Nick Scala - 16 years later, Pokey returns
What's he been doing since his last major-league game, with the Red Sox in 2004?
For the most part, he's been healing, both from injuries and a lifetime of heartbreak.
For now, though, suffice it to say that Calvin "Pokey" Reese Jr. is happy to be back in uniform, happy to be back in Charleston, and ... well, just happy. During a 10-minute interview before the start of Thursday night's game, the only time the smile left his face was when he was told that Watt Powell Park, where he played as a 19-year-old kid, had been demolished.
The smile came right back, though, when he recognized the yellow Watt Powell seats that had been removed from the Kanawha City ballpark and replanted beyond the left-center-field fence at Appalachian Power Park.
He was asked if his goal was to return to the major leagues.
"I hope to stay healthy and whatever happens after that happens," he said. "There's no rush. Whatever the Nationals want me to do, I'll do it. I'm just here to play some baseball and have fun."
Is it a letdown to be back in Class A at such an advanced age?
"No, because I spent seven years in the minors so I know how it is," he said. "I'm not worried about that."