{{short description|American baseball player (born 1951)}} {{distinguish|Robert Reece|Bob Rees}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography | name =Bob Reece | image = | caption = | position = Catcher | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1951|1|5}} | birth_place = Sacramento, California, U.S. | death_date = | bats =Right | throws = Right |debutleague = MLB | debutdate =April 22 | debutyear =1978 | debutteam =Montreal Expos |finalleague = MLB | finaldate =September 16 | finalyear =1978 | finalteam =Montreal Expos |statleague = MLB | stat1label = Batting average | stat1value =.182 | stat2label =Hits | stat2value =2 | stat3label =Runs batted in | stat3value =3 | teams = *Montreal Expos ({{mlby|1978}}) }} '''Robert Scott Reece''' (born January 5, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player. A catcher, he was a graduate of Stanford University<ref>[https://archive.today/20130619230538/http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-basebl/archive/stan-m-basebl-pros.html Stanford University official website]</ref> and spent nine seasons in the minor league system of the Montreal Expos — playing in nine games in the Major Leagues for Montreal at the beginning and the end of the {{baseball year|1978}} season. He threw and batted right-handed, stood {{convert|6|ft|1|in}} tall and weighed {{convert|190|lb}}.
==Career== Reece was signed by the Expos as a non-drafted free agent in 1973. He reached the Triple-A level in 1975 as a member of the Memphis Blues of the International League, then the Expos' top farm system affiliate. The following season, Montreal signed a player development contract with the Denver Bears of the American Association, and Reece would spend all or parts of six years as a member of the Bears.
In 1978, Reece batted a career-high .296 in 47 games for Denver, in between his Major League trial with the Expos. He played rarely for Montreal, appearing in a total of seven games between April and early June. On May 7, his third big league game, Reece collected his first MLB hit, run scored and run batted in when he doubled off relief pitcher Dave Tomlin during a 19–5 rout of the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront Stadium.<ref>[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B05071CIN1978.htm 1978-5-7 box score] from Retrosheet</ref>
He started his first MLB game at catcher two days later during the second game of a doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves; he was held hitless in two at bats by future Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, then was pinch hit for by the Expos' regular catcher, another future Hall of Famer, Gary Carter.<ref>[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B05092ATL1978.htm 1978-5-9 (2) box score] from Retrosheet</ref> During his late-season stint with the Expos, Reece got into two September games.
In the second of those, on September 16, he singled off Don Robinson of the Pittsburgh Pirates for his second and final MLB hit in his final big-league appearance.<ref>[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B09160PIT1978.htm 1978-9-16 box score] from Retrosheet</ref>
Reece started three of the MLB games in which he played. He collected two hits in 11 at-bats, with no bases on balls, striking out four times. His minor league career ended after the 1981 season and 672 games played.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=reece-003rob Minor league record] from Baseball Reference</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=r/reecebo01 |fangraphs= |cube= |brm=reece-003rob }} * [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=reecebo01 Baseball Almanac]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reece, Bob}} Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada Category:Baseball players from Sacramento, California Category:Denver Bears players Category:Jamestown Expos players Category:Major League Baseball catchers Category:Memphis Blues players Category:Memphis Chicks players Category:Montreal Expos players Category:Québec Carnavals players Category:Stanford Cardinal baseball players Category:West Palm Beach Expos players Category:20th-century American sportsmen