Is it true that Joe Nuxhall of the Cinn. Reds was only 15 when he began pitching for the Reds during WW 2?

There was a shortage of players, due to the war, and yes, Nuxhall did pitch before his 16th birthday in 1944. It was hard for all clubs to fill a roster with everyone away in the military.

Nuxhall was about a month and a half short of turning 16 when he pitched 2/3 of one inning for the Reds in 1944. Mostly this was done to establish that Cincinnati held his professional rights. He didn't pitch in the majors again until 1952.

Yes, Joe Nuxhall was the youngest player to ever appear in a MLB game. Jimmy Brown must have been close to 15 when he first played for the Syracuse Orangemen. He played 9 years for the Cleveland Browns and retired at the youthful age of 29. So imagine how young Jim Brown must have been when he played for a big time college football team.

Still only 15, where were you when you were 15? I was only in Babe Ruth League at my 15th year and a junior in high school at a scrawny 150 lbs with an arm that I had ruined over the summer playing every conceivable type of ball game. A dumb way to throw a young arm out.

Don't know about Jim, but MLB did not have an age requirement and lots of young guys played around this time.

Bob Fellers was also very young when he started in the major leagues.

Nuxhall was about seven weeks shy of his 16th birthday when he was shelled in his debut. I don't think he made it through a full inning.