I know this is a TV/media blog, and the connection here to broadcasting is fairly nebulous.... but it's my blog, and you know I'm a huge Joe Nuxhall fan. So I wanted folks to see my photo of the cool jerseys for the new "Hamilton Joes" team in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League unveiled Saturday. The "Joes" on the uniform front is a replica of Joe Nuxhall's autograph. (As Lance McAlister would say, "How cool is that?") And you can barely read the red script "J" on the hat, a replica of Nuxie's distinctive signature "J." You gotta figure Joe is in Baseball Heaven smiling real big about this...
Credit retired banker Mike Brennan with the idea for the team name. He's the president and CEO, while his Fairfield Township neighbor Darrel Grissom is the manager. (Grissom coaches the Miami University Hamilton branch team.) The Hamilton Joes will consist mostly of college players who played high school ball in Butler County and northern Cincinnati suburbs. Home games will be played at Hamilton's Foundation Field, where the Florence Freedom played its inaugural season in 2003. It's also the home field for the Miami Univesity Hamilton team. It's a wood bat league, so the league usually attracts a lot of major league scouts. (The Cincinnati Steam, which plays at Western Hills HS, won the league last year with a 20-10 record). See more about the league here.
The Great Lakes League has sent 70+ players to the major leagues: Nick Swisher, Chad Cordero, Shane Costa, Dustin Hermanson, Paul Quantrill, John Van Benschoten, Dave Mlicki, Indians mgr. Eric Wedge and former Reds Chris Sexton, Mo Sanford and Dave Burba.
Oh yeah, about that broadcasting tie-in... Brennan hopes to have play-by-play streamed on the team's website, which isn't up yet, even if they don't have a broadcast outlet. Opening Day is Friday, June 5, at 7:05 p.m. When they asked Joe's son Kim Nuxhall at Saturday's press conference if he'd throw out the first pitch, Kim said: "I'll throw it left-handed!"
Great name for a baseball team. Great uniform!