The DeKalb County Board of Education bestowed a great honor to a former long-time DCHS Tigers baseball coach after it voted to name the high school’s baseball field, Coach Joey Reeder Baseball Field. Reeder coached the Tigers for 16 years, from 1982 to 1997, leading the team to an overall record of 387-146, with a district record of 179-15. The Tigers’ post season record under Reeder was 55-23.
Reeder is the son of Joe and Faye Reeder of Smithville, and is married to wife Shelby, with a daughter, Paige. Paige is married to Byron Adcock, with Joey’s grandchildren Stella and Lakelynn.
During Reeder’s time as coach, the team won 13 District Tournament Championships, 13 District Regular Season Championships, was twice District Runner-up, once District 3rd place, won two Regional Championships, and two State Quarterfinals. The team went 16 consecutive without a losing record, had 17 former players signed or walked on to play college baseball, two former players selected in major league draft, and for two years finished ranked in the Johnson City News High School Baseball Poll Top 25 (All Classes).
Reeder won 12 District Coach of the Year awards, four District Coach of the Year Award (Tenn Athletic Coaches Association), one Regional Coach of the Year (Tenn Athletics Coaches Association), one Regional Coach of the Year (Tenn Baseball Coaches Association), and two years coached for the East Squad in the Tennessee State High School All Star Game.
Reeder had served as a DCHS teacher for 30 years, and has worked as Attendant Supervisor for the school system for the past 13 years.
School Director Patrick Cripps, who played high school baseball under Coach Reeder, announced the surprise honor during last Thursday’s monthly school board meeting.
“We are all given a beginning in time, a birth date. We are also given an end of time, a death date. There is a little thing in between called the dash and that dash is what you do with your life and what impact you have on your community, your society, and the people around you,” said Director Cripps.
“There are four individuals in this room (Director Cripps, DCHS Principal Bruce Curtis, Supervisor of Instruction for grades 6-12 Randy Jennings, and School Board Chairman Shaun Tubbs) that have been impacted by sports in this town playing baseball for Coach Reeder,” Director Cripps continued.
“It’s my recommendation that we name the baseball field the Joey Reeder Baseball Field. Coach Reeder’s stats I dare say will never be met again in our community. His district record was 179-15 (.993) and if you look at those 15 district losses, that’s over a 16-year career.”
“But as much as he taught us on the field on how to play, he expected us to be that type of young man and represent his club. We had to make the grade in class. We couldn’t get in trouble at school and definitely couldn’t get in trouble on the streets because at that time, he could boot you. He didn’t need you and he would not keep you around if you got in trouble. I have used him many times over my career as a reference and as somebody that I go to. Coach, it’s a privilege to say that field is going to have your name on it from now on,” said Director Cripps.
When asked what his most memorable team was, Reeder said, “I wouldn’t pick a team just like I wouldn’t pick a player. We had all good years. We didn’t have problems. I just loved coaching.”
Reeder was also heavily involved in the construction of the current baseball field. “When I started, we played on the Babe Ruth Field,” Joey explained. “The school board gave us $50,000 to do what we could building a field. We had a lot of help from the local Road Department. Kenny Edge was the Road Supervisor and they helped us with a lot of work. Aubrey Turner was the Director of Schools, and we got the lights put up, the field done, and the fence up. We had part of the money to build the concession stand, but didn’t have any money to build any dugouts. We raised money for those, the parents did.”
“It's special,” Reeder said. “It’s a great honor. I mean, there’s only one field and can only be named after one person. When you’re the one a bunch of people think your name should be placed on it, that’s a really big honor. It’s an honor for me and every player that played for me during those years.”
