Major Leagues At Age 15?

THE FOLLOWING IS AN ENCORE PRESENTATION OF THE TIM MOORE BLOG, UPDATED FOR 2010.

With all the attention paid this week to Washington Nationals rookie pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg, there is another player whose debut was at least as notable.

A player who made his first Major League start at the tender age of 15.

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 first outing 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 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

No matter the growth in signing bonuses (there will no doubt someday be someone who eclipses Strasburg's $15 million bonus), Nuxhall’s record of playing the “bigs” at age 15 will likely never be broken.


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