By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Marty and Joe tell baseball stories and "inside jokes" during a press conference to announce Nux's retirement in 2004. (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

Joe Nuxhall stood at the podium with dry eyes and a steady voice. He was there for the news conference announcing that 2004 would be his last with the Reds. He did so without much emotion. Mr. Nuxhall, an emotional guy, knows it will be different in September 2004 when he really says goodbye.

"I can stand here and smooth it over," Nuxhall said. "Two years from now, it won't be as easy to talk about it. The friendships we've made throughout baseball. The players we've gotten to know. It's going to be tough. But 60 years is a long time."

Nuxhall and his partner of 29 years, Marty Brennaman, signed two-year extensions Friday. Under the new agreement, Nuxhall will do 60 games in 2004 and retire after that season.

Nuxhall wanted to go through 2004, which marks 60 years since he made his major-league debut as a 15-year-old.

Nuxhall and Brennaman have been partners since 1974, longer than any broadcast team in baseball.

AUDIO CLIPS

Listen to some of Joe Nuxhall's memorable radio moments at 700wlw.com

"It's a bittersweet day," Brennaman said. "The sweet part is we're going to be together for a couple more years. The bitter part is after 2004, Joe will walk away from this organization and this league. From that aspect I salute him. I've often said, by the time I'm 74, 75, 76 years old, I'll have trouble remembering my last name."

Nuxhall is 74. He worked a full 162-game schedule this year, despite suffering a heart attack in December.

Nuxhall says he feels fine but he's grown weary of the road.

"The biggest thing is the travel," he said.

NUX NOTABLES

Nuxhall, 15, with manager Bill McKechnie in 1944 • July 30, 1928: Joseph Henry Nuxhall born in Hamilton, Ohio. • June 10, 1944: Left-handed pitcher Joe Nuxhall makes his debut with the Reds at age 15, the youngest major leaguer ever. • 1966: Nuxhall retires from pitching with a lifetime ERA of 3.90 and a record of 135-117. In his 16-year career (1944, 1952-66), he played for Cincinnati, Kansas City and Los Angeles. • 1967: Nuxhall begins broadcasting. • Dec. 17, 2001: At age 73, Nuxhall suffers a heart attack. • Nov. 1, 2002: The Reds say Nuxhall will end his career in 2004 by broadcasting 60 games and celebrating his 60th anniversary with the team. Nuxhall at spring ttraining in 1956

"The travel was really getting tough. All the hours on planes, getting in at three or four in the morning - that type of thing."

Baseball and the Reds are all Nuxhall has known. He joined in 1944 as a 15-year-old in a wartime publicity move; he'll forever be known as the youngest player in major league history. He pitched in one game, lasting two-thirds of an inning.

He returned to Hamilton High School and graduated. He made it back to the Reds in 1952. He spent 14‡ years of a 16-year career with the Reds.

Nuxhall was a good player. He went 135-117 as a pitcher. He hit 15 homers along the way.

He retired in 1966 at 37. Wiedemann Brewing, then sponsor of the Reds broadcast, offered him a spot on the broadcast team with Jim McIntyre and Claude Sullivan.

"I never thought I'd be doing it 34 years later," Nuxhall said.

Nuxhall admits he was no natural.

"(Partners) Jim McIntyre, Al Michaels and Marty helped me a lot," he said. "I know they give me credit for helping them. But, brother, they helped me a lot. My English was pretty bad. I know it hasn't improved a lot. But it has improved. Simply from working with those guys."

Nuxhall has been asked about retiring a lot in the last few years. His answer was always some variation of: "I'm not sure when."

In negotiations for the latest contract, a lot of ideas were kicked around. Reuven Katz, who represents Nuxhall and Brennaman, proposed the 60-games-in-2004 plan.

"It's one game for every year," Nuxhall said. "Kind of cute, huh? I'm not sure how it's going to work out as to which games I do."

The Reds will have to hire a partner for the 102 games Nuxhall doesn't work.

That process hasn't begun yet. Friday was a day for Nuxhall. Like most days for Nuxhall, it was a good one.

"The thrills I've had can't be matched in any way," he said.