Cincinnati Reds

The Youngest Player to Ever Play in a Major League Baseball Game

(1928-2007) Born and raised in Hamilton, Ohio. A left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, he is best remembered for having been the youngest player ever to appear in a MLB game and for spending 40 years as a Cincinnati Reds broadcaster.

Nuxhall, signed a major league contract with the Reds on February 18, 1944, at the age of 15 years old. and was on the Reds roster for opening day 1944.
On June 10, 1944, the Reds were playing the first place, and eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals at Crosley Field, Cincinnati, and were trailing 13–0 in the ninth inning when Manager Bill McKechnie called on Nuxhall for mop-up relief. He started well, retiring the first batter he faced, shortstop George Fallon, on a ground out. However after that he was unable to get out of the inning, yielding five walks, two hits, one wild pitch and five runs.

Joe Nuxhall said that he was pitching against seventh, eighth, and ninth graders, kids from 13 to 14 years old, when all of a sudden, I look up from the mound, and there's Stan Musial and the St. Louis Cardinals in the batters box staring back at me. It was a very scary situation.

During Nuxhall's 16 year playing career he pitched primarily for the Cincinnati Reds and had a lifetime won-loss record of 135-117, with an E.R.A. of 3.90, and 1,372 strike outs. He also had stints with the Kansas City Athletics, and Los Angeles Angels.

After his playing career ended, he went into the Cincinnati Reds broadcast booth were he remained for the next 40 years.
Long known as "The Ole' Left Hander," Nuxhall still holds the Reds team mark for most games pitched by a left hander. He was a two time member of the National League All Star team, in 1955 & 1956, and was elected as a member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1968.
His trademark radio sign off phrase was, "This is the old left-hander, rounding third and heading for home" It is now displayed on the outside of the Reds' stadium, the Great American Ball Park, which opened in 2003. A likeness of Nuxhall is one of eight statues that decorate the main entrance hall of the stadium. The others are Ernie Lombardi, Ted Kluszewski, Frank Robinson, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, and Pete Rose.

Signature & Baseball Card: Mounted to a blue 4 x 6, index card is a baseball card of Joe Nuxhall in a pitching pose wearing a sleeveless Cincinnati Reds uniform jersey with, "Joe Nuxhall, Pitcher" printed below his image. Attached to the right is a beautiful card autograph of Joe Nuxhall signed in blue sharpie pen. Choice condition. Very desirable autograph since Nuxhall was a historical MLB pitcher, the youngest player to ever pitch in the major leagues.