Books and articles about Joe Nuxhall

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The youngest player of the 20th century to reach the majors, Nuxhall was an exceptionally promising schoolboy pitcher, signed by the Reds with special permission from his school principal. He was 15 years, 10 months, and 11 days old on June 10, 1944, when manager Bill McKechnie sent him in to pitch the ninth inning of a game hopelessly lost to the Cardinals. He yielded five runs on two hits and five walks, while retiring only two batters. He pitched seven years in the minors to earn a second chance and returned to the Reds in 1952. He won a career-high 17 games in 1955, leading the league with five shutouts, and pitching 3-1/3 scoreless innings in the All-Star Game. He began having arm trouble in 1960, was traded to the A's in 1961, and hooked on with the Angels briefly in 1962. A lifetime .198 batter with 15 home runs, in 1961 he hit .292 and contemplated continuing his career as a pinch hitter/first baseman. But he bounced back as a pitcher, returning to the Reds for the 1962 stretch drive and going 5-0. In 1963, he was 15-8, with a career-low 2.61 ERA. Nuxhall retired just before Opening Day 1967, to make room on the roster for rookie Gary Nolan and become a Reds broadcaster. (MC)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » February 18, 1944: Fifteen-year-old Joe Nuxhall signs a contract with the Cincinnati Reds just one day after playing in a high school basketball game. » June 10, 1944: P Joe Nuxhall of the Cincinnati Reds is the youngest player in major-league history. Nuxhall, only 15 years, 10 months old, pitches 2/3 of an inning in an 18-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He manages to give up five walks and two hits before Bill McKechnie takes him out. » May 30, 1952: In front of 35,999 at Wrigley, Big Bob Rush shuts out the Reds on two hits and the Cubs light up Bud Byerly and Joe Nuxhall for 15 hits and 11 runs. Dee Fondy has a double and triple to drive home three runs. Rush walks none while striking out ten and has now pitched 29 straight scoreless innings. » April 13, 1954: Henry Aaron of the Braves makes his ML debut, going hitless in five trips to the plate in a 9–8 loss to the Redlegs. Cincy LF Jim Greengrass bangs four doubles to tie an opening day record. Andy Pafko takes a hit when he's beaned by Joe Nuxhall. Because of the extra seats set up to accommodate the overflow crowd, 12 of the 13 doubles hit in the game are of the ground rule variety. With the rule change, players take their mitts with them at the end of each inning, rather than leaving them on the playing field. » August 2, 1955: Johnny Klippstein and Joe Nuxhall of the Redlegs shut out the Phils 2-0 and 4­0 in both ends of a doubleheader. » August 11, 1959: At Crosley Field, Joe Nuxhall fans four Braves in the 6th inning,—Mathews, Adcock, Crandall, and Logan—and 10 overall as the Reds win 4–3 to move into 2nd place. The 3rd strike to Crandall gets by catcher Dutch Dotterer, giving Nuxhall the chance for the four K's. Jim Davis, in 1956, was the last pitcher to K four in a frame. » May 20, 1960: Love that home cooking. The Cards, 2–17 on the road, win their 10th in 13 decisions at home, beating the Reds and starter Jim O'Toole, 6–1. With the bases loaded, Stan Musial hits a line drive back at Cincy reliever Joe Nuxhall, who deliberately drops the ball in order to start a DP. The umps rule Nuxhall did it on purpose and Musial is out. The runners return to their bases. Larry Jackson is the winner. » January 26, 1961: The Reds send Joe Nuxhall to the KC A's for pitchers John Tsitouris and John Briggs. Nuxhall first pitched for the Reds in 1944 when he was 15 years old. » September 4, 1961: After losing, 4–3, the Royals outkick the Angels, 13–7 in game 2, using an 11-run 6th inning. KC collects seven hits, four walks, three errors and a stolen base for their big inning. Norm Siebern and winning pitcher Joe Nuxhall homer in the frame. » July 21, 1962: The Reds purchase pitcher Joe Nuxhall from San Diego (PCL). For Nuxhall, it is his 3rd tour of duty with the Reds. » April 23, 1964: Houston's Ken Johnson becomes the first pitcher ever to hurl a 9-inning no-hitter and lose as Cincinnati wins 1–0. Two errors in the 9th, the second by 2B Nellie Fox on Vada Pinson's grounder, allows Pete Rose to score the only run. Joe Nuxhall wins with a 4-hitter. » July 24, 1965: At the Astrodome, Reds pitcher Joe Nuxhall loses his no hitter when Bob Lillis singles in the 8th inning. Nuxhall finishes with a 2–0 one hitter. » April 1, 1967: Reds pitcher Joe Nuxhall retires and begins his career as the team's radio broadcaster. He will pitch batting practice when the team is on the road.