Buried in this story about the Yankees extending 20 non-roster invitations to Spring Training, is an interesting tidbit about the team also adding five professional scouts to their staff for the 2009 season. New full-time members include Dan Freed, Bill Livesey, Tom Wilson and, most notably (at least to me), Kevin Reese, a middling former prospect for the Bombers.
Although Reese was never once considered the next great Yankee, he was often brandied about as a potential future contributor to the team, which was, of course, designed only to inflate his trade value. Still, he was one of the few farmhands I even knew about back then, before I started paying attention to such things.
Drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 27th round of the 2000 draft, Reese came to the Yankees in December 2001, when the Padres swapped him for Bernie Castro, a second baseman. Reese was called up to the majors on June 26, 2005, drawing a walk in his first major league plate appearance against the Mets. Later that game, in his first official at-bat, Reese struck out against Mets starting pitcher Kris Benson. Check out the box score here.
On May 12, 2006, the Yanks recalled Reese from AAA after Hideki Matsui broke his wrist. He collected his first major league hit in a game against the Mets, on May 20, 2006. His final game with the Yankees was a July 4th 19-1 drubbing against the Cleveland Indians. Reese went 1-3, with a walk, flying out to centerfielder Joey Inglett in the top of the ninth inning, Reese’s final major league at bat.
The following year, Reese was designated for assignment and was outrighted back to the minors after he cleared waivers, on August 15, essentially ending his career because, well, nobody wanted him. He retired before the start of the 2008 season and, according to our good friends at Wikipedia, eventually accepted a job with the Yankees as a minor league scout for the South Atlantic and Carolina Leagues.
Although Reese only managed a cup of coffee with the Yankees, he still gets to make a living at a major league ballpark, in the employ of the team that once thought enough of him to call him up to the show on two different occasions. Good for him; he might even get a World Series ring for his efforts.
