Tag: Crosley Field

This day in baseball: The flooding of Crosley Field

January 27, 2022

In January 1937, the wettest month in Ohio history caused Cincinnati to experience the worst flood in its history. The Ohio River overflowed, and approximately one million people were left homeless, with $500 million in damages occurring. The flood also impacted Crosley Field, where the lower grandstand was submerged under 21 feet of water. As a publicity stunt, on January 27th, Reds pitcher Lee Grissom and Gene Schott were photographed as they entered the ballpark over the left-field fence and rowed to the area of the pitcher’s mound.

Crosley Field flood, 1937 - mlb.com
mlb.com

This day in baseball: Consecutive no-nos

June 15, 2019

On June 15, 1938, Johnny Vander Meer of the Cincinnati Reds became the only pitcher in major league history to pitch two consecutive no-hitters.  Four days earlier, the left-handed Vander Meer held the Braves hitless at Crosley Field, leading the Reds to a 3-0 victory.  Then, on June 15th, he defeated the Dodgers at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field, 6-0.

Johnny_Vander_Meer
Vander Meer in 1948 (Baseball Digest)

This day in baseball: Nuxhall’s debut

June 10, 2013

On June 10, 1944, at the age of 15 years, 316 days, Joe Nuxhall became the youngest player to ever appear in a Major League game.  As a result of the player shortages during World War II, Nuxhall was called up by the Cincinnati Reds organization to fill in for one game.  The St. Louis Cardinals were already winning 13-0 in the ninth inning at Crosley Field when the left-handed pitcher was called into the contest.  Nuxhall retired the first batter he faced on a groundout, but was unable to get out of the inning, giving up five walks, two hits, a wild pitch, and five runs.

joe nuxhall
Nuxhall (MLB.com)

Nuxhall spent the rest of the season in the minor leagues, but he eventually made his way back up to the Reds organization in 1952.  Upon his retirement as a player in 1967, Nuxhall became a radio broadcaster for the Reds, a career he continued until his death in 2007.