By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Chris Gruler, the Reds' No. 1 draft choice, has a serious shoulder problem that probably will need surgery.

Gruler, a right-handed pitcher, was in Cincinnati to be examined by Dr. Tim Kremchek this week. An MRI showed an injury similar to one suffered by Reds right-hander John Riedling, which required surgery and nine months of rehab.

Kremchek could not be reached for comment.

Gruler experienced weakness in the shoulder during the season and was put on a program of rest and strengthening.

He came back and pitched well, advancing to Single-A Dayton, considered high competition for an 18-year-old. He was 0-1 with a 5.60 ERA, but he allowed only 23 hits and struck out 31 in 27 innings.

Gruler was the third overall pick in the draft. The Reds signed him for a $2.5 million bonus.

MARTY ON JOE: Marty Brennaman is admittedly biased on the subject, but his list of sports icons in Cincinnati starts with his partner, Joe Nuxhall.

"I've been here 29 years and I've never heard anyone utter a negative word about the guy," Brennaman said. "You go around and people say negative things about Pete Rose all the time. It's never like that with Joe. By that simple fact, he's the biggest sports icon this city has ever known."

The Ol' Left-hander began rounding third and heading for home Friday when he announced that 2004 will be his final season in the radio booth.

Nuxhall's swan song will be a long one. He's doing all of next season and more than a third of 2004.

"Everyone else - Pete Rose, Oscar Robertson, whoever - pales in comparison," Brennaman said.

You'll get no argument here.

The explanation is fairly simple: Nuxhall is one of us. He was a star. He won 135 games as a big-league pitcher and was a good enough hitter to be used as a pinch hitter. He was a Hamilton High three-sport legend.

But what Nuxhall did on the field has nothing to do with his icon status. Even a middle-aged guy like me has no recollection of him as a player. Nuxhall's a star mostly because he doesn't act like one.

"I've only known him for 29 years, but I guarantee he's the same person he was when he graduated from high school," Brennaman said. "This is a guy who's never big-timed anyone in his life."

Nuxhall is Hamilton Joe, the guy fans most want to have a beer or a cup of coffee with.

Nuxhall and Brennaman are good friends and have been since they became partners. Nuxhall credits Brennaman with making him a better broadcaster; Brennaman credits Nuxhall with making him a better person.

"I thank God for him," Brennaman said. "He taught me humility. I could be the biggest egotistical jerk in the world. But I learned from him."

NO WORD: John Allen, the Reds' chief operating officer, isn't offering insight on what the Reds' player payroll budget will be.

"We have owners meetings Nov.20," he said. "That's when we'll find out about revenue sharing. We won't know the budget until late November."

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE:Bobby Basham, a 23-year-old right-hander, is pitching his way into the picture for next year in the Arizona Fall League.

Basham, the seventh-round pick in 2001, is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in the AFL for the Scottsdale Scorpions. He has struck out 17 in 182/3 innings.

Basham was 6-4 with a 1.64 ERA at Single-A Dayton.

Another Red, Luke Hudson, was pitcher of the week last week. Hudson, a 25-year-old right-hander, threw six innings of one-run, two-hit relief. He struck out 11 in the six innings.

Another bright spot has been catcher Dane Sardinha. He was hitting .297 with three homers and 18 RBI in 17 games.

REDSFEST: Tickets go on sale Monday for Redsfest. The $5 tickets are available at the Dugout Shop in the Westin downtown; at tickets.com outlets; or by calling 1-877-639-REDS. The seventh annual Redsfest is Dec.6-7 at the Albert B. Sabin Cincinnati Convention Center.