult hero at Fenway Park while replacing the injured Nomar Garciaparra at shortstop.

 

Reese's happiest times were with the 1999 Reds, a team that won 96 games. The club, a tight-knit group, featured several high-character players with whom Reese became close, Nicotera said. "That's what he thought baseball was like," Nicotera said. "Since then, for a number of reasons, I don't know that it ever got back to that for him. In Boston, he definitely enjoyed himself, but then he pulled the ribcage muscle. He didn't complain about being a bench player (after he returned). It was just different. I'm sure that stuff wore on him."

 

Reese signed with the Marlins in part because his mother could make the trip from Columbia to Miami to watch him play, Nicotera said. He grew up in extreme poverty and endured tragedies in his life, including the deaths of two of his children's mothers. He views his career as a gift. "Pokey looks at it like, 'I came from nothing. I got more out of the game than I ever thought I'd get. When it's time, it's time. I can step down and know the game has been very good to me,"' Nicotera said.

 

"That's really the way he sees it. He's at peace with it. I don't want to portray it like he's in major turmoil. This was a very difficult decision for him. But he feels like he did the right thing."

[MC Hammer]

Pokey was loved everywhere he went, and truly gave 110% every time he was on the field. I hope he finds his way back next year, and has the chance to catch on with a team. Thanks for the memories as a Pirate and a Red Sox.

 

POKEY FOR PRESIDENT!

[The Monster is my Mom]

I remember watching him when he was a Red, he was fun to watch and a pretty good player.

[RedSoxRooter]

Good for him. I'm sure he made more money than he ever imagined he would.

[mtbykr]

Good lucka and thanks pokey! I still remember very vividly how smooth he was in the field!

[ORS]

Good luck on future endeavors Pokey. I hope you find your happy place, and I hope Shooter McGavin isn't there.

[greenwell39]

Thanks for the memories Pokey!

It's nice to see that he's following his heart...too many of us in this world get caught in a rut with our jobs and lose sight of what is important in life.

[He Hate Me]

One of the best baseball nicknames in the last 10 years has retired.

[Sox Fan on Cape]

I respect his decision, and I wish him all the best. He owes us and baseball nothing.

[riverside sluggers]

He finished out on top with a well-deserved ring, last MLB game was actually in the 04 world series.

[See Red]

I wish him the best of luck with whatever he chooses to do. He was fun to watch. Glad he decided to follow his heart.

[CrespoBlows]

I don't. I refuse to kiss this guy's ass. Nice job on the sub-par 1/2 season you produced with the Boston Red Sox. You made Mark Bellhorn, and hell, even Cesar Crespo look like all star second basemen.

[26 to 6]

I wish Pokey good luck. He was fun to watch in the field.

[yankeessuck013]

even Cesar Crespo look like all star second basemen.

 

I wouldn't go that far.

[riverside sluggers]

he was more of a utility player than a starer for the season, not just just half the season. A utility man's main job is to defend & save runs in the late innings (hitting is just an added bonus for utility), yes lets discount all the great plays he had made in the 2004 season.

[CrespoBlows]

he was more of a utility player than a starer for the season, not just just half the season. A utility man's main job is to defend & save runs in the late innings (hitting is just an added bonus for utility), yes lets discount all the great plays he had made in the 2004 season.

 

Actually, he was signed to be the starting 2B for the Red Sox. Theo was shamed into to benching him, because he realized, "Wow, this guy sucks."

 

His .221/.271/.303 batting line, is grounds enough to end the love affair with Pokey Reese. So, yes I will happily discount any "memorable" plays he made during that season. (I remember none, nor do I care to remember any)

[26 to 6]

No. Thats not exactly what happened. He was brought in to be the starting Second baseman, but started the season at short because Nomar was hurt. This allowed Bellhorn the opprotunity to play second. When Nomar came back (I believe) Pokey and Bellhorn platooned until Pokey got hurt. By the time he came back from injury he was forced to play the bench due to how good Bellhorn was playing everything.

[nhfishercats]

thats pretty crazy,maybe hell eventually make a comeback when he starts to miss the game

[mtbykr]

Actually, he was signed to be the starting 2B for the Red Sox. Theo was shamed into to benching him, because he realized, "Wow, this guy sucks."

 

His .221/.271/.303 batting line, is grounds enough to end the love affair with Pokey Reese. So, yes I will happily discount any "memorable" plays he made during that season. (I remember none, nor do I care to remember any)

 

 

Last out of game 7 of the ALCS was a grounder to Pokey! I want to remember that one for a long time!:thumbsup:

[26 to 6]

Last out of game 7 of the ALCS was a grounder to Pokey! I want to remember that one for a long time!:thumbsup:

I dont

[CrespoBlows]

No. Thats not exactly what happened. He was brought in to be the starting Second baseman, but started the season at short because Nomar was hurt. This allowed Bellhorn the opprotunity to play second. When Nomar came back (I believe) Pokey and Bellhorn platooned until Pokey got hurt. By the time he came back from injury he was forced to play the bench due to how good Bellhorn was playing everything.

 

Uh, yeah. He was brought in to be the starting second baseman. Thanks for restating what I said. He was benched because his subpar performance. .221 BA isn't going to cut it.

[RedSoxRooter]

That was basically it. People loved Reese as a defender and pulled for him to hit, but in the end Bellhorn had some pop and his defense wasn't as bad as Todd Walker's so he basically won the job because he sucked a little less than everyone else.

[CrespoBlows]

Last out of game 7 of the ALCS was a grounder to Pokey! I want to remember that one for a long time!:thumbsup:

 

Great job, he managed to field a weak grounder. Is that all? I didn't see him bailing us out in Games 4, 5, 6, or 7. He did manage to scoop up a groundball though. While we're out handing medals out for subpar performances, I'd like to dedicate this award for "Trying to be Intelligent" to Soxfan#1. Even though he's still an idiot, he still tries to sound smart. Got to hand it to him.

 

I'll say one positive thing about Pokey though, he did have one hell of a catch against the Dodgers.

[BigPapiEnFuego]

In a game against the Royals pokey had a homer over the monster and then an inside the park homer. But for awhile he was batting like .250 or above, but after getting injured his average went down alot. I love Pokey, he was just cool.

[26 to 6]

Uh, yeah. He was brought in to be the starting second baseman. Thanks for restating what I said. He was benched because his subpar performance. .221 BA isn't going to cut it.

He was brought in as the starting second baseman but started the season as the starting shortstop because he's a better shortstop than Bellhorn. I didnt at all restate what you said.

[CrespoBlows]

He was brought in as the starting second baseman but started the season as the starting shortstop because he's a better shortstop than Bellhorn. I didnt at all restate what you said.

 

He was brought in to be the starting Second baseman

 

In case, you missed what I said, I said Pokey was brought in to be the starting second basemen. You restated that twice, then went on to talk about injuries. Irregardless, of the injuries, Reese was slated to play along side Garciaparra.

 

Not only did you say you didn't restate what I said, but you restated what I had said in the same sentence. Just read the first 9 sentences of your sentence. That seems to be my point. Riverside, said Pokey was brought to be a utility player, I disagreed stating that the premise of Pokey Reese's signing was to play 2B for the Red Sox. Nowhere, did I mention the injuries to Garciaparra. You brought that up, irrelevantly, I might add.

[26 to 6]

In case, you missed what I said, I said Pokey was brought in to be the starting second basemen. You restated that twice, then went on to talk about injuries. Irregardless, of the injuries, Reese was slated to play along side Garciaparra.

 

Not only did you say you didn't restate what I said, but you restated what I had said in the same sentence. Just read the first 9 sentences of your sentence. That seems to be my point. Riverside, said Pokey was brought to be a utility player, I disagreed stating that the premise of Pokey Reese's signing was to play 2B for the Red Sox. Nowhere, did I mention the injuries to Garciaparra. You brought that up, irrelevantly, I might add.

You said Pokey was brought in to be the second baseman, but was forced to be benched because "he sucked". I agreed that he was brought in to be the starting second baseman, but the reason he wasnt the starting second baseman wasnt because he "sucked", like you stated, but because you guys needed a SS and he was better than anyone else on your team for that. Had Nomar been healthy he WOULD HAVE been the starting second baseman.

[kreinbihl34]

Actually, he was signed to be the starting 2B for the Red Sox. Theo was shamed into to benching him, because he realized, "Wow, this guy sucks."

QUOTE]

 

I think you suck

[CrespoBlows]

You said Pokey was brought in to be the second baseman, but was forced to be benched because "he sucked". I agreed that he was brought in to be the starting second baseman, but the reason he wasnt the starting second baseman wasnt because he "sucked", like you stated, but because you guys needed a SS and he was better than anyone else on your team for that. Had Nomar been healthy he WOULD HAVE been the starting second baseman.

 

If I remember correctly, on Garciaparra's debut, Reese was starting at 2nd. He was such a liability at the plate, that he needed to come out, because Bellhorn was a better balanced player than Reese.

[CrespoBlows]

I think you suck

 

Take Pokey's dick out of your mouth, and face the facts. He sucked as much as your comeback was.