Joe Nuxhall

Born: 7/30/1928 in Hamilton, OH, USA

Died: 11/15/2007 in Fairfield, OH, USA

MLB Debut: 1944-06-10 | Final Game: 1966-10-02

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 195 lbs

Full name: Joseph Henry Nuxhall

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Biography

Joe Nuxhall was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1944 to 1966. Born in 1928, Nuxhall made his Major League debut at the remarkably young age of 15, becoming one of the youngest players in baseball history. Over the course of his career, he played primarily for the Cincinnati Reds, where he established himself as a reliable presence on the mound. Nuxhall finished his career with a record of 135-117, an earned run average (ERA) of 3.9, and accumulated 1,372 strikeouts along with 19 saves. His contributions to the game earned him two selections to the All-Star team, recognizing his talents during an era that witnessed the transition from the deadball era to the more offensive-minded approaches of the 1950s and 1960s. Nuxhall's playing style was characterized by his durability and ability to pitch effectively in various roles, including starting and relief appearances. His knack for getting batters out and maintaining composure under pressure made him a valuable asset to his teams. After retiring from active play, he continued to contribute to baseball as a broadcaster, sharing his insights with fans and providing a bridge between generations of baseball enthusiasts. Joe Nuxhall remains a beloved figure in Cincinnati sports history, celebrated not only for his achievements on the field but also for his enduring connection to the game he loved.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
135	117	526	287	83	20	19	2302.7	2310	998	209	776	1372	3.90	0

Career ERA 3.90 vs. league average 3.78 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year	Team	Lg	W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	Lg ERA	Pitcher PIV
1944	CIN	NL	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0.7	2	5	5	0	67.50	—	0.0
1952	CIN	NL	1	4	37	5	2	0	1	92.3	83	33	42	52	3.22	3.70 (+13%)	972.7
1953	CIN	NL	9	11	30	17	5	1	2	141.7	136	68	69	52	4.32	4.14 (-4%)	-1983.0
1954	CIN	NL	12	5	35	14	5	1	0	166.7	188	72	59	85	3.89	3.90 (avg)	2120.6
1955	CIN	NL	17	12	50	33	14	5	3	257.0	240	99	78	98	3.47	4.00 (+13%)	1082.4
1956	CIN	NL	13	11	44	32	10	2	3	200.7	196	83	87	120	3.72	3.96 (+6%)	1228.5
1957	CIN	NL	10	10	39	28	6	2	1	174.3	192	92	53	99	4.75	3.83 (-24%)	-1401.9
1958	CIN	NL	12	11	36	26	5	0	0	175.7	169	74	63	111	3.79	3.86 (+2%)	2032.5
1959	CIN	NL	9	9	28	21	6	1	1	131.7	155	62	35	75	4.24	3.90 (-9%)	2344.8
1960	CIN	NL	1	8	38	6	0	0	0	112.0	130	55	27	72	4.42	3.82 (-16%)	2342.9
1961	KC1	AL	5	8	37	13	1	0	1	128.0	135	76	65	81	5.34	4.03 (-33%)	-310.3
1962	LAA	AL	0	0	5	0	0	0	0	5.3	7	6	5	2	10.12	—	0.0
1962	CIN	NL	5	0	12	9	1	0	1	66.0	59	18	25	57	2.45	3.96 (+38%)	1832.4
1963	CIN	NL	15	8	35	29	14	2	2	217.3	194	63	39	169	2.61	3.46 (+25%)	6110.8
1964	CIN	NL	9	8	32	22	7	4	2	154.7	146	70	51	111	4.07	3.58 (-14%)	-1163.6
1965	CIN	NL	11	4	32	16	5	1	2	148.7	142	57	31	117	3.45	3.50 (+1%)	1132.0
1966	CIN	NL	6	8	35	16	2	1	0	130.0	136	65	42	71	4.50	3.52 (-28%)	-1730.6

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
555	766	76	152	21	3	15	78	2	40	199	0.198	0.240	0.292	0.532	-1977.7

Career AVG .198 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — 22.3% below league average.

Career OBP .240 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 25.8% below league average.

Career SLG .292 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — 23.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.532 vs. league average 0.707 across their career seasons — 24.8% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1944	CIN	NL	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1952	CIN	NL	37	23	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	0.087	—	—	—	—	0.0
1953	CIN	NL	30	49	6	16	2	0	3	8	0	4	13	0.327	—	—	—	—	214.4
1954	CIN	NL	36	52	13	9	0	0	3	7	0	8	12	0.173	.261 (-34%)	.333 (-18%)	.390 (-11%)	.723 (-14%)	-142.4
1955	CIN	NL	53	86	10	17	4	0	3	14	0	8	24	0.198	.258 (-24%)	.332 (-19%)	.393 (-11%)	.726 (-15%)	-259.6
1956	CIN	NL	44	59	6	11	2	1	2	7	0	4	15	0.186	.258 (-28%)	.331 (-29%)	.397 (-10%)	.728 (-19%)	-229.6
1957	CIN	NL	42	59	6	14	1	1	0	7	0	5	15	0.237	.257 (-8%)	.323 (-10%)	.391 (-26%)	.715 (-19%)	-193.4
1958	CIN	NL	36	62	4	13	1	0	0	5	1	1	13	0.210	.257 (-19%)	.324 (-33%)	.394 (-43%)	.719 (-38%)	-411.2
1959	CIN	NL	28	44	5	11	3	0	0	2	0	1	4	0.250	—	—	—	—	0.0
1960	CIN	NL	39	26	3	2	1	0	0	1	0	1	6	0.077	—	—	—	—	0.0
1961	KC1	AL	56	65	5	19	2	1	2	13	0	6	18	0.292	.258 (+13%)	.328 (+7%)	.399 (+12%)	.727 (+10%)	111.6
1962	LAA	AL	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1962	CIN	NL	12	26	3	7	1	0	1	5	0	0	3	0.269	—	—	—	—	0.0
1963	CIN	NL	35	76	6	12	2	0	0	3	0	0	25	0.158	.246 (-36%)	.308 (-45%)	.371 (-50%)	.680 (-48%)	-588.3
1964	CIN	NL	34	54	2	7	0	0	1	1	1	0	20	0.130	.250 (-48%)	.312 (-59%)	.377 (-51%)	.690 (-54%)	-479.3
1965	CIN	NL	32	45	5	8	1	0	0	3	0	2	9	0.178	—	—	—	—	0.0
1966	CIN	NL	35	40	2	4	1	0	0	2	0	0	14	0.100	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
P	526	265	95	341	32	31

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1944	CIN	P	1	0	0	0	0	0
1952	CIN	P	37	0	3	24	1	4
1953	CIN	P	30	0	6	18	3	0
1954	CIN	P	35	14	4	29	1	5
1955	CIN	P	50	33	12	35	3	4
1956	CIN	P	44	32	6	31	2	3
1957	CIN	P	39	28	11	20	4	1
1958	CIN	P	36	26	6	29	3	3
1959	CIN	P	28	21	6	19	1	1
1960	CIN	P	38	6	8	26	1	4
1961	KC1	P	37	13	10	13	3	1
1962	LAA	P	5	0	1	2	0	0
1962	CIN	P	12	9	1	9	0	1
1963	CIN	P	35	29	5	33	5	2
1964	CIN	P	32	22	5	20	2	1
1965	CIN	P	32	16	5	13	0	0
1966	CIN	P	35	16	6	20	3	1