joe nuxhall

it's strange for me to be touched by the death of someone i never met. however the voices of, joe nuxhall and marty brenneman send me straight back to when i was a child. my grandfather, earl monroe first turned me on to baseball and the cincinnati reds. he was a life long fan.

since my grandparents only lived two blocks away from my childhood home... i would often be allowed to spend the night with my grandpa since i could still catch my regular bus to school. i would always pick the nights the reds were on television since grandpa would let me stay up way past my bedtime to watch the game.

i used to think that grandpa was a little weird because he would turn down the television and turn up the volume on his radio so he could hear marty and joe. i have a vivid memory of that radio... you would have to turn it on five minutes before you actually wanted to listen since it took that long to warm up.

here in 2007, i still turn down the television and turn up the radio whenever i get a chance. the human senses are strong... and when i hear joe's voice... i go right back to my grandpa's living room.

shortly after reagan was born he and i were driving around in the car on a beautiful spring day. it was the first time after winter that i was able to roll the windows down and enjoy the outside. i flipped on the radio and on came joe's voice calling a spring training game. i told reagan all about my grandfather and how to properly watch and listen to a reds game. he was only a couple months old... but i think he understood. i cried that day for some strange reason... as i cried today.

joe was old enough to bridge generations... from my grandfather to me... and then to reagan.

thanks joe!

milthaler