Cincinnati, OH—After 46 years in the broadcast booth, today is the final game for Marty Brennaman. The broadcaster known for his “this one belongs to the Reds” signoff is retiring after 46 years with the Cincinnati Reds.
The Reds’ voice since 1974, Brennaman originally intended to quietly retire and fade into private life after last season. He relented and agreed to a farewell season that would allow fans and teams to show their appreciation. He says he will more than likely cry thru the last broadcast.
His voice is virtually inseparable from the 46 years of Reds’ history immortalized through his calls. From the era of the Big Red Machine to the 1990 World Series team, Brennaman has seen the high points and the lows of the franchise: Hank Aaron’s 714th homer that tied Babe Ruth, three World Series titles and Pete Rose’s record-setting hit No. 4,192 among the most memorable.
Brennaman shared the broadcast booth for 31 seasons with the Reds Hall of Fame pitcher Joe Nuxall. They’d talk about the Big Red Machine’s exploits and compare notes on garden tomatoes. Fans referred to them simply as Marty and Joe. The beloved duo separated in 2004 as Nuxhall retired. Three years later, the “old left-hander” died.
The first 20,000 fans at today’s game will receive a Reds transistor radio so they can hear every word of Marty’s call of the game while in the park. There will also be a postgame “Marty party” on the field where everyone in the park will honor Brennaman, who will be on stage with Jim Day at the pitcher’s mound.
