1941 – Combined with a Cardinal defeat, the Dodgers win their first pennant in 21 years when they beat the Braves, 6 – 0. Whitlow Wyatt throws a five-hitter and Pete Reiser hits a homer in the winning cause.
1939 – Rookie outfielder Pete Reiser starts his second spring training game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. After going 0 for 3 yesterday against the Yankees, Reiser belts a home run in his first at bat against the Cardinals, and follows with a walk and two singles. He will have 10 straight hits before striking out three times against Yankees pitcher Oral Hildebrand six days later. When Jack Haley relieves Hildebrand, Reiser hits a home run off him. Reiser will go north with Brooklyn and play in an April 15th exhibition against the Yankees in Ebbets Field before being sent to the Triple-A Elmira Pioneers.
Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, not a fan of Branch Rickey’s farm system, grants free agency to a group of nine Cardinal minor leaguers that includes Pete Reiser. A reported gentlemen’s agreement that has Brooklyn signing and hiding the 19 year-old outfielder in the low minors to be traded back to St. Louis at a later date, doesn’t work when Brooklyn manager Leo Durocher disobeys orders, allowing the phenom to display his incredible ability in spring training exhibition games.
1938 – Commissioner Landis frees 74 St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, among them Pete Reiser, in yet another attempt to halt the farm system cover-up. Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Larry MacPhail makes a pact with his St. Louis counterpart, Branch Rickey, to take the as-yet unknown Reiser and swap him back in the future, but the young outfielder’s ability is too great to hide.
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