CINCINNATI -- Marty Brennaman has been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Reds Hall of Fame and the Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame, but he called being immortalized on Saturday with a bronze sculpture outside Great American Ball Park his greatest honor.
“Johnny Bench texted me this morning and reminded me that he and Pete [Rose] and Joe Morgan all said that this was the biggest thing that had ever happened to them in their career,” Brennaman said. “They said it unabashedly. I’m going to be the fourth person to say that.”
Brennaman’s statue is the ninth on Crosley Terrace, which serves as the main entrance and plaza outside Great American Ball Park, joining Ted Kluszewski, Ernie Lombardi, Joe Nuxhall, Frank Robinson, Tony Perez, Morgan, Bench and Rose, all created by artist Tom Tsuchiya.
The sculpture is affixed to the front of the administration building, directly behind the sculpture of Rose making his iconic headfirst slide and adjacent to the statues of the other Reds legends.
Brennaman’s bronze likeness is seated behind the microphone with his scorebook nearby and his signature winning call “This one belongs to the Reds!” emblazoned on the wall above. The microphone was digitally scanned to ensure an accurate depiction.
“When I approached the sculpture, I wanted to not just capture a single moment in time, but his entire legacy,” said Tsuchiya. “He was so enthusiastic. He came to my studio and posed, along with his wife, Amanda, which was so helpful to get his likeness and personality down.”
Ohio governor Mike DeWine, a lifelong Reds fan, issued a proclamation declaring Saturday “Marty Brennaman Day” in Ohio. Gov. DeWine spoke during the pregame ceremony.
“Truly, this day belongs to Marty Brennaman,” Gov. DeWine said. “There’s still something magical about turning on the radio and listening to a great broadcaster broadcast a Major League Baseball game.”
Brennaman was the radio voice for the Reds from 1974 until his retirement in 2019. His distinctive voice defined a generation for Reds fans. Brennaman and Nuxhall were among the longest-running duos in the history of baseball broadcasting.
“This could not have all happened to me had it not been for the acceptance of the great people of the city of Cincinnati,” Brennaman said. “I had numerous chances to leave, [and] at the 11th hour I always had to say, ‘No, I’m staying where I am.’”
Reds manager Terry Francona, a close friend of Brennaman’s, offered congratulations prior to Saturday’s game against the Mets.
“I texted him and said, ‘I rarely send you serious, heartfelt messages,’” Francona said. “I told him, ‘I’ll be out there proud as [heck]. I want you to enjoy it.’ It’s pretty cool.”
Former Reds players George Foster, Doug Flynn, Tracy Jones and former player and current broadcaster Jeff Brantley attended the pregame ceremony and statue unveiling, which drew a large crowd of Reds fans.
“He brought the game to life,” Brantley said of Brennaman.