The old lefthander, rounding third and heading for home

genlock · Post by **genlock** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 10:02 am

Joe Nuxhall has died at age 79.

Hoosier Daddy · Post by **Hoosier Daddy** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 10:24 am

So sad.

Scott Reppert · Post by **Scott Reppert** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 10:38 am

Joe Nuxhall died at the age of 70, but he just kept on announcing...

Dr. Whiplash · Post by **Dr. Whiplash** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 11:45 am

God bless you, Joe. I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple times; very down-to-earth, friendly guy. He sure had a huge 'extended family' in baseball and radio. He did what he loved all his life.

Hopefully, during the service the minister will occasionally pause 15-20 seconds.

Dave Allen · Post by **Dave Allen** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 5:24 pm

Was he as drunk in real life as he sounded on the air?

genlock · Post by **genlock** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 8:26 pm

Claude Ellis died today also.
I think Amber would be a good mayor for Logan.
Much easier to look at than Claude.

Dave Allen · Post by **Dave Allen** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 5:24 am

Actually he died several years ago...no one has told him yet. Amber Gore is the acting mayor, since she is the City Clerk, till they meet on Tuesday. Sarafino Noletti of the famed City Bakery family will be the new mayor. Amber can't be mayor since she doesn't live in the city of Logan.

Dr. Whiplash · Post by **Dr. Whiplash** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:05 pm

Extensive Tribute to Nuxhall from Cincinnati Enquirer:
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

Large Crowd Anticipated for Nuxhall Service

FAIRFIELD - The public will be welcomed between 4 and 8 p.m. today at Fairfield High School, which has an arena that seats 3,500 people and a parking lot that fits 2,000 vehicles.

In anticipation for a huge turnout to a public memorial service, the Reds printed 10,000 folders that include a collage of Nuxhall's life and career, in addition to poems, quotes and a thank-you note from the Nuxhall family.

"It's going to be very, very crowded," said Fairfield resident Ron Vanoss. "We're planning on parking over by Jungle Jim's someplace and walking a mile."

Shuttles from Jungle Jim's will run to and from the high school, where Nuxhall's son, Kim, teaches.

School officials and a funeral director have said they may keep the building open long enough to accommodate all visitors, with the family's permission.

At 11:30 a.m., one man was already in line to get inside.

Hoosier Daddy · Post by **Hoosier Daddy** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:42 am

Additional from OhioNewsNow.com:

FAIRFIELD, Ohio-

Cincinnati Reds stars past and present paid respects Tuesday to Joe Nuxhall, joined by friends and fans who knew him only as the "old left-hander" from his folksy radio broadcasts or his charitable work.

Nuxhall made major league history by pitching in his first game at age 15, then remained part of professional baseball for more than six decades. His death last week at age 79 uncapped an outpouring of mourning and tributes that his family says has been overwhelming.

The high school in his home of Fairfield, a northern suburb of Cincinnati, opened its basketball arena Tuesday for an open-casket public visitation. Officials were ready for as many as 10,000 people to walk through.

Among the first to attend the viewing were current Reds star Ken Griffey Jr., father Ken Griffey and fellow 1970s Big Red Machine great Johnny Bench. Former Reds players Barry Larkin and Sean Casey were also on hand amid the displays of Nuxhall photos, posters and memorabilia.

"It's a sad time, but it's also a celebratory time," Casey said. "Everyone has a story about him. His legend will live on."

Griffey Jr. recalled Nuxhall giving sodas and gum to him and other players' children when he was little, then years later offering encouragement to him as a veteran player.

"If he could help you in any way, he would do it," Griffey Jr. said.

Larkin said players respected Nuxhall for his perspective as a former player and for his support - he continued to throw batting practice for years after retirement. Larkin smiled as he recalled Nuxhall interviewing opposing players on his "Star of the Game" following a Reds loss. Nuxhall's disappointment was clear. "You knew what team he was for," Larkin said.

Scores of people, some wearing Reds jackets or jerseys, lined up hours before the viewing was opened to the public. One of the first was Bonnie Trimble, 55, of Dayton, who said she had met Nuxhall only once, at a book-signing, but felt like he was family after years of listening to him on the radio.

"I loved Joe. He meant baseball to me," said Trimble, who said she waited in line for nearly eight hours.

"Everyone just loves Joe because he stayed Joe," said Griffey Sr. "There was no one else like Joe."

Reds' play-by-play announcer Marty Brennaman, Nuxhall's longtime broadcast partner and friend, said Nuxhall remained humble in a business of egos.

"If he is looking down upon us today, he's not going to believe it," Brennaman said of the throngs of mourners.

Nuxhall made a brief Reds debut in 1944 as a Hamilton schoolboy, then worked his way back from the minors for a solid 16-year career as a pitcher followed by radio broadcasts for the Reds from 1967 through 2004. He occasionally helped announce games each season after his retirement.

Nuxhall's son Kim is a Fairfield teacher and worked closely with his father on the character education program, one of many youth and community causes, including scholarships for students in Butler County, that Nuxhall actively supported.

Nuxhall died Nov. 15 after the latest in a series of bouts with cancer. Soon after the news of his death, flowers, baseballs, ballcaps and other tributes began piling up at the statue depicting him pitching outside Great American Ball Park.

The family planned private funeral services Wednesday, after a procession taking Nuxhall's body past landmarks of his life including the fields where he played youth baseball and high school football.

www.cincinnatireds.com
www.fairfieldcityschools.com