Marty Brennaman is about to join two more exclusive clubs. The retired broadcaster will have a statue outside Great American Ball Park, alongside Reds legends like Johnny Bench, Ted Kluszewski, and his old broadcast partner Joe Nuxhall.
The bronze statue is of Marty behind the microphone, and will sit outside the front office. Brennaman says they didn't have to talk him into it.
鈥淭o be the only non-athlete among all the guys who鈥檝e been immortalized with bronzes, it鈥檚 the biggest thing that鈥檚 ever happened to me," he says. "It鈥檚 bigger than the Baseball Hall of Fame.鈥� Of which he's also a member, having been .
Brennaman says there are only a few other MLB broadcasters honored with a statue at the ball park they鈥檙e associated with.
鈥�(Bob) Uecker and Harry Carey; Jack Buck has one outside Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Jerry Coleman, the longtime voice of the San Diego Padres, has one,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 about eight or nine total. The most amazing one without one to me, is the greatest baseball broadcaster ever, and that鈥檚 Vin Scully.鈥�
, after 46 years in the broadcast booth.
The statue was created by outside Great American Ball Park.
Brennaman says over the course of several hours spread across several visits, Tsuchiya took his measurements so the bronze sculpture would be accurate.
鈥淗e did everything from measuring one eye from the other, and measured the space between the bottom of your nose to your upper lip.鈥�
Brennaman says he's eager to see the statue, because he hasn't, and people are asking him about it.
鈥淔irst question they obviously ask was, 鈥榃ith hair or without hair?' 鈥� he laughs.
Brennaman says the honor belongs to the fans.
鈥淚t would not have happened had it not been for my being accepted by baseball fans when Al Michaels left to go to the Giants in 1974.鈥�
The statue will be dedicated Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m., and Marty will be honored on the field at 6 p.m. before the Reds-Mets game at 6:40 p.m.
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