November 16, 2007
Nuxhall Passes
Joe Nuxhall died overnight:
Nuxhall's place in baseball lore was secured the moment he stepped onto a big-league field. With major league rosters depleted during World War II, he got a chance to pitch in relief for the Reds on June 10, 1944.
No one in modern baseball history has played in the majors at such a young age -- 15 years, 10 months, 11 days old. He got two outs against St. Louis before losing his composure, then went eight years before pitching for the Reds again.
"When you think of all the individuals that played at the major league level and you're the youngest in the history of the game and in the Guinness Book of Records, it does make you in awe of it," Nuxhall said on the 50th anniversary of his debut.
Nuxhall went on to a good career, pitching his best in 1963 as he posted a 15-8 record with a 2.61 ERA. He then became a long-time and beloved broadcaster for the Reds:
Nuxhall and play-by-play announcer Marty Brennaman described the Big Red Machine's two World Series titles in the 1970s, Pete Rose's return as player-manager and then banishment for gambling in the 1980s, and another World Series championship in 1990.
My thoughts go out to his family and friends.
Sad day for Reds fans, Joe was the counter point to Marty, he was a former player who found it distasteful to rip other players from the booth, from his era and the ones he watched from up high. He forever was reminding us that the game was not easy, that it was played by humans and that they too had faults. He wasn't a polished stone, but he was a gem.
Joe and his son have been extremely involved in local charities. He'll be missed.
I wonder if any other player had his best season 19 years after his debut. Seems unlikely.