It happened to Joe Nuxhall on this date in 1944-the youngest player to appear in a Major League Baseball game. Joe was a pitcher-and still in high school when he joined the Cincinnati Reds.
His debut was a bit shaky, giving up five runs on five walks and two hits in an 18-0 loss to St. Louis. The game was played during World War II, where it became common for young people to fill in for the stars, many of whom enlisted in the war effort. There were several other players who would never have had a chance, like Pete Gray, a one-armed outfielder who hit .218 and drove in 13 runs.
As for Nuxhall, he didn’t play again for the Reds until 1952 when he was 23 years old. He pitched 15 seasons in the majors and then joined the radio world broadcasting Reds games with Marty Brenneman. Called the “most beloved Reds fan”, Nuxhall became synonymous with the club that afforded his long career.
Below is a short video produced after his death:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1doC09rj_8
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