Another Wonderful Reason to Collect Baseball Gloves

[softball66]

It's a tiny little glove. A Rawlings Playmaker PM25...tiny... plastic lining. Cost about five bucks in 1957. Not nearly as big as its namesake's heart; it's a Joe Nuxhall model. You can read Joe's name in this diminuative red-leather pocket in silver and like Joe wore, it's a lefty. It's a great remembrance for me of one of our great baseball heroes, a man identified with the Cincinnati Reds as a player and long time announcer, but also as a great friend of everyone who was a Redlegs or a baseball fan. I'll always treasure this glove.
There's also another distinctive Joe piece that I own. It was given to me by a friend who's given me more than I can ever possibly return. He was garage sailing in Cincinnati one summer and asked the lady at the sale if she had any baseball items. She replied that she had a program for a game played during World War II of her husband's who told her it was an important program. It turned out it was, it was the program that day that a 15 year old Nuxhall took the mound as the youngest player, 15, to play in a major league game.
Here are a few of tributes, recollections and thank you from his family for Joe. We'll miss ya! (but, hey, I got your glove)

"On behalf of the entire Nuxhall family, we wish to express our deepest gratitude for the tremendous outpouring of prayers, well wishes, cards and messages during this very difficult time. Dad felt that he truly had three extended families during his career. ... The great City of Hamilton, Ohio where he grew up ... Fairfield, Ohio where he raised his children ... and Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was able to play and broadcast the great game of baseball with the Cincinnati Reds. We will be eternally grateful to the Cincinnati Reds organization and the fans who provided us with experiences and memories of a lifetime. Dad truly loved you all."
-- Kim Nuxhall, Joe's son

"This is a sad day for everyone in the Reds organization. I'm in shock. I've known Joe my entire life. He did so many great things for so many people. You never heard anyone ever say a bad word about him. We're all going to miss him."
-- Ken Griffey Jr., Reds player

"I loved talking to Nuxy about the game back when he played. He had a true love of the game. He was a genuine character and Cincinnati icon who used his publicity to help area kids. Joe was one of the rare people whom you heard nothing but good things about."
-- Matt Belisle, Reds player

"Leslie and I were deeply saddened to get the news of Joe's passing this morning. Just thinking about it now brings tears. Our hearts go out to all the people who were fortunate enough to have gotten to know Joe in one way or another because we know how sad they are. The industry of professional baseball has lost someone that only comes along once in a lifetime. To the people of Cincinnati we send our sincere condolences and the message to rejoice in the memories Joe gave to each and every one of us. Joe will be sorely missed, but we are sure he would want us to remember him, console each other, then continue to live our lives to the fullest, just the way he did in such an unselfish manner."
-- Ted Power, former Reds player and currently the pitching coach at Louisville

"Joe was my friend, my mentor. He was the Cincinnati Reds."
-- Tom Hume, former Reds player and former Reds coach

"Joe was a special person to have around. He loved baseball and all of the people around it. He was a special part of the Cincinnati Reds' legacy and will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."
-- Aaron Harang, Reds pitcher

"The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum joins the entire Reds nation in mourning the loss of one of baseball's great icons. Joe Nuxhall embodied everything great about our game. As much as Joe was a wonderful talent on the field and in the broadcast booth, he was an even greater human being. He understood, loved and revered the game not for just the excitement on the field but for what it meant to fans everywhere and the long-lasting impact it had on our society. Joe dedicated his life to ensuring that the youth of the area had opportunities to play baseball the right way and with character and integrity, which was evident by his tireless efforts and never-say-no attitude to helping and contributing to so many worthwhile organizations. Joe Nuxhall's legacy will endure through the ages, and at the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, we will continue to take great pride in honoring Joe to ensure that future generations will know, understand and appreciate him for all of his contributions and for who he was. Joe is a Hall of Famer in every sense of the word."
-- Rick Walls, executive director of the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum

"The clubhouse won't be the same without Joe. He'll be missed very much."
-- Bill Bray, Reds pitcher

"Joe made an appearance for a private event in the Hall of Fame one evening. Afterwards, as he was leaving with a few of us from the HOF staff in tow, he was up in the broadcast booth area and set down and started telling stories. And we were asking him questions, and one thing reminded him of another, and so it went. He had us all laughing and enthralled with the stories and memories, mostly of his playing days and his teammates. It was totally unplanned, and he must have stayed an hour talking baseball. No crowd around, just four or five of us from the HOF staff. It was, as they say, priceless. Every time Joe came over to the Hall of Fame he always made time for the fans, talking with them, signing autographs. He always seem to have a crowd around him...from young kids to parents and grandparents. Joe connected with everybody."
-- Greg Rhodes, Reds historian and former executive director of the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum

"[Listening to Reds games] was a pleasant way for me to spend time and you do it for so long, you begin to build up a friendship in your own mind with the announcers, and Joe Nuxhall was easy to listen to. Always positive and upbeat. He was someone who made my life a little nicer. On behalf of everyone in the Bengals organization, I want to express our deepest sympathy to all who were close to Joe Nuxhall. We recognize Joe's immense contributions not only to the Cincinnati Reds, but to the overall sports scene in the Tri-State area. Joe was a true sports icon in our region, someone who never lost his zeal for the best ideals of his sport. We know that millions of fans will miss him dearly, but his spirit will live on for many years."
-- Mike Brown, Bengals owner

[BretMan]

As a kid that grew up listening to Reds broadcasts with "Marty and Joe", this news hit pretty close to home.

Here's a shot I took of "The Old Left-Hander" from a game last summer. A pre-game ceremony was held to unveil permanent stadium plaques honoring Nuxhall, Hall-of-Fame announcer Mary Brenneman (broadcaster Thom Brenneman's father) and long-ago Reds announcer and Hall-of-Fame pitcher Wait Hoytt. The game was June 10th, which also happened to be the date that Nuxhall made his pitching debut at the ripe old age of 15, 63 years ago.

Nuxhall Story from Today's News

Joe, you will be missed! Now I have to step-up my search for one of those Nuxhall-endorsed Playmaker 25's...

[robin_buckeye]

I also grew up a Reds fan, and Joe was my favorite pitcher. My favorite player was Vada Pinson and I always wished I was a lefty like those two.
I remember being very upset when the Reds traded Joe, but he came back after only a season or so -- Cincy was the only place he wanted to be. Everyone loved him and as they say, he always had a kind word for everyone. My heart is a little broken today.