Allie Reynolds - Early Life

Early Life

Reynolds was born on a reservation in Bethany, Oklahoma. His father was a preacher in the Church of the Nazarene. His mother was a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. As a young child, he didn't play baseball, as his father did not approve of playing sports on Sundays. Reynolds threatened to run away from home if his father wouldn't let him play football; his father relented.

Reynolds attended Capitol Hill High School in Oklahoma City, where he starred in American football as a quarterback and running back, and at track and field, where he excelled at the javelin throw and 100 yard dash. He played fast-pitch softball for his father's church team, which did not play on Sundays. There, he also began dating Dale Earleane Jones, who was named Capitol Hill High School's most outstanding female athlete. she had previously dated Reynolds' younger brother. The couple married on July 7, 1935.

Oklahoma Agricultural & Mechanical College (A&M) provided Reynolds a scholarship to attend and participate in track. Reynolds also played on the football team. He majored in education and graduated with a lifetime certification to teach public school in Oklahoma.

Henry Iba, coach of the Oklahoma A&M baseball team, first noticed Reynolds when he was practicing his javelin throws. Iba asked Reynolds to throw batting practice while his pitchers recovered from sore arms. Without taking any warmup pitches, he struck out the first four batters without any making contact. As an outfielder-pitcher, Reynolds led the team to victory in the state conference baseball championship in 1938. He was named team captain in 1938, his senior season.

As a halfback, Reynolds was drafted by the New York Giants of the National Football League. Since Reynolds preferred baseball to football, and felt he could earn more money playing baseball, Reynolds opted not to sign.