Joseph Henry Nuxhall (July 30, 1928 – November 15, 2007) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Cincinnati Reds. He held the team's record for career games pitched (484) from 1965 to 1975, and still holds the team mark for lefthanders, though he was long most remembered for having been the youngest player ever to appear in a major league game in the modern era, pitching 2/3 of an inning for the Reds on June 10, 1944 at the age of &&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&0316.&&&&&0316 days due to player shortages during World War II. Long known as "The Ol' Lefthander," he compiled a career earned run average of 3.90 and a record of 135-117 during his 16-season career, with all but 5 of his victories being earned with the Reds. After retiring as a player, he became a broadcaster for the Reds from 1967 through 2004. Nuxhall died in 2007 after a long bout with cancer. This article is about the player in baseball. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1944 throughout the world. ... Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 5, 8, 10, 13, 18, 20, 24, 42 Name Cincinnati Reds (1958–present) Cincinnati Redlegs (1953-1958) Cincinnati Reds (1882-1953) Cincinnati Red Stockings (1876-1882) Other nicknames The Redlegs, The Big Red Machine... is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 20 - The Baseball Writers Association of America voters elect Ted Williams to the Hall of Fame. ... Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 5, 8, 10, 13, 18, 20, 24, 42 Name Cincinnati Reds (1958–present) Cincinnati Redlegs (1953-1958) Cincinnati Reds (1882-1953) Cincinnati Red Stockings (1876-1882) Other nicknames The Redlegs, The Big Red Machine... In Major League Baseball, a win (denoted W) is generally credited to the pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when they last took the lead. ... In Major League Baseball, a loss (denoted L) is charged to the pitcher of the losing team who allows the run that gives the opposing team the lead which the game is won with (the go-ahead run). ... In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. ... For the typographical mode indicating deleted text, see Strikethrough. ... Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 5, 8, 10, 13, 18, 20, 24, 42 Name Cincinnati Reds (1958–present) Cincinnati Redlegs (1953-1958) Cincinnati Reds (1882-1953) Cincinnati Red Stockings (1876-1882) Other nicknames The Redlegs, The Big Red Machine... The following are the baseball events of the year 1944 throughout the world. ... The following are the events of the year 1952 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1960 throughout the world. ... The following are the events of the year 1962 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 20 - The Baseball Writers Association of America voters elect Ted Williams to the Hall of Fame. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 9, 27, 34, 42, 43, (As) Name Oakland Athletics (1968–present) Kansas City Athletics (1955-1967) Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1954) (Referred to as As) Other nicknames The As, The White Elephants, The... The following are the baseball events of the year 1961 throughout the world. ... Major league affiliations American League (1961–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 11, 26, 29, 30, 42, 50 Name Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2005–present) Anaheim Angels (1997-2004) California Angels (1965-1996) Los Angeles Angels (1961-1965) Other nicknames The Halos, The Wings, The Seraphs... The following are the events of the year 1962 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the Midsummer Classic, is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by fan vote for the starting position players and by the respective managers (from the previous years World... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... This article is about the player in baseball. ... Major Leagues redirects here. ... Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 5, 8, 10, 13, 18, 20, 24, 42 Name Cincinnati Reds (1958–present) Cincinnati Redlegs (1953-1958) Cincinnati Reds (1882-1953) Cincinnati Red Stockings (1876-1882) Other nicknames The Redlegs, The Big Red Machine... In baseball statistics, games pitched (denoted by GP) is the number of games in which a pitcher appears. ... is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1944 throughout the world. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. ... In Major League Baseball, a win (denoted W) is generally credited to the pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when they last took the lead. ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ...

Wartime roster

Nuxhall was born and raised in Hamilton, Ohio. During World War II, many regular baseball players were unavailable while serving in the military. Meanwhile, Nuxhall was the biggest member of the ninth grade class in nearby Hamilton, Ohio at 6' 2" and 190 pounds -- a left-hander with a hard fastball, but not much control. He had already been playing in a semipro league with his father for a few years. Scouts looking to fill out the Reds' depleted roster were following Orville Nuxhall, Joe's father, in 1943. But they were informed that the elder Nuxhall wasn't interested in signing a professional contract because of his five children. The scouts then became interested in the son, who was only 14 at the time. After waiting until the following year's basketball season was over, Nuxhall signed a major league contract with the Reds on February 18, 1944. General manager Warren Giles intended to wait until school was over in June to add him to the team, but more of his players were inducted into the service in the spring. With permission from his high school principal, Nuxhall was in uniform with the team on Opening Day. Hamilton is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Hamilton is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States. ... is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Warren Crandall Giles (28 May 1896 - 7 February 1979) was an American executive in Major League Baseball. ...

Teenage debut

On June 10, the Reds were playing the first place St. Louis Cardinals at Crosley Field and trailing 13-0 in the ninth inning when Manager Bill McKechnie called on Nuxhall to enter the game. He started well, retiring the first batter he faced, Cardinals shortstop George Fallon, on a groundout. But he was unable to get out of the inning, yielding five walks, two hits, one wild pitch and five runs before being relieved. He spent the rest of the 1944 season in the minor leagues. But unlike Jake Eisenhart, who made his debut for the Reds the same day and got the last out of the frame, Nuxhall would return to pitch in the majors. Stan Musials number 6 was retired by the St. ... is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Major league affiliations National League (1892–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 42, 42, 45, 85 Name St. ... Image:Http://www. ... Bill McKechnie baseball card, 1912 William Boyd McKechnie (August 7, 1886 - October 29, 1965) was a Major League Baseball player and manager. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... George Decatur Fallon (July 8, 1914 - October 25, 1994) was a backup second baseman/shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1937) and St. ... Rashad Eldridge of the Oklahoma Redhawks walks to first base after drawing a base on balls. ... In Major League Baseball history, Ty Cobb had a record 4,191 hits (later revised to 4,189) by 1928; Pete Rose would surpass it 57 years later, and finish with 4,256 career hits. ... In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged to a pitcher when a pitch is too high, too low, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to field capably, thereby allowing one or more runners to advance or to score. ... Bengie Molina of the Anaheim Angels (in gray and red) scores a run by touching home plate after rounding all the bases. ... For the organization which many minor leagues belong to, see Minor League Baseball Part of the History of baseball series. ... Jacob Henry Eisenhart (October 3, 1922 - December 20, 1987) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who appeared in one game for the Cincinnati Reds in 1944. ...

Nuxhall remains the youngest person to play in a major league game in the modern era (since 1901). In 1887, 14-year-old Fred Chapman pitched five innings in one game, and is the youngest-ever participant in major league history. Fred Chapman (November 24, 1872-December 14, 1957) was the youngest professional baseball player in the United States when he debuted on July 22, 1887 for the Philadelphia Athletics. ...

Minor leagues

Following his appearance with the Reds, he was assigned to the Birmingham Barons in the Southern League, but pitched only a third of an inning there (he struck out his first batter, then allowed a hit, five walks, a hit batter and five runs). Nuxhall attended spring training with the Reds in 1945, but decided to remain home until he finished high school the following year. He regained his amateur status and played football, basketball and baseball for Hamilton High School as a senior in 1946, earning all-state honors in football and basketball. Over the next five years, Nuxhall played in the minor leagues with Syracuse, Lima, Muncie, Columbia, Charleston, and Tulsa before returning to the Reds in 1952. League Southern League Division South Division Year founded 1885 Major League affiliation Chicago White Sox Home ballpark Regions Park Previous home ballparks Rickwood Field City Hoover, Alabama Current uniform colors black, white, silver Previous uniform colors Logo design The wordmark Barons in black outlined in white and silver with the... The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. ... For the typographical mode indicating deleted text, see Strikethrough. ... A Grapefruit League game at the LA Dodgers camp in Vero Beach, Florida In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of exhibition games which precedes the regular season. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1945 throughout the world. ... Nickname: Location of Syracuse within the state of New York Coordinates: , City Government  - Mayor Matthew Driscoll (D) Area  - City 66. ... Location in the state of Ohio Country United States State Ohio County Allen Government  - Mayor David Berger (D) Area  - City 12. ... Muncie (IPA: ) is a city in Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. ... Nickname: Home of Hospitality, The most northern city of the South and the most southern city of the North, Chemicalville, The Capitol City C-Town Location of Charleston in West Virginia. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Oklahoma Coordinates: , Country State Counties Tulsa, Osage, Rogers Government  - Mayor Kathy Taylor (D) Area  - City 186. ... The following are the events of the year 1952 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ...

Return to "The Show"

Statue of Joe Nuxhall at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati

Nuxhall spent almost 15 of his 16 major league seasons with Cincinnati, where he was a two-time National League All-Star and led the league in shutouts in 1955. He also played for the Kansas City Athletics and Los Angeles Angels in the American League before returning to the Reds. In 1965 he broke Eppa Rixey's team record of 440 games pitched; his final mark of 484 stood until Clay Carroll surpassed it in 1975. Statue of Joe Nuxhall, Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, 2004, by Rick Dikeman File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Statue of Joe Nuxhall, Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, 2004, by Rick Dikeman File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Great American Ball Park is the home of the National Leagues Cincinnati Reds. ... National league can refer to: National Basketball League, in the United States and Canada, which merged with the rival Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association National Football League, the major American football league in the United States National Hockey League, the major ice hockey league in... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The following are the events of the year 1955 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 9, 27, 34, 42, 43, (As) Name Oakland Athletics (1968–present) Kansas City Athletics (1955-1967) Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1954) (Referred to as As) Other nicknames The As, The White Elephants, The... Major league affiliations American League (1961–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 11, 26, 29, 30, 42, 50 Name Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2005–present) Anaheim Angels (1997-2004) California Angels (1965-1996) Los Angeles Angels (1961-1965) Other nicknames The Halos, The Wings, The Seraphs... The American League (or formally the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States of America and Canada. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1965 throughout the world. ... Eppa Rixey of the Philadelphia Phillies at the West Side Grounds in 1912. ... Clay Palmer Carroll (born May 2, 1941 Clanton , Alabama) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball with a 15 year career from 1964 to 1978. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January-June January 23 - Ralph Kiner is elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. ...

Second career

Nuxhall retired from the Reds in April 1967 and immediately began his second career as a Reds broadcaster despite his lack of broadcasting experience. The following are the baseball events of the year 1967 throughout the world. ... Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or video signals which transmit programs to an audience. ...

Part of his trademark radio signoff phrase - "This is the old lefthander, rounding third and heading for home" - is displayed on the outside of the Reds' stadium, Great American Ball Park, which opened in 2003. A likeness of Nuxhall (see photo) is one of four statues that decorate the main entrance of the stadium. He was elected to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1968, and officially retired from the Reds on October 3, 2004, 60 years after his pitching debut, though he still made guest appearances on some game broadcasts. Also, for many years after retiring as a player and during his broadcasting career, Nuxhall pitched batting practice for the Reds. Great American Ball Park is the home of the National Leagues Cincinnati Reds. ... The following are the events of the year 2003 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame was instituted in 1958 to recognize the career of former Cincinnati Reds players, managers and front-office executives. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1968 throughout the world. ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 2004 throughout the world. ...

On June 10, 2007, the Reds honored Nuxhall, Marty Brennaman, and Waite Hoyt with replica microphones that hang on the wall near the radio booth. At Redsfest in December, 2007 the Reds announced Nuxhall will be honored throughout the 2008 baseball season - their uniforms will display a dark patch with the word "NUXY" printed in white. On March 31, 2008 the Cincinnati Reds paid tribute to Nuxhall by wearing his #41 jersey for opening day. is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Marty Brennaman (born Franchester Martin Brennaman July 28, 1942 in Portsmouth, Virginia), is an American sportscaster, known primarily as the longtime radio voice of Major League Baseballs Cincinnati Reds. ... Waite Charles Hoyt (September 9, 1899 – August 25, 1984) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, one of the dominant pitchers of the 1920s. ...

In December of 2007, Nuxhall was named as one of the ten finalists for the National Baseball Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award, an honor bestowed annually on broadcasters that make major contributions to the game of baseball. Of more than 122,000 online ballots cast by fans, Nuxhall received an astounding 82,304 votes.^[2] However, despite this incredible show of fan support, it was announced on Febraury 19, 2008 that the Frick election committee had voted not in favor of Nuxhall, but instead to the voice of the Seattle Mariners, Dave Niehaus.^[3]

His book and character education fund

In September 2004, Orange Frazer Press released Joe: Rounding Third & Heading for Home.^[4] A portion of the proceeds from the book benefits the Joe Nuxhall Character Education Fund, which was established in 2003 to underwrite character development programs and projects for children.

Community remembrance

In the days following Nuxhall's death, several radio stations in the Cincinnati area devoted shows to him, and fans left cards, flowers and banners at the statue of Nuxhall at Great American Ball Park. A public visitation ceremony was attended by thousands of fans and several local and national sports and broadcasting personalities.

2008 Opening Day Memorial

The Reds remembered Nuxhall on the 2008 Opening Day. Players worn an alternate jersey which has the number 41 and Nuxhall's name on the back just for the introductions.Aaron Harang who usually wears the number 39 jersey was allowed by the MLB to wear the number 41 jersey with Nuxhall's name for the entire game. Nuxhall's number 41 was retired. Aaron Harang is a pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds. ...

References

• Bob Rathgeber (1982). Cincinnati Reds Scrapbook. JCP Corp. of Virginia. ISBN 0-938694-05-7
• Lonnie Wheeler and John Baskin (1988). The Cincinnati Game. Orange Frazer Press. ISBN 0-9619637-1-9
• Rick Van Blair (1994). Dugout to Foxhole: Interviews with Baseball Players Whose Careers Were Affected by World War II. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0017-X
• Greg Rhodes and John Snyder (2000). Redleg Journal: Year by Year and Day by Day with the Cincinnati Reds Since 1866. Road West Publishing. ISBN 0-9641402-5-X
• http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071112/NEWS/71112010/-1/CINCI

Footnotes

See also

• List of baseball players who went directly to the major leagues

A number of baseball players are distinguished by the fact that they made their professional debut in the majors without having played a single game at the minor league level or at the professional level. ...

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
• BaseballLibrary.com
• Baseball Almanac
• WCPO.com Tribute page
• Joe Nuxhall Character Education Fund
• Video interviews with Joe Nuxhall[[Category:Major league outfielder