“The Ohio History Connection, which allows there to be placed in the state of Ohio a historical marker, has now accepted the application and there will now be a marker at the North End fields in the name of Joseph Henry Nuxhall,” Moeller said told the club.
The mayor told the club he found out about the news on Wednesday.
Nuxhall Night, which started after the late Joe Nuxhall’s playing days, was the final event he would attend before leaving for spring training, Optimist Club members said.
The “Hamilton Joe” Nuxhall Day Celebration Committee earlier this year applied to have a historical marker placed at the fields.
The effort to acquire an historical marker was announced in June ahead of the field dedication in Nuxhall’s honor at L.J. Smith Park on Nuxhall Boulevard.
Nuxhall, who grew up on Vine Street in Hamilton, is the youngest to every play in Major League Baseball when as a 15-year-old pitched two-thirds of an inning against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 10, 1944.
NUXHALL NIGHT: Three organizations give $9K to continue Joe Nuxhall's legacy
Nuxhall’s appearance was due to World War II when many players were fighting in the war. He rejoined the Reds in 1952 as a 23-year-old and pitched 15 years in the majors before ending his career in 1966.
In April 1967, Nuxhall joined the Reds radio broadcast team until his retirement in 2004, though he did make occasional appearances in the booth after his retirement. Nuxhall died on Nov. 15, 2007 at 79 years old.
Previous reporting by Staff Writer Mike Rutledge is contained in this story.
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