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Nuxhall gets another shot at Hall of Fame

Voting begins Monday to nominate late Cincinnati Reds broadcaster for Ford C. Frick Award.

By Michael D. Pitman

Staff Writer

Sunday, August 31, 2008

HAMILTON — Fans of late Cincinnati Reds broadcaster and Hamilton native Joe Nuxhall will get another chance to make Major League baseball's youngest pitcher ever a finalist for the 2009 Ford C. Frick Award beginning Monday,

Sept. 1.

The winner will be recognized in the broadcaster's wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

"I think his best shot at it was last year," said son Kim Nuxhall. "I know (Butler County Commissioner Gregory) Jolivette was determined to keep it rolling."

The commissioner led the charge last year to push fans to vote for the Ol' Left-Hander to be a finalist, hoping that public support would convince the voting electorate to give him the nod.

Beginning Monday, fans may vote once a day through the entire month for Nuxhall or one of the other 209 broadcasters eligible for the Frick award. The top three vote-getters will be finalists along with seven other broadcasters chosen by the Hall of Fame research team.

Results of the online voting will be announced after September, and the 10 finalists will be announced Oct. 6. The winner will be named Dec. 9.

Last year, Nuxhall garnered more than 82,300 online votes placing him on the 2008 finalist list of 10 broadcasters to be voted on by a 20-member electorate, which includes past winners and five veteran historians and veteran media members. He also was a finalist in 2007 and 2004.

Jolivette said he plans to start another push to get Nuxhall on the finalist list and next week will encourage residents and fans to vote daily.

"He deserves to be in the Hall," Jolivette said. "He's just as important as a play-by-play announcer to us, allowing us to enjoy the game."

Nuxhall, 79, died Nov. 15 at Mercy Hospital Fairfield. The longtime Fairfield resident had been recovering from his fourth bout of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

"He was just always very touched that he was even one of the finalists. That really did touch him deeply," Kim Nuxhall said. "That would have been over the top."

Other notables on the list of 210 broadcasters are former Reds and Hall of Fame player Joe Morgan and Thom Brennaman, son of Nuxhall's longtime broadcasting partner and 2000 Frick award winner Marty Brennaman.

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