Even without a fast ball, Fred “Brick” Reid was considered one of Maine’s better pitchers.
The right hander, with a deep love for baseball, pitched all over the state. He once had a chance to join the Boston Red Sox when he was 23 and a second chance when 37 but Reid turned down both chances because he just wasn’t interested. He said he never regretted the decision.
His greatest thrill came when he was 25. He pitched 17 innings (that’s no misprint) in the Eastern Maine league and won his own game, 1-0, with a homer.
Originally from Beersville, Canada, he came from Kent. County, New Brunswick to the U.S. in 1893 when he was six years old. From a family of nine, he went to school in Fairfield, Maine.
He started out as a third baseman and also boxed.
Reid could also hit. He played regularly until he was 55. In fact, he was originally a first baseman. His early success as a hitter was renown, as he was the scourge of the Trolley League and Maine State League.
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