It’s no secret that I am a HUGE fan of the Cincinnati Reds. I grew up in Columbus, OH in the mid 1970’s and to a 9 year old kid there was no other dream to have then playing for the Big Red Machine. A big part of that dream was crystallized by the radio voices of Joe Nuxhall and Marty Brennaman.
Today I found out that Joe Nuxhall passed away late last night with pneumonia. With Joe’s passing a bit of my childhood will rely on being preserved exclussivly through my own memories.
The calls made by Brennaman and Nuxhall made were just as spectacular as the plays made on the field by Concepcion, Morgan, Rose, Perez, Bench, Griffey, Foster and Geronimo. Because of their vivid descriptions of what was happening on the field and in the stands I never felt like I missed anything. Their skill is what inspired me to take to the booth when it became obvious that I wouldn’t be capable of playing the game I love.