By John Fay
Enquirer staff writer

DENVER - Joe Nuxhall and the Reds have made their peace. And in all likelihood, controversy - at least as far as broadcasters are concerned - is behind the club.

A source confirmed a Channel 19 report that Nuxhall's longtime partner in the booth, Marty Brennaman, has agreed to a three-year contract extension that will keep him as the team's No. 1 radio play-by-play man through 2007.

YOUR VOICE

Despite the timing, Brennaman's extension was unrelated to the Nuxhall controversy.

Neither the Reds nor Brennaman would comment on the extension.

As for Nuxhall, he released a statement saying his "emotions got the best of me," leading him to say the organization forced him into retirement.

He ended the statement with: "As far as I am concerned, this little episode is over."

The episode might be over, but the public relations ramifications aren't gone. Popular perception is that Reds chief executive officer Carl Lindner forced out Nuxhall.

Nuxhall and chief operating officer John Allen met Thursday morning.

"We agreed to talk after the season," Nuxhall said.

It is then that Nuxhall's role for 2005 and beyond will be hammered out. His duties might or might not involve broadcasting games; Nuxhall doesn't want to be seen as a third wheel in the Brennaman-Steve Stewart booth.

"I may not do any," Nuxhall said of game broadcasts. "Like I said, dropping in for a few games isn't fair to Marty and Steve."

Nuxhall sees his role as more of scout/ambassador.

"I may want to slip off to Chattanooga, Dayton or Louisville to look at the young prospects," he said.

Allen called Nuxhall Thursday to let him know the club wanted him back and offered the possibility of doing games.

Stewart, who is sharing the play-by-play duties with Nuxhall this year, is willing to accommodate him.

"I have no problem with whatever he wants to do," Stewart said. "He's been good to me. I know how much he means to the fans."

Nuxhall, 76, is in his 60th year with the Reds organization. He joined the radio broadcast team in 1967.

Nuxhall signed a two-year contract in October 2002 that had him cutting back his schedule to 60 games this season and then retiring. The Reds later increased his workload to roughly 80 games.