A legend around Cincinnati and the Midwest as a pitcher and longtime Reds radio color man, Joe Nuxhall passed last night (see link below).
Joe Nuxhall dies at 79
...and...
'Regular Joe' touched countless lives
He was the youngest player ever to appear in a major league game when he pitched at age 15 for the Reds during WWII.
We can all think of a handfull of folks that helped ignite our love for the game. For me, Joe Nuxhall was one of those. I remember laying in bed late at night listening to Joe, along with Al Michaels and later Marty Brennaman call games late into the night when the Reds were on the West Coast.
Like some other legendary baseball announcers, he was a "homer." But we loved our "homer." Many times I remember the call by Al or Marty (with Joe's enthusiastic 'commentary' in the background in parenthesis), "Bench lifts a fly ball into deep left field (Get outta here!), Brock drifts back to the wall (GO! GO! Get outta here!), she's gone! (Yeah! Alright!)"
He hosted the "Star of the Game" postgame show, which I also stayed up even later to listen too. And as he always closed out the broadcast, so will I for him:
This is the old lefthander roundin' third and headin' for home. Good night everyone!
Thanks for the memories and God bless you Joe Nuxhall!
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