THE BROO VIEW with Ken Broo

I can't begin to tell you the overwhelming sadness I feel today, over the loss of Joe Nuxhall. I wasn't as close to Joe as some other people. But if you knew Joe and he knew you, that's all it took.

Nuxhall died late Thursday night, after a long battle with cancer. He beat it once, in the early 90's. But those who've been touched by this insideous disease know you never really beat it. Yet, until the end, Joe was Joe. He played golf last Friday with Marty Brennanman, his broadcast partner and life long friend. He led our Octoberfest celebration in downtown Cincinnati this year in the annual "Chicken Dance". He was one of a kind.

If a generation is defined as 25 years, then more than two generations of Reds fans knew nothing if not Joe Nuxhall in the summertime. His title of the "Youngest Ballplayer In Major League History" is well documented. But he was more than that, of course. He had a solid major league career and when that ended, an easy transition to the Reds broadcast booth. He remained there for more than 30 seasons, part time of course the last few.

Joe would mangle the English language, but would say later he wasn't an English major and if you understood what he was saying, what was the problem? Fly balls would go to 'right-left-centerfield'. He'd simply say 'one day, I've got to get that right'. Pete Rose related to me today one of Joe's classic calls. It was a west coast game, and well after midnight back in Cincinnati. Pete said Joe called a double play and then said "And if you're scoring in bed back in Cincinnati, that was six to four to three". Only Joe.

They don't make baseball announcers these days like they used to. Too many are caught up in stats, batting averages with runners in scoring position, OPS, OBP...mostly BS. They think the game is all about numbers. It's never been about numbers. It's all about people. The Old Lefthander got that. And we got him. How lucky we were.