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News is just breaking this morning that Joe Nuxhall, the legendary broadcaster for the Cincinnati Reds, has passed away. Joe had been fighting cancer and dealing with heart problems so it wasn’t as if we didn’t have this idea in the back of our collective minds. We just thought he’d beat it all again like he had in the past.

Like many in our community, I grew up listening to the Ol’ Lefthander and Marty Brennaman calling games for the Reds. I loved the folksiness of Joe’s delivery. I loved that hint of a whistle in his voice. I loved listening to him attempt to pronounce the name José Uribe. The enthusiasm in his voice when Eric Davis would hit a home run or Davey Concepcion would make another great play was so natural and unforced. And we all recall the unadulterated joy in his voice when Pete Rose hit 4,192, yelling “There it is! There it is! Get down! All right!” Sometimes Marty would make the call but it was Joe that punctuated it with his sheer love for the team and the players.

As you may know, CET did a series about two years ago with Nuxhall, titled Joe Nuxhall, My Life: Baseball and Beyond. You can view an episode here. The day we recorded these interviews, I was on hand to document with photographs and to interview him and host Dennis Janson. It was the only time I’d ever met Joe in my life but he treated me like an old pal. From what I was told, that is how he treated everybody, whether he had just met them or if they were lifelong chums.

I’m going to miss the voice and the man. Baseball is just not going to be the same without him.

Cincinnati is not going to be the same without him.

Please share with us your memories of the Ol’ Lefthander in the comments section. 

Rest in peace, Nuxy.

- Brian