After all he's been through, Reese vows to `be strong' for his kids.

Publication: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service)

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COPYRIGHT 2006 South Florida Sun-Sentinal

Byline: Juan C. Rodriguez

JUPITER, Fla. _ Tearing a thumb ligament and missing the final two months of your first major league season isn't tragic. Neither is suffering the same injury on your other hand five years later and missing all but 37 games.

The rib-cage strain and shoulder problem that limited Pokey Reese to 351 at-bats the past three seasons were painful only in the physical sense. Words like pain and hurt and tragedy have a different connotation for Reese.

Pain is losing the mother of his first child in a car accident. Hurt is losing the mother of his second child while in labor with another man's baby. Tragedy is learning your toddler witnessed the...

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