by When I was fifteen years old I was anxiously awaiting getting my drivers license and playing ball for Triangle Asphalt in Lebanon, Indiana.
When Joe Nuxhall was fifteen years old he was offered and accepted a contract with the Cincinnati Reds. In his major league debut he would pitch against the legend Stan Musial of the Cardinals.
His debut although historic was brief, only 2/3 of an inning, and resulted in him being sent to the minors and returning years later where he would amass a record of 130 wins and 109 losses. Although retiring from the team in 1966 he would never retire from baseball.
He immediately became a Reds announcer and would later be joined by Marty Brennaman and together they would become the voice of the Reds.
I grew up following the Big Red Machine and the legends that they produced including Johnny Bench, Danny Driessen, George Foster and many others.
Many an evening while laying in bed I would fall asleep listening to the voices of Joe and Marty calling the game over a very small radio. The sound quality was scratchy at best but that just adds to the memory. The broadcast seemed to emanate from a mystical place that was just dozens of miles away from my bedroom.
If you happened to be watching the game on television and they were not calling it you would turn down the volume on the t.v. and turn up the volume on the radio because you wanted to hear what they had to say. It wasn’t always about baseball. It could be about their golf game or a myriad other topics relating to them personally. That is exactly what made all of us feel like we knew Joe Nuxhall.
Being a “yes” man carries with it many negative connotations, but Joe made it a good thing. If a charity needed a spokesperson he would say yes. If a little league organization needed him to throw out the first pitch he would say yes. If a parade wanted him for their grand marshall he would say yes. And yes if a fellow Red fan wanted to have a beer with him he would if he could say yes.
He set the mark high for how people should and could live their life. The things that make him so beloved in the Cincinnati area are qualities that all of us can learn from. He was approachable, he was kind and he was generous. 무료스포츠티비
