Joe Nuxhall

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Nuxhall's entry into baseball was born of necessity during World War II. With regular players serving in the military, scouts looking for his older brother, Bill Nuxhall, turned their attention to Joe, who stood 6 feet 2 inches and weighed 190 pounds as a ninth-grader. Signed on February 18, 1944, he was intended to join the team after school ended in June, but more players were inducted into service that spring. Although he wore the uniform with permission from his high school principal for practice, he was not on the active roster for Opening Day (April 18). His actual debut came on June 10, 1944, at Crosley Field against the St. Louis Cardinals, a terrifying experience; trailing 13–0 in the ninth inning, he faced legends like Stan Musial. He retired the first batter but yielded five walks, two hits, and five runs before being removed after recording just one out. Unlike other players who debuted that day and never returned to the majors, Nuxhall spent the rest of 1944 in the minors and returned to the majors eight years later in 1952.

In Their Own Story

Joe Nuxhall's career was defined by resilience and a long tenure with one franchise. After his 1944 debut, he attended spring training in 1945 before returning home to finish high school, earning all-state honors in football and basketball. He played in the minor leagues for five years with teams like the Syracuse Chiefs and Tulsa Oilers before his major league return on May 21, 1952. At age 23, he pitched three scoreless innings against the Brooklyn Dodgers. His career flourished in the mid-1950s; in 1955, he went 17–12 with a 3.47 ERA and five shutouts, earning an All-Star selection where he allowed no runs in 3 1/3 innings. He was named to the All-Star team again in 1956. Known as "The Ol' Left-hander," Nuxhall spent most of his career with Cincinnati, though a trade sent him to the Kansas City Athletics in 1961 before he returned to the Reds. His career record stood at 135–117 with a 3.90 ERA.

Reader's Guide

For fans of the Cincinnati Reds, Nuxhall's legacy is twofold: his historic debut and his decades as a broadcaster. Immediately after retiring as a player, he became a radio broadcaster for the Reds in 1967, working through 2004 and continuing part-time until his death in 2007 after a battle with cancer. He held the team's record for career games pitched (484) from 1965 to 1975 and still holds the mark for left-handers. While sources once claimed a 14-year-old named Fred Chapman played in 1887, research by the Society for American Baseball Research in 2009 proved that player was actually 25-year-old Frank Chapman, cementing Nuxhall's status as the youngest. His story also includes a connection to Joe Reliford, who became the youngest person ever to play in a professional game at age 12 in 1952.

Did You Know?

• Nuxhall debuted on June 10, 1944, at the age of 15 years and 316 days, a record that stands as the official MLB canon for youngest player.
• He spent 40 years as a Cincinnati Reds broadcaster, starting in 1967 and working part-time until his death in 2007.
• Although a beloved figure, Nuxhall never held the Reds' franchise record for career games pitched; other pitchers surpassed him during his playing tenure.
• His first major league appearance resulted in a difficult outing: he yielded five walks, two hits, and five runs in just 1/3 of an inning against the St. Louis Cardinals.
• Before returning to the majors in 1952, Nuxhall regained amateur status to play football, basketball, and baseball for Hamilton High School, earning all-state honors in football and basketball.