Family not disappointed Nuxhall didn't get nod to Hall
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
The honor to be nominated was enough for Joe Nuxhall, his son said after the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced Dave Niehaus, the voice of the Seattle Mariners, won the Ford C. Frick Award on Tuesday, Feb. 19.
Fans of Hamilton's native son will have to wait till 2009 to see if Nuxhall will be enshrined in Cooperstown.
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"I know (Butler County Commissioner) Greg Jollivette is going to be disappointed," son Kim Nuxhall said chuckling, "but we're not."
Nuxhall was referring to the county commissioner's push for fans to vote "early and often" during online voting to make the Ol' Left-hander the leading vote-getter and making him a finalist for the Frick award.
"We still want to thank everyone for their support. Dad was truly honored just to be picked for this award, and I know that he wouldn't be disappointed either, just purely grateful that he had the opportunity."
The Reds Hall of Fame pitcher and former broadcaster died Nov. 15 and had suffered from a number of health ailments, including lymphoma, pneumonia and a failing heart.
Nuxhall, who had been associated with the Cincinnati Reds for six decades, received more than 67 percent (82,304 of 122,505 votes) of all online voting as one of three fans' choice to be a finalist for the Frick award. Nuxhall's vote total exceeded the old record by nearly 50,000 votes set by fans of Lon Simmons in 2003 to be on the 2004 ballot.
Cincinnati Reds spokesman Rob Butcher said it is disappointing Nuxhall didn't get voted into the Hall of Fame because his long-time broadcast partner Marty Brennaman was elected in 2000.
"At least with my generation and actually my parent's generation, when you think of Reds baseball you think of Marty and Joe," Butcher said. "Cincinnati's love for him has been well documented since his passing. We would have loved to see him get in."
But Butcher said the long-time Fairfield resident and Hamilton native didn't get the nod because of the talent of the broadcasters up for the honor.
"I think getting in as a broadcaster and a writer is just as difficult as it is to get in as a player," he said. "The very elite of the very elite get in. Just being on the ballot made Joe proud and made us proud."
The Frick Award is presented annually to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball," according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The award, named after the late broadcaster, National League president, commissioner, and Hall of Famer, has been presented annually since 1978.
Frick has also been credited with being "a driving force behind the creation of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and he helped foster the relationship between radio and the game of baseball," according to the Hall of Fame.
In addition to Jollivette's push, State Sen. Gary Cates, R-West Chester Twp., led 33 senators to sign a letter in December urging the Hall to elect Nuxhall.
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is Sunday, July 27 in Cooperstown, N.Y.
